The top four teams in the MGBSFL are in action, with Hendon United Sports looking to taking another steps towards retaining the title, while the runners-up spot in Division One is up for grabs as North London Galaxy and Fairlop FC go head to head and there's also the small of Mill Hill Dons taking on arch rivals Hertswood Vale in the BGT.
March 28, 2019 10:04
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YOUR WEEKEND PREVIEW STARTS HERE:
(Matches KO at 10am unless stated)
MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
TOP 3
1. Hendon Utd Pl. 13, W. 9, Pts. 29
2. HMH Pl. 13, W. 7, Pts. 25
3. Oakwood A Pl. 14, W. 8, Pts. 25
HENDON UNITED SPORTS vs FAITHFOLD DOC MM A
Hendon United require a maximum four wins from their final five matches to retain the title, but many of their fans believe they will secure the title before their final game against Lions.
They were far from their best against Los Camden last weekend, but goals from Ari Nevies, star man Mordy Weiler and Josh Harris got them over the line. It’s what I’d describe as an ugly win against opponents who tried everything to stop them.
Weiler was at his marauding best and has come on in leaps and bounds over the past couple of season, making the left-back slot his own. It was a day when Hendon’s big-name players were well-marshalled so boss Jordan Sapler was delighted the likes of Weiler stepped up.
Having beaten Faithfold 3-0 earlier in the season, another comfortable morning looks on the cards for the defending champions.
“We know what we need to do in the league and that’s to carry on winning games,” Hendon boss Jordan Sapler told JC Sport. “Games against Faithfold are always going to be tough and they’ll no doubt be up for it.
“Our performance last week will motivate us even more and we’re on a good run of form.
“Everyone is playing for their places in both the league run-in and for Wingate and all 15 injury-free members of the squad are chomping at the bit to play and get game time.”
Sapler went on to say: “Choosing a first XI right now is very difficult, but I’m happy with the dedication and commitment the boys are showing.
“We have a very strong squad for Sunday and I’m personally delighted to see Yehuda Korman working his way back to fitness.”
Faithfold were well beaten by Oakwood last weekend, and I can’t see their fortunes improving against a rampant Hendon team.
JC team news: Yoav Kestenbaum, Greg Corin, Ari Last, Chain Korman and Jonny Kay are all unavailable for Hendon. Avi Korman and Yehuda Korman are set to return.
Venue – Hadley FC, Ref – Robert Benardout
JC star man: Yehuda Korman (Hendon)
DC Prediction: Hendon 3 Faithfold 0
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HMH vs BRADY MACCABI
HMH are odds-on beating basement battlers Brady Maccabi, for whom it has been a big week.
It’ll be interesting to see how things take shape at Rowley Lane next season, but for now Brady boss Joel Nathan must soldier on with the players he has.
He’s been juggling young ‘uns with old ‘uns, but results simply haven’t gone their way this season, so perhaps the merger with Maccabi London Lions is about perfect timing wise.
HMH have dominated the backpages of the JC in recent weeks. The new kids on the block have not lost in front of the JC cameras this season, so Brady will be relieved to hear they won’t be at the Hive this weekend!
Avi Goldberg’s boys are flying after reaching the final of the Peter Morrison Trophy for the first time, after they picked the Lions apart in ruthless fashion.
Oscar Wagner didn’t feature on the scoreline, but Adam Abadi did, along with Teddie Levenfiche and Sam Monjack – the JC Player of the Week.
Having secured a place in the cup final on May 19, HMH can now focus on keeping the pressure on Hendon United and hope for a slip-up.
HMH boss Avi Goldberg told JC Sport: "We are on a run of fine form in league and cup and the lads are cock-a-hoop after last Sunday’s fantastic cup win.
"We would love to stay in the hunt for the league and cup double, even if the league is Hendon's to lose. To do so we need to keep winning in the league and win all our remaining four matches."
Winning has become a habit for HMH this season and it would be fair to say they have taken the MGBSFL by storm. Goldberg had a word of warning for his players and said: "Trying to keep the team's heads on the ground and focused has not been easy this week, and there were times at training when I had to remind the squad that they had not won anything yet.
"Nothing less than a win will do this week. No game in the Premiership is easy and I am expecting Brady to put up a spirited display as they try to catch Faithfold.
"We do hope Brady will be able to field a team this time out as the boys want to play again instead of lying in bed as they ended up doing two weeks ago."
In terms of a prediction, this looks like a home banker.
JC team news: HMH "hope the magic dust around Sam Monjack is here to stay," but two-goal hero Teddie Levenfiche has gone back to the US and Ben Winters came off with hamstring injury last week and will miss out. Goalkeeper Jake Doffman is getting a well earned holiday in New York and it will be Gabes Arenson's last match this season as he goes off to Australia.
Venue – The Hive, Ref – Luke Steele
JC star man: Clark Norton (HMH)
DC Prediction: HMH 3 Brady 1
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MACCABI LONDON LIONS vs OAKWOOD A
MLL’s season effectively ended last weekend, when their hopes of retaining the Jewish FA Cup were extinguished by a confident HMH team.
A front three of Reiss Mogilner, Austin Lipman and Max Kyte would scare the living daylights out of most defences but they were superbly marshalled by Thomas Prais, Sammy Kingston and Josh Goldstein and met their match on the day.
Ahead of the visit of Oakwood, Lions’ joint-manager Max Kyte told JC Sport: “We are looking to finish the league in a strong position, and after recent defeats we are keen to get back to winning ways."
It's clear Kyte and co hold the League Cup holders in the highest regard, and he said: “Oakwood are a great side and we always enjoy our games against them.”
Finishing above Oakwood must be the target for the Lions, but Oakwood are another team looking forward to a cup final so they can expect no favours here.
The Oaks coasted to a comfortable win over Faithfold last weekend, with Ben Peppi joining regular goal-getters Josh Cuby and Josh Bharier on the scoresheet. Simon Davies and super-sub Louie Libbert were their stand-out performers on the day.
Lions and Oakwood have claimed respective 3-1 wins in the first two league meetings this season, so it’s hard to call a favourite. But with cup final places up for grabs for Oakwood, I’m tipping them to nick it.
Venue – Rowley Lane, Ref – Lee Browne
JC star man: Ben Peppi (Oakwood)
DC Prediction: Lions 1 Oakwood 2
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DIVISION ONE
TOP 3
1. Redbridge JC A Pl. 15, W. 11, Pts. 37
2. Fairlop FC Pl. 15, W. 11, Pts. 37
3. NL Galaxy Pl. 14, W. 9, Pts. 28
JEWDINESE vs OAKWOOD B
Jewdinese remain in contention for a top-three finish and they will be looking to complete a league double over an Oakwood team they beat 3-2 earlier in the season.
With a cup semi-final against North London Raiders on the horizon, the Zebras will be looking to extend their fourth match unbeaten run against an inconsistent Oakwood.
They have turned into a lean, mean winning machine this season, but manager Darren Lawrence knows they will need to be on top form on Sunday.
However, he will play the role of the tinkerman on Sunday and told JC Sport: "Of course we want to gain six points from our last two league games and we will aim for a third place finish, but as I’ve previously mentioned our main priority is now the cup.
"I will look to rotate the squad slightly, in order to give some rest to our key players that we will need 100 per cent fit for our huge semi-final clash against Raiders."
Lawrence went on to say: "Sunday will be our seventh game against an Oakwood team of some sort. Our last two against the B-team have ended in victory for us and I am more than confident we will make it three out of three.
"I am hoping we can find some goal-scoring rhythm and continue building up some momentum going into next week’s semi-final."
It’s hard to nail down what has gone wrong at Oakwood this season. Their squad is more than capable, but perhaps a change of management hit them harder than expected.
‘Nese have the momentum, so that’s why I’m tipping them to do the business.
JC team news: Jake Erlich and Brandon Sassoon remain out for 'Nese.
Venue – Queens School, Ref – Neal Cohen
JC star man: Ben Berrick (Nese)
DC Prediction: 'Nese 3 Oakwood 1
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NORTH LONDON GALAXY vs FAIRLOP FC
Second-placed Fairlop FC must beat third-placed Galaxy by a 23-goal margin, or else Redbridge Jewish Care A will be crowned champions.
Aaron Dias's Fairlop team go into this huge game with a two-year unbeaten league record on the line. That's some achievement. But, as we all know, records are there to be broken. They have kept the bar high this season, with players of the calibre of Adam Goldman, Brad Gayer, Ryan Cole and James Jaconelli ensuring the team plays to the maximum of their potential.
Galaxy boss Luke Lewis describe this game as "season-defining". His team have been excellent in their first season in the MGBSFL and Lewis believes "there is a strong chances that a third-place finish could secure promotion to the Premier, something we’d love to achieve".
Lewis has plenty of respect for the model of consistency Fairlop have become. "Their long, unbeaten record is incredibly admirable," he told JC Sport, "but gives us the motivation we need - we would love to be the first team to beat them and the boys can’t wait to play Sunday."
Lewis went on to say: "Our squad is probably the strongest its been for this Sunday. Jake Rinsler returns from almost three months out, Josh 'Shackaldinho' Shack returns in the middle of the park and, dare I say, he’ll also be at training on Wednesday too! Dylan Kaye will be making his debut for Galaxy on Sunday and cannot wait to put on the navy and white. Jordan Grundman and Dean Benzaken have both been in terrific form and will be with us Sunday, along with our very own Balotelli’s Nick Barnett and Zac Rose. As for who else plays - we’ll have to wait and see."
A big crowd is expected and Lewis knows Sunday will be a good barrometer for his Galaxy squad. He went on to say: "We want it more than ever Sunday - I have a lot of respect for the Fairlop boys, but I’m feeling confident about this one. We want it more than them and I know it. All the pressure is on them.. let’s see how they handle it."
Fairlop have fully fit squad available for what could be one of the games of the season. May the best team win.
Venue – Ark Elvin Academy, Ref – Phil Peters
JC star man: Josh Shack (Galaxy)
DC Prediction: Galaxy 2 Fairlop 1
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DIVISION TWO
TOP 3
1. Hertswood Vale Pl. 18, W. 13, Pts. 40 (Promoted)
2. SPEC FC Pl. 17, W. 10, Pts. 32
3. Redbridge JC B Pl. 14, W. 9, Pts. 28
TEMPLE FORTUNE vs FAITHFOLD DOC MM C
This game is a bit of a dead-rubber, with nothing at stake, so I'll keep it short and sweet.
Fortune suffered disappointment last weekend as they bowed out of the Barry Goldstein Trophy. Simon Linden's men gave an excellent account of themselves in the first half against first division North London Galaxy, but they tired in the second 45 and conceded four times.
Fortune team that has won six out of 16 league games. They have picked up some decent results, including a 4-2 triumph over Mill Hill Dons, but highlights have been few and far between, as has consistency.
Faithfold C were crushed 7-2 by the very same Dons team, which all points to a comfortable Fortune win.
But we know things aren't always that simple and Ben Kfir's Superhoops will be determined to produce an improved performance on a surface that makes good football tricky.
Venue - Tempsford Green, Ref – Nigel Burns
JC star man: Daniel Vandermolen (Fortune)
DC Prediction: Fortune 4 Faithfold 2
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REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B P SCRABBLE FC B P
Match postponed – Scrabble forfeited
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BARRY GOLDSTEIN TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL
MILL HILL DONS vs HERTSWOOD VALE
North London Galaxy await the winner of the mouth-watering last eight tie between old foes Mill Hill and Hertswood Vale. And I don’t expect there to be an empty seat in the house.
Starting with the Dons, the Peter Morrison Trophy semi-finalists warmed up for the game with a morale-boosting 7-2 win over Faithfold C, in which their player of the season, Isaac Virchis, scored a hat-trick. What a signing he has been.
With their tails up, boss Brandon Hamme sounded in confident mood at his pre-match press conference and he's ready for the challenge of Vale. "I was very happy with our performance last week, we were ruthless in front of goal and gave a real professional performance throughout," he told JC Sport.
"We now have the chance this Sunday to make our second semi-final of the season, which would be a great achievement for a team in Division Two.
"Complacency would be our biggest threat come Sunday, we are on an incredible run of results and we have already beaten our opponents on two occasions this season, so it’s natural for the boys to come into this game with lots of confidence."
Although the Dons' players and supporters cannot wait for Sunday, Hamme called for calm. "If we stay level-headed this game should be ours for the taking, but we know that an arrogant performance could see us get caught out.
"Complacency was a real issue before the turn of the year, but since then the boys have not let complacency seek into our performances, the mentality of the boys has become a lot more level-headed and we know that we have to fight for every result and take nothing for granted."
No Mill Hill Dons/Hertswood Vale preview would be complete without some mind games. Cue Hamme: "Jacob Emanuel will be desperate for the win come Sunday. He will hate to be bested once again this season, I just hope the obsession doesn’t drive him to make any silly tactical decisions. I want him at his best. I want to beat Vale at their best.
"We also want to give the Galaxy boys and the fans what they want. No-one is interested in the Battle of the Ark. Ark Elvin on Twitter this week said that they are the home of North London Galaxy but didn’t make any mention of Vale, that battle has already been won by Galaxy. The Battle of the Brothers is the tie the fans want and it’s tie they will get if we keep level-headed and put in a proper disciplined performance."
After that extraordinary rant, Vale managers Jacob Emanuel and Danny Hirschberger probably won't need to say too much in the changing before kick-off. No doubt they will remind a squad that has already secured Division One football next season of their qualities and consistent performances that have resulted in a top-two finish.
By his own admission, Emanuel is somewhat surprised to be in the last eight of the competition. So is this more than just a bonus game? You betcha! He told JC Sport: "Without playing a game thus far, we find ourselves in the quarter-finals of the BGT. With the teams left in the competition, the trophy is definitely up for grabs, but first, we’d love the opportunity to play in our first cup semi-final.
"Surely this is the game the neutrals have been crying out for! League form aside, Mill Hill Dons are having a storming season, and full credit has to go to Brandon. As a fellow Division Two side, it’s brilliant to see the Dons in the semi-final of the PMT, having beaten a number of teams from the divisions above.
"That alongside some of the 'cupsets' that have occurred in this competition, definitely gives lower league teams like us the hope that they can get involved in the latter stages of all the cups on offer."
Vale maintained consistently high standards in the league this season, winning 13 out of 18 matches. Emanuel commented: "On the flipside, I’m proud of our results in the league this season, and although promotion is the icing on the cake, we’re still waiting to see what happens with the title of division champions.
"Having beaten all of the top five sides in the division home and away, it’s our results against those languishing towards the bottom of the table that have let us down this season, and stopped us winning the league by a country mile."
Emanuel went on to say: "Make no mistake however, Mill Hill Dons should be higher up the table. Brandon said it himself this season, they Dons always turn up for their games against us - well, it’s about time that we do the same for the first time this season!
"MH Dons go into this one favourites, so it’ll be up to us to produce the next in this competition’s series of cupsets."
It's always hard to call a winner in games between these two great clubs. But Vale haven't played a competitive fixture in a month and with home advantage, I can see a sharper Dons team edging through.
JC team news: For the Dons, Josh Moses remains out for the season (torn labrum), while Adam Freedman and Jamie Nagioff are both unavailable for selection this Sunday.
Emanuel told me Vale "preparations for the game have been less than ideal". He added: "With Mother’s Day brunches becoming more popular this year, I’m without a number of the squad who’d prefer to spend time with the maternal figures in their lives rather than turn up at 9am on a Sunday morning. As such, I’m without as many as six players who started our final few games of the season, although we’re buzzing to welcome back Harry Marlow, Svi Freedman, Simon Englander and, of course, the infamous Adam Morrow.
Venue - Goffs Academy, Ref – Keith Goodman
JC star man: Adam Bowman (Dons)
DC Prediction: Dons 3 Vale 2
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PETER MORRISON TROPHY SEMI-FINAL DRAW
HMH vs Maccabi London Lions (HMH won 4-0)
Haroldeans or Manchester Maccabi vs Mill Hill Dons (Haroldeans vs Manchester replay April 14)
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CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP TROPHY FINAL
Hendon Utd Sports vs Oakwood A
- to be held at Wingate & Finchley FC on April 14, KO 2pm
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BARRY GOLDSTEIN TROPHY SEMI-FINAL DRAW
North London Galaxy vs Mill Hill Dons or Hertswood Vale
Jewdinese vs North London Raiders
ALSO SEE:
STAR MAN: Sam Monjack (HMH)
MANAGER: Avi Goldberg (HMH)
GOAL OF THE WEEK: Mordy Weiler (Hendon Utd)
SAVE OF THE WEEK: Oli Brooks (Los Camden A)
REFEREE OF THE WEEK: Richard Jaye (NL Raiders vs SPEC FC)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK CONTENDERS: Avi Goldberg (HMH) - "The arrival of the Lions Saturday brigade only made the will greater and the victory sweeter"