ByDanny Caro, Danny Caro
Basement battles Sporting JLGB caused one of the biggest upsets in recent MJSL history after beating title chasing Hyde Park Rovers in a nine-goal thriller.
Rovers went into the game on the back of a 2-2 midweek draw against Oakhill, a match which saw them drop points for the first time this season, but they had no answer to an improving Sporting JLGB
Two weeks ago Sporting lost to Westdene 2nd's but last week they put in a spirited display in Liverpool. So they travelled to Leeds in a steaming mood believing they could get some sort of result, and the boys in pink were 1-0 up within minutes. A long ball sent Rafi Bloom clear and he pulled the ball back from the by-line for Uri Steinberg to tap in.
The next 15 minutes saw a barrage on the Sporting goal by Hyde Park as they looked for the equaliser, David Domb amongst those to go close. Despite the barrage Sporting were holding on and often denied the hosts clear opportunities with Saul Davies and Blake Englander rocks at the back.
Sporting then made Rovers pay, a counter attack led to a corner and Bloom swung it in for Jarod Cohen to nod home unmarked. The first half ended with both sides having further chances. The 2nd half started with JLGB back on top, and they were next to score. Bloom's shot being cleared off the line by Paul Clayton's hand and the defender saw red, Bloom made it 3-0 from the spot.
The team from Leeds pulled one back with JLGB’s Dean Caplin unable to clear off the line. Sporting got their advantage back to three with a lovely long ball from Adam Schwinger setting Danny Jacobs free to clip passed the keeper from outside the area. Ten man Hyde though were still to come back, led by the excellent David Cohen in midfield. Cohen cutting in from the left and beating Akiva Lieberman to make it 4-2. It was soon three as Hyde battled back brilliantly to their credit.
The dream was soon becoming a nightmare for Sporting as it was 4-4 on 90 minutes. A deflected shot left Lieberman on the wrong foot and the ball trickled in sending Hyde ecstatic. But it wasn't over. Sporting went straight up the other end of the field with Bloom, the constant thorn in the Hyde defence, winning a free kick on the edge of the area. He sent the ball in and Cohen won a header at the back post sending the ball back into the melee in the six-yard box for Steinberg to knock home the winner and secure a fantastic result in a brilliantly competitive game.