Leaders Hendon United travel to title rivals HMH for whom Sunday is a must-win, while Lions and Brady are preparing for the Rowley Lane derby and there is also action in Division One and Two in an action-packed MGBSFL programme.
February 7, 2019 09:41
(All matches kick-off at 10am unless stated)
CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP ROUND THREE
LOS CAMDEN A vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A
Los Camden A are one of the surprise packages this season. But that won’t stop them being favourites against former CAC winners Redbridge.
Stirling Kay’s troops are flying at the minute and their tails are well and truly up. They have a solid spine in goalkeeper Steven Murad, Ashley Couque, Johann Jordi, Gav Krieger and the magical Oli Sade up top. While the rest of the squad are coping admirably in what is a very competitive Premier Division this season.
But like all fans, the Los Camden faithful want silverware, and they will go into the Redbridge game confident of progressing.
Redbridge are in pole position to win Division One. They are unbeaten this season, a model of consistency in 13 league matches and into the last eight in both cup competitions.
While Camden look to Sade for inspiration and skipper Jordi for drive and passion, Redbridge’s answer comes in the shape of top-scorer Nate Kashket and James Berkley.
Alex Paraskeva was RJC’s match-winner last time out, while Sam Sollosi could also figure after guiding the Essex boys past Faithfold A in the last round.
Ahead of the tie, RJC boss Sam Rank told JC Sport: "Sunday is a very important game for the club as we are looking to make history and win a treble from Division One - which has never been done before.
"Los Camden have battled well in the Premier Division this season, and have been a hard team to beat, but on Sunday they will come into a battle they have never experienced before.
"The boys trained very well this week, and are very much looking forward to knocking another top-flight team out of the Anekstein.
"Camden boss Stirling Kay has a lot of history with a number of the RJC boys, as for many, he was their junior and senior manager.
"After being released from RJC, he had a number of years out of the game, and then started to turn up to RJC B games two seasons ago and watch the boys win the league. He was taking many notes of my management techniques!"
Asked what to expect of Los Camden, Rank went on to say: "They will be well-drilled but they are not ready for the rampant RJC A boys, and with a very strong squad to choose from, there will be only one winner on Sunday."
I can see this tie coming down to small details. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it goes the distance.
JC team news: RJC A will be missing newly-engaged Carl Dobrin, while there is a scouting mission in the Philippines for Scott Mckenize and best man duties for recent new arrival Jamie Cooper at his brother's wedding. The visitors welcome back Richard Gold, Dave Green and Adam Noble plus Dean Nyman, who has timed his recovery perfectly following a knock against Oakwood. Rank told JC Sport Nyman "is ready to make some more headlines."
Venue – The Hive, Ref – Neil Cooper
JC star man: Elliot Moslawy (LC)
DC Prediction: LC 2 RJC 1 (AET)
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MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
TOP 3
1. Hendon Utd Pl. 10, W. 7, Pts. 22
2. Oakwood A Pl. 11, W. 6, Pts. 19
3. HMH Pl. 9, W. 4, Pts. 15
TOP-SCORERS 16 - Reiss Mogilner (ML Lions), 12 - Josh Bharier (Oakwood A - includes 2 for B team)
HMH vs HENDON UNITED SPORTS
Hendon boss Jordan Sapler has described Sunday’s MGBSFL Premier Division clash against HMH as “season-defining”.
The title rivals meet at the Hive in Edgware with the defending champions holding a seven-point lead over HMH, who have a game in hand.
Avi Goldberg’s HMH team have taken four points from a possible six against Hendon this season, but the third league meeting looks set to be the most significant.
“We’re well aware of HMH’s quality all across the pitch and they have the benefit of getting match fitness behind them over the last couple of weeks, whereas we’ve had frustrating postponements,” said Sapler.
“I’d even go as far as to say they are likely favourites for this game, which is an unusual situation for us.
“HMH’s pressing game is very strong and their front-line is in good form. I know Adam Abadi and Sammy Kingston well, and in those two alone they have tremendous quality. Avi [Goldberg] has done a great job with his squad and it helps that they, like us, are a very nice group.
“However, we know that when we play well we’re the best team in the league. Some of our play this season has been devastating and teams have simply failed to compete with the quality and attitude that we possess.
Sapler knows Sunday is a must-win for HMH. He went on to say: “We are hopefully looking at a strong squad for this weekend.
“We know what a win will do for our title ambitions and we have the belief in the squad that we will be able to get the result that we deserve and want.
“I’m sure that this has the potential to be the game of the season featuring two of the strongest teams in the league and I’m sure it’ll be an exciting watch.
“These are the types of games that we want too, and enjoy playing in. It’s why we get up on a Sunday morning and I’m sure Avi and his boys feel the same.”
HMH still have to play title rivals Oakwood A and Maccabi London Lions twice, so anything less than three points on Sunday morning would leave them with an uphill task.
Oscar Wagner and Adam Abadi were on the scoresheet again in an exhilarating performance against the Lions.
Eli Wegrzyn produced a commanding performance in midfield, while Tom Prais earned the title of JC Player of the Week for a display that ticked all the boxes.
HMH boss Avi Goldberg knows Sunday is all about his troops executing the game-plan to perfection. He told JC Sport: "It is a big game indeed for us if we are to stay in touch with Hendon.
"We are flying at the moment after two impressive victories over Lions in the league and Fairlop in the cup. Our strikers Wagner and Abadi are on fire, but they rely on the rest of the team to create chances and on the defence to do their job.
"We know we need to win and we know how good Hendon are as we are the only unbeaten team against them. Can we continue, this is the big question. We need to be at our best defensively as their forward line is very strong and we need to take our chances.
"Nobody wants to miss this one. The mouth waters at what could be the game of the season so far."
There will be spells when HMH are under the cosh but they showed their defensive unity and solidity last weekend and a repeat performance could make it hard for Hendon to break them down.
Sunday is effectively a cup final for HMH, and I'm backing Goldberg's glory-hunters to win one of the games of the season.
JC team news: Definitely missing for HMH this week will be Ben Winters and Ethan Krell. Oscar Wagner, Alex Moss and Sam Monjack have the manager on edge as they face late fitness tests, as does the wait to see if George Goldberg faces a one-match suspension or not. Gaffer Goldberg has confirmed "Jake Doffman will be between the sticks again after impressing on his debut against Lions, the continually-improving defence including Tom Prais, Sammy Kingston, Josh Goldstein and Gabes Arenson are all available, as is Eli Wegrzyn in midfield. Clark Norton and Avi Goldberg have recovered from injury, impressed in training and are pressing for a place in the matchday squad, as is Ariel Rahamim".
Greg Corin, Yoav Kestenbaum and Ari Last remain longer term injury concerns for Hendon and gaffer Sapler has confirmed all three will be missing on Sunday. Yehuda Korman is working his way back along with Josh Harris but Moses Seitler is unavailable. Jordan Mizrahi, Zack Lewis and Simon Peterman are back from trips and injuries.
Venue – The Hive, Ref – Phil Peters
JC star man: Jake Doffman (HMH)
DC Prediction: HMH 2 Hendon 1
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MACCABI LONDON LIONS vs BRADY MACCABI
Lions will unveil new boy Joe Salomon for the Rowley Lane derby as they look to get back on their bike after their defeat against HMH.
The 18-year-old central midfielder looks destined for great things and he should slot nicely into a talented Lions squad looking to break back into the top four.
Striker Reiss Mogilner will no doubt be keen to impress against his former club, but don’t be overly surprised if he doesn’t celebrate if he scores.
Ahead of kick-off, MLL joint-manager Max Kyte told JC Sport: “We’re hoping to get back to winning ways and display a good attitude after our disappointing result against HMH last weekend.”
Brady sit at the foot of the table following six defeats in seven matches. They have games in hand on all the teams above them but they face a tough run of games, with Hendon and Lions again to follow, with the small matter of a League Cup quarter-final in the middle.
Boss Joel Nathan drafted in some old boys for their recent cup win at Fairlop, with the experience of Adam Gishen and Gavin Sherman helping them over the line.
But the Brady bunch have been frustrated by the elements since, and gaffer Nathan knows a fast start will be needed on Sunday. "It has been a shame that our last two games succumbed to the weather as we haven’t been able to build on our win over Fairlop," he told JC Sport.
"MLL had a bad day at the office last Sunday, so I expect they will be eager to put that right this Sunday and therefore expect a tough battle.
"The added incentive I guess is that It will be interesting coming up against Reiss, but we know his game and will be ready for it and aim to show him he made a mistake joining our Rowley Lane rivals."
"Unfortunately we are missing a couple of players but still have a good squad to choose from and they are all chomping at the bit to be in the starting XI."
Anything can happen in a derby, but I think it’ll be Lions holding all the aces on Sunday.
Venue – Rowley Lane, Ref – Luke Steele
JC star man: Joe Salomon (Lions)
DC Prediction: Lions 2 Brady 0
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DIVISION ONE
TOP 3
1. Redbridge JC A Pl. 13, W. 9, Pts. 31
2. Fairlop FC Pl. 11, W. 8, Pts. 27
3. NL Galaxy Pl. 12, W. 8, Pts. 25
TOP-SCORERS 18 - Nate Kashket (Redbridge JC A), 12 - James Jaconelli (Fairlop FC), Adam Ellis (Bayern Mincha)
BAYERN MINCHA vs JEWDINESE
Jewdinese pushed League Cup holders Oakwood A all the way and had it not been for a missed penalty, they might've been reflecting on a major scalp.
Darren Lawrence's men have shown they can mix it with the best the MGBSFL has to offer, with a good, talented, hungry and ambitious squad.
The Zebras' performance earned praise from Oakwood joint-manager Dan Kristall. They will have a second bite of the cherry in the Anekstein in a couple of weeks, but before that it's all about cementing league points as they bid to keep their promotion dream alive.
Looking ahead to the game, Lawrence told JC Sport: "After last week’s heartbreaking defeat, we are looking to get back on track with three points in the league.
"I don’t think our last game with Mincha truly reflects them. I believe they are a good team, and as shown by their recent victory over Galaxy, we will not be taking preparations lightly. Nothing less than a victory on Sunday will suffice.
"I have a full-strength squad to choose from so the players know that their performance in training will need to be good in order to be a part of my plans on Sunday."
As Lawrence mentioned, 'Nese beat Bayern 3-1 in October. His team has really kicked on from them and secured five league wins.
But other than the fantastic result over Galaxy, Bayern have been leaking goals and I think that will play into the hands of a confident 'Nese team in a contest that has a great European feel to it.
Venue – Capital City, Ref – Barry David
JC star man: Zach Collins ('Nese)
DC Prediction: Bayern 1 'Nese 3
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OAKWOOD B vs LOS CAMDEN B
The signs look ominous for Los Camden, who for one reason or another, have only played one of their last six scheduled matches.
A trip to an Oakwood team, who are like wounded tigers at the moment, will be a real test of their mettle and character.
Oakwood gave a good account of themselves in the recent meeting with leaders Redbridge A, only to come unstuck in the final 25 minutes.
But joint-manager Simon Field would've seen enough to give him the confidence his team can put Los Camden to bed without too many questions asked.
I expect messus Selwyn and Seligman to feature on the scoresheet in what looks like a home banker.
Venue – Nicholas Breakspear, Ref – Robert Benardout
JC star man: Dan Selwyn (Oakwood)
DC Prediction: Oakwood 4 LCB 0
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SCRABBLE FC A vs NORTH LONDON RAIDERS
Scrabble hope Sunday is a case of 10th time lucky as they look to get the monkey off their backs against mid-table Raiders.
Nine consecutive defeats has meant a major rebuilding job for manager Ray Abrahams, but he hopes his Scrabble team will give Raiders a test.
"It’s been a really difficult season and we really don’t have a clue as to whether the game will go ahead due to a lot of apathy in the squad and injuries. But as ever, if we play we will be giving it our best shot in what is such a division of high standard this year. The standard is not far short of the Premier and streets ahead of Division Two."
Raiders just hope the game goes ahead. Scrabble failed to get a team out for the first meeting, and the hope is football will be the winner on Sunday.
NLR's David Isaacs told JC Sport; "With our last two games being called off, the boys are really looking forward to getting on to the pitch again and hopefully getting the three points.
"With the season coming to an end, we really want to end the season on a high starting from Sunday."
JC team news: Raiders welcome Danny Yeshua, Gavin Fox and Joshua Nagli back into the squad.
Venue – Aycliffe Road, Ref – Stephen Levy
JC star man: Tal Cohen (NLR)
DC Prediction: Scrabble 0 NLR 4
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DIVISION TWO
TOP 3
1. SPEC FC Pl. 16, W. 9, Pts. 29
2. Hertswood Vale Pl. 14, W. 9, Pts. 28
3. Faithfold Doc MM B Pl. 17, W. 9, Pts. 28
TOP-SCORERS 19 - James Millet (Hertswood Vale), Zack Neiman (SPEC FC), 13 - Richard Salmon (FC Team)
HERTSWOOD VALE vs FC TEAM
Vale couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Raiders' A-team stars Aron Gale and Scott Waissel lining up in front of them last week. It was something of a rude awakening, especially when they expected to take on North London Raiders MASTERS! But that is one of the pitfalls of playing against a multi-team club ... And the Vale boys know they won't come up against a player of the calibre of Aviel Schwarz many times this season.
There should be no surprises when they take on FC Team - a side they thumped 5-2 earlier in the season. James Millet was the star performer that day. His hat-trick ensured FC Team were put to the sword in a performance Mitch Young described as "dreadful".
Millet moved on to the magical 20-goal mark for the season in last week's 4-3 defeat against NLR. The Golden Boot beckons and he will be looking to add to his tally against opponents who have conceded 29 times.
Vale start the match seven points ahead of FC Team, but they have played two games more. And with both sides having some tough games during the run-in, three points on Sunday are crucial.
It's clear FC Team are up for what could be one of the games of the season. They are targeting revenge. “We are looking forward to the game as it has been a few weeks since we last played," FC Team player-manager Mitch Young told JC Sport.
"Hertswood have been a bit of a bogey team for us and have good attacking players, so I am expecting a tough game.
"We have six games remaining and we are taking game by game. We know we can beat anyone on our day and I'm hoping if we can manage to beat Hertswood we may even put ourselves in contention to challenge for the top two places come the end of the season.
"It is probably one of the biggest games in their history, so we are hoping they feel the pressure and we can take advantage.” (Ed. careful Mitch, you're starting to sound like Pep now!)
It's hard to pick a winner on Sunday. If FC Team line up with a front three of Richard Salmon, Connor Perl and Young - all three have registered double figures this season, it will be squeaky bum time for a Vale.
Venue – Ark Elvin Academy, Ref – Andy Myerson
JC star man: Josh Morris (FC Team)
DC Prediction: Vale 3 FC Team 3
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NORTH LONDON RAIDERS MASTERS vs SCRABBLE FC B
It's the battle of the old boys at the Ark as Raiders Masters host Scrabble. Remember your shinpads, lads!
Raiders registered their third and, without doubt, best win of the season last week in an Aviel Schwarz inspired 4-3 win over title-chasing Hertswood Vale.
I'd predicted a Vale win, but much like Jacob Emanuel and Danny Hirschberger, I didn't account for the fact that Raiders' Division One starlets Scott Waissel and Aron Gale would be involved. And with Raiders' first division match against rock bottom Scrabble FC A in doubt, it wouldn't surprise me if they featured again.
That said, Scrabble have the same luxury and that could mean Zac Summerfield lining up alongside his uncle, Jonny.
Ahead of the game, NLR managr James Cartmell told JC Sport: "It’s actually our last scheduled league game of the season, even though we’re only in February, so we’ll be looking to end the campaign on a positive note.
"Indeed we are looking forward to locking horns with Jon Yantin’s Scrabble side once again - it should be competitive as always."
Defences dominated in the first meeting at the start of the season. Both teams have held their own in their first season in the MGBSFL, with a Who's Who of Jewish football possibly on show, including former league winners David Fox, Tony Plaskow, Hadley Silver, Mark Wagman and Bradley Lazarus.
And there won't be much to separate them second time around.
JC team news: Raiders welcome back Matt Kleinman, Liam Stein and Andrew Wolfin to what will be our regular matchday squad.
Venue – Ark Elvin Academy, Ref – Paul Dobkin
JC star man: Daniel Hodes (NLR)
DC Prediction: Raiders 1 Scrabble 1
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SPEC FC vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B
It's been a good week for Redbridge B. They kept their promotion bid on track with a big win over Temple Fortune and also had a victory off the pitch.
Boss Richard Bronzite explained: "After the week we have had, confidence is high," he told JC Sport. "We enjoyed a very good win last Sunday, although we became complacent towards the end, which we can’t allow.
“However, we had an even bigger win in the court on Monday night. The fact we had to appeal was ridiculous but at least the committee showed common sense and agreed with us.”
Bronzite has named a 14-man squad for the trip to Bushey. “We played SPEC earlier in the season – they are a really good footballing team with nice boys so looking forward to a decent game to watch.
“It will be a tough game as they will be up there at the end of the season, so we need to be at our best for 90 minutes."
SPEC will be somewhat surprised to find themselves still at the summit. With title rivals Faithfold B and Hertswood Vale having dropped points in recent weeks, manager Ricky Lawrence wants his players to take the bull by the horns.
“It’s a must win for us on Sunday, but Redbridge can afford to drop points and still take the title," he told JC Sport.
“We’ve got a couple of injuries but also managed to pull ofd a decent signing before the window slammed shut!” All will be revealed on Sunday!
Striker Dan Gordon is bang in form after bagging a brace last weekend. What Liverpool could do with a striker like him at the minute.
I'm predicting a tactical and tense affair, with the battle of strikers Zack Neiman and Gordon key.
Venue – Queen's School, Ref – Laurence Thorne
JC star man: Dan Gordon (RJC)
DC Prediction: SPEC 1 RJC 2
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PETER MORRISON TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
HMH vs Oakwood A
Mill Hill Dons vs Redbridge Jewish Care A
Haroldeans vs Manchester Maccabi 1st
Maccabi London Lions vs Los Camden A
Ties have been provisionally set for February 24. The semi finals are then due to be played March 31
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CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP QUARTER-FINALS
Oakwood A vs Jewdinese
Hendon United Sports vs Brady Maccabi
Bayern Mincha vs ML Lions
Los Camden A vs Redbridge JC A
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MATCHDAY 19 AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Tom Prais (HMH)
MANAGER OF THE WEEK: Avi Goldberg (HMH)
GOAL OF THE WEEK: Oscar Wagner (HMH)
SAVE OF THE WEEK: James Hiller (Oakwood A)
REFEREE OF THE WEEK: Barry David