There's semi-final action, as Brady Maccabi, Hendon United, Los Blancos and Oakwood A battle it out for a place in the final of the Cyril Anekstein Cup at Rowley Lane, two ties in the Peter Morrison Trophy and matches in the top-flight and Division Two of the MGBSFL.
February 8, 2018 11:42
YOUR WEEKEND PREVIEW STARTS HERE:
PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND THREE
REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B
Redbridge A know the Jewish FA Cup is their only realistic hope of adding silverware to the trophy cabinet. But their B-team know this as well, and that will only add pressure for the Premier Division team.
Sunday is a must-win for the A’s. Simple as that. They gave a good account of themselves last time out against Oakwood, with Ben Sollosi their shining light.
Redbridge B go into the game on the back of a hard-fought win over Temple Fortune, when Carl Dobrin and Dan Gordon edged them home.
The B’s currently sit below the C’s in Division One, but boss Josh Hambling knows they have nothing to lose. Yes they probably concede too many goals but this is the cup and if they just go for it, you just never know.
POSSIBLE SQUADS:
REDBRIDGE (from): Dan Lee, Jay Jaffa, Ross Weintraub, Danny Berg, Sam McCarthy, Adam Hakimi, Danny Hakimi, Craig Sandford, Richie Caplin, Brad Frankel, Adam Shafron, Ben Sollosi, Sam Sollosi, Nathan Sollosi, Scott Oldstein, James Berkley, Nate Kashket, Russell Goldstein, Steve Summers, Aaron Goldberg, Elliot Black, Calvin Dickson
RJC (from): Brad Grant, Dan Adelman, Paul Biller, Dan Andrews, Jon Fialka, Dan Lassman, James Law, Scott McKenzie, Dan Lipman, Elliot Coulton, Adam Noble, Sam Rank, Antony Cope, Josh Hambling, Dan Gordon, Jacob Kaye, Carl Dobrin, Richard Rosenthal
Venue - Seven Kings School, Ref – David Lazarus, KO – 9.50am
JC star man: Russell Goldstein (RJC A)
DC Prediction: Redbridge A 2 Redbridge B 1
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CATFORD & BROMLEY MACCABI vs MACCABI LONDON LIONS WHITE
Lions put six past Raiders in the league last week and more of the same is expected in the feline derby as they take on a Catford team lying 16 places below them in the league ladder.
Ollie Craig has hit a real purple patch of former for the Lions, hitting a hat-trick last weekend, on the back of a terrific performance against Brady. And he starred in goal last week in the thriller against last season’s champions.
Young Kiki Levin continues to sparkle. Having played striker and full-back, he has shown great versatility, as any youngster should, and I expect him to bomb forward at every opportunity as the Lions look for a fast start.
Catford have nothing to lose on Sunday. Boss Jeff Gotch waved the white flag to signal the end of their automatic promotion hopes before last week’s draw against Temple Fortune
He has been involved in several cup shocks over the years but deep down he knows his boys will be under the cosh for long periods on Sunday.
Ahead of kick-off, Gotch told JC Sport: “We currently only have 10 available but will be there and will try and prevent a cricket score - we are massive underdogs but we don't pull out of fixtures.” Credit to him for that attitude.
The Lions are a young and hungry pack of talented players. They know the competition has really opened up this season, with Oakwood, Hendon United and Lions Vets have been eliminated. And I can see the floodgates opening if they opening the scoring early doors.
JC team news: Catford player-manager Jeff Gotch has been ruled out for the remainder of the season. Joel Lassman, Jason Shoffman, Richard Winton, Sam Reeves are unavailable along with several others.
POSSIBLE SQUADS:
LIONS (from): Jordan Sharifian, Sam Arghebant, Will Beresford, Ben Lampert, James Gold, Sam Hamerton, Max Hassell, Jamie Jackson, Jack Mattey, Mikey Perkins, Josh Weiner, Conor Perl, Max Misrahi, Jamie Cohen, Tyler Smith, Eshed Calman, Jonny Ellis, Max Kyte, Austin Lipman, Adam Burchell, Ryan Springer
CATFORD (from): Guy Ben-Aroya, Richard Adams, Stuart Harris, Loz Bloom, Mitch Green, Alex Jacobs, , Callion McGregor, Yarden Sharon, Danny Yeshua, Ashley Stokes, Jamie Sinai, Ashley Stokes, Jon Solomons
Venue – Meadow Park, Ref – Barry David, KO – 10am
JC star man: James Gold (Lions)
DC Prediction: Catford 0 Lions 5
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CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP SEMI-FINALS
BRADY MACCABI vs HENDON UNITED SPORTS
Well-beaten by Raiders last weekend, Hendon boss Greg Corin hopes his team’s big-match experience will stand the red men in good stead ahead of their last four showdown with Premier Division rivals Brady.
Rowley Lane has been confirmed as the venue for this season’s League Cup final, for the first time, and Hendon will go into the tie with a big psychological edge having crushed Brady 7-1 in the league a couple of weeks ago.
But it was a very different story against Raiders last Sunday, as Hendon suffered their first league defeat. They had a decent 11 but crucially no subs and no game-changers. Enter Moses Seitler. I expect him to return to the squad and his presence will certainly lift his team-mates.
Brady’s last win came at the beginning of December. Top-scorer Reiss Mogilner continues to bang away the goals, but he simply cannot do it all on his own. He’s Brady’s equivalent of Mo Salah and a contender for Player of the Year.
Looking ahead to the game, Brady boss Joel Nathan told JC Sport: “We are not going into the semi-final in any sort of form as we have been badly affected with injuries since Chanukah and know we go in as underdogs. But everyone loves an underdog!
“Last time against Hendon we made a fight of it for 45 minutes and then capitulated in the second half. But I know if we can perform as we did in the first half of the season we will give then a big fright and are determined to make sure we play in the final come May.
“We do have a couple of the missing boys back and that should help our chances but we know Hendon are a very strong team and will be disappointed to have dropped points last week so will be raring to go against us.”
Experience is crucial in a cup semi-final. Hendon have it in abundance. I can see them eventually grinding Brady down, getting the job done and booking their place in the final.
POSSIBLE SQUADS:
BRADY (from): Josh Miller, Harry Fine, Sam Castle, David Cohen, Elliott Dagul, Brad Dryer, Henry Ziff, Matt Sofier, Jordan Nathan, Ricky Rinder, Graeme Grossman, Zac Skry, Marc Rister, Stanley Offord, Ben Kohler, Reiss Mogilner, Clark Norton, Scott Gordon, James Joseph, Charlie Kasler
HENDON (from): Russ Corin, Arthur Caplin, Motti Colman, Rafi Kon, Mordi Weiler, Larry Cohen, Josh Bentley, Avi Korman, Dudi Edreyi, Dan Howard, Ari Last (capt), Yoav Lebens, Ben Lauffer, Josh Harris, Zac Lewis, Yishai Last, Moses Seitler, Rocky Spitzer
Venue – Rowley Lane, Ref – Luke Steele, KO – 10am
JC star man: Moses Seitler (Hendon)
DC Prediction: Brady 1 Hendon 3
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LOS BLANCOS vs OAKWOOD
Oakwood are strong favourites to reach another Cyril Anekstein Cup final when they travel to first division Los Blancos.
The league champions have been hampered by injuries in recent weeks and drawn their last two games, but you would fancy them to beat Blancos nine times out of 10.
Brad Wine has been a key performer for the Oaks in recent matches and their excellent away record should hold the Premier Division leaders in good stead on Sunday.
Blancos are heading back in the right direction after wins over Camden Park and Scrabble. But every single player will need to have the game of their life is they are to secure the shock of the season. I know Fairlop knocked out Hendon United earlier in the season, but they have the Player of the Year in their ranks, and Blancos are 20-1 to progress.
The defensive partnership between Jake Doffman and Gav Krieger will be put to the test but a powerful Oakwood team whom I expect to win the majority of their individual and collective battles. And that will be key.
POSSIBLE SQUADS:
BLANCOS (from): Gideon Rabstein, Josh Aziz, Joel Barnett, Marc Woolfe, Jake Doffman, Svi Freedman, Tim Heynes, Gav Krieger, James Kutner, Avishai Kestenbaum, Elliott Maslawy, Joe Davis, Daniel Sinclair, Josh Mizrahi, Alex Lewis, Josh Laurier, Simon Moses, Oliver Sade, Luke Strauss, James Kutner, Joe Zender
OAKWOOD: Joe Botchin, David Cohen, Dale Bradman, Alex Lee, Tom Cantor, Lee Warner, Kyle Bentwood, Simon Davies, Brad Wine, Toby Levy, Sam Cantor, Leor Sidle, Josh Cuby, George Goldberg, Ben Peppi, David Woolman, Luke Brookner, Jonny Quinn, Daniel McEnaney, George Goldberg
Venue - Hertswood, Ref – Mark Jacob, KO – 10am
JC star man: Toby Levy (Oakwood)
DC Prediction: Blancos 1 Oakwood 2
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MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
TOP-SCORERS
17 – Reiss Mogilner (Brady Maccabi)
8 - Zac Lewis (Hendon Utd SC), Josh Bloom (ML Lions Blue), Kiki Levin (ML Lions White)
CAMDEN PARK vs NORTH LONDON RAIDERS A
No-one could’ve predicted Raiders beating Hendon 3-0 on current form. Especially with 10 men. But it just showed you the quality they have in the side.
They were written off before kick-off but did their talking on the pitch, and credit to them for that.
Boss Dan Shafron will need to give a slightly different team-talk before Sunday’s visit to Camden. They key for me is treating Camden exactly as they did Hendon. With respect. That shouldn’t be a problem as Shafron won’t allow any complacency, especially with a Peter Morrison Trophy quarter-final on the horizon.
“This is a must-win game for both sides,” Shafron told JC Sport. “In many ways, this will be our toughest game of the season, more so in terms of mentality, so we have to be prepared for the challenge.
“I’m sure Camden will adopt a similar game-plan to when they beat us in October and they’ll take confidence in that, but we’re looking for our third consecutive win having found good form in recent weeks and we’ll use that, as well as knowledge that we can climb up to joint-third place on points as our incentive.”
Josh Marks was Camden’s two-goal hero when they beat L’Orange in October – their one and only league triumph to date.
Ahead of kick-off, Camden boss Stirling Kay told JC Sport: "Raiders obviously have had some good results of late, so we are under no illusion how difficult this will be.
"My players will give everything to ta take the three points and get ourselves back to winning ways."
But the odds are stacked firmly against Stirling Kay’s troops on Sunday.
JC team news: Camden welcome Max Saunders back into to the squad. Kaye remarked; "He leads by example, which will give the whole team a massive lift."
POSSIBLE SQUADS:
CAMDEN (from): Steve Murad, Ben Harris, Josh Tiano, Theo Azouz, Greg Meller, Max Gordon, Kane Gilbery, Rick Harris, Johann Jordi, David Kanzen, Mike Khalatschi, Josh Marks, Max Saunders, Matt Pearlman, Ricardo Ercoli, Dan Orgel, Danny Sherman
RAIDERS (from): Adam Zaidman, Josh Morris, Rob Blackman, David Rhodes (capt), Joe Cohen, Josh Goldstein, Adam Joselyn, Ben Joseph, Alex Kaye, Jonny Kay, Joe Meisel, Alex Moss, Oscar Wagner, Josh Green, Josh Bharier, Jordan Nathan
Venue – Hadley FC, Ref – Andy Myerson, KO – 10am
JC star man: Josh Bharier (Raiders)
DC Prediction: Camden 1 Raiders 3
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DIVISION ONE
TOP 3
1. Faithfold A Pl. 9, W. 7, Pts. 23
2. NL Raiders B Pl. 10, W. 7, Pts. 22
3. Oakwood B Pl. 10, W. 5, Pts. 17
TOP-SCORERS
11 - Jake Gilbert (NL Raiders B)
9 - David Dinkin (NL Raiders B - including 2 for A team), David Esterkin (NL Raiders B includes goals scored for C team)
No matches scheduled this weekend
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DIVISION TWO
TOP-SCORERS
26 - Adam Ellis (Bayern Mincha)
19 - Zach Cohen (Mill Hill Dons), Mitch Young (FC Team)
FC TEAM vs BAYERN MINCHA
Having beaten nearest rivals Mill Hill Dons, table-toppers Bayern Mincha face another crunch clash in the shape of third-placed FC Team.
Defender Gavriel Nussbaum has been in brilliant form since Chanukah. He starred again last week, while Nicky Cooper scored his first of the season and goal machine Adam Ellis hit his 26th of the season.
Five consecutive wins have seen Bayern put a little daylight between themselves and their rivals, but managers Daniel Holder and Alon Pinhas knows Sunday could be their toughest test yet.
“After a great run of games since the break and a massive win last week, we look to keep our run going when we play FC Team this Sunday,” Pinhas told JC Sport.
“We know they are a good team who will definitely be up for it as they still have a good chance of promotion.
“However, we know that if we win, we will be quite far clear of them and closer to our hopes of winning the league, so we will definitely be giving them a difficult time too.
“Team morale is high and all the boys are excited to get back out there and prove a point.”
FC Team go into the game on the back of a hard-fought point against Real last week. It was arguably two points dropped but conditions were a nightmare and Mitch Young’s boys were far from their best.
Team have won four out of five at home and there has been a much-needed improvement at the back, thanks largely to Ryan Kangisser. He has taken everything in his stride since joining, and a great piece of business by Young on deadline day.
In terms of a prediction, this is a tough one to call. I was hugely impressed by Bayern's commitment and desire following the red card. They didn't panic and stuck together superbly. It wouldn't surprise me if a moment of magic settled things in their favour.
JC team news: Bayern will be missing the likes of Adam Biton (suspension), along with Josh Levy, Benji Albert and Matan Ozin. They also have “a couple of players in the squad who are not 100 per cent fully fit, however, eager to play”. After a couple of weeks out of action, they welcome back Sam Kanter and Adam Herszaft into our squad.
POSSIBLE SQUADS
TEAM (from): David Gordon, Jamie Breslaw, Eitan Ben-Zion, Jon Breger, Dan Breger, Danny Moss, James Milman, Adam Rones, David Grossman, Jamie Breslaw, Mitch Young, Dylan Young, Richard Salmon, Ryan Kangisser, Ashley Burns
BAYERN (from): Joe Nyman, Rafi Terespolsky, Sam Leader, Josh Levy, Akiva Fink, Alon Pinhas, Eli Davila, Adam Herszaft, Daniel Holder, Joe Metliss, Shmuel Leader, Allon David, Sam Kanter, Sammy Liebert, Adam Ellis
Venue - Hertswood , Ref – Neil Cooper, KO – 10am
JC star man: Eli Davila (Bayern)
DC Prediction: FC Team 1 Bayern 2
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HERTSWOOD VALE vs MILL HILL DONS
Mill Hill Dons are dusting themselves down after last weekend’s defeat against title rivals Bayern Mincha. And manager Brandon Hamme told me they are ready to go again.
Having led through another goal from the ever-dangerous Zach Cohen, they succumbed to their first defeat since the beginning of October, albeit it took a penalty to end their resistance.
“Last week's disappointing result was our first loss in the league in over four months as our incredible run came to an end,” Hamme told JC Sport.
“We had our chances to put the game to bed in the first half but were unable to make them count and let Bayern back into the game in the second half.
“It was a frustrating game but the boys gave it their all and it just was one of those days, so we can't feel too disheartened.”
No doubt, Hamme would’ve told his players how proud of the run he was. And he is challenging them to start another one this weekend.
“We are desperate to bounce back this Sunday but we know our opponents Hertswood Vale will not make it easy for us,” he added.
“They are coming off the back of an impressive result last time out against Straw Hat and have already surpassed their points total from last season.
“This is the first time we have faced them this season but I know that on their day when they have a full squad available to them they are a very tricky side to face.
“We are now part of the chasing pack and we can't afford any more slip-ups if we are going to challenge for either the title and promotion.
“I know if the boys perform to the best of their abilities and put in a shift we are more than good enough to put last week's disappointment behind us come Sunday.”
But the Dons can expect no favours against a Hertswood team who have run into a bit of form themselves. For starters, the hosts will be keen to show that they have the best Cohen in the division. Top-scorer Josh was on target last weekend, along with Josh Wood and Elio Elia.
Hertswood know they have nothing to lose on Sunday, and they are capable of pushing the Dons the distance.
But Hamme knows the sign of a good team is how they react to a defeat and I expect them to do the business.
JC team news: Joel Sinclair-Horne is back in full training after four weeks out, whilst Joseph Reece still remains out with no realistic return date set
POSSIBLE SQUADS
HERTSWOOD (from): Josh Cohen, Simon Englander, Yehuda Fink, Theo Gluckstein, Josh Gorb, Harry Graham, Ashley Hirschburger, Sammy Huberman, Adrian Leibovitch, Jonty Schogger, Ben Chiltern, Danny Feuer, Jack Shulman, Josh Cohen, Simon Englander, Jordan Harris, Michael Elia, Isaac Segalov, Edan Dodi, Bradley Lobetta, Elio Elia, Harry Marlow
DONS (from): Oli Burchell, Richard Reback, Adam Ben-Harosh, Josh Cinna, Sam Demby, Harry Moss, Jamie Nagioff, Nick Phillips, Adam Isaacs, Ryan Kramer, Zach Cohen, Harry Kalms, Brandon Hamme, Jordan Rinsler, Josh Moses, Adam Diamond, Jason Weldon
Venue – Tempsford Green, Ref – Laurence Thorne, KO – 10am
JC star man: Adam Morrow (Dons)
DC Prediction: Vale 1 Dons 3
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NORTH LONDON RAIDERS C vs FAITHFOLD B
It’s impossible to predict which way NLR games will go this season. On their day they can mix it with the finest in the division, but consistent performances remain an issue.
When David Esterkin plays, they have another dimension and with no B-team game scheduled, I can see him pulling the strings against Faithfold on Sunday.
Alex Goodman, Liam Stein and Rob Samuelson also help Raiders tick, with the evergreen Adam Levenson keeps things organised at the back.
Jonny Blain will be up against one of his former clubs. Eyebrows were raised, and even one or two monobrows, when he left L’Orange for the Hive, but I’m sure Faithfold will benefit from his experience in the medium to long-term. Although he might not get much change out of his best, Levenson.
POSSIBLE SQUADS:
RAIDERS (from): Joel Macadar, Alex Sherr, Alex Goodman, Matt Keston, David Domb, Adam Levenson, Sam Roth, Eyal Samovich, Joel Levitt, Callum Stein, Ricky Zeiderman, David Esterkin, Liam Stein, Ben Kaye, Nick Haringman, Alex Elf, Robert Samuelson
FAITHFOLD (from): David Garson, David Garson, Mike Patterson, Josh Barnett, Ben Kfir, James Stanton, Yosef Brownson, Stuart Haring, Josh Martin, Ben Portnoi, Yitzy Hill, JJ Marrache, Rob Cohen, Yidy Gertner, Dan Yoss, David Kerzneris, Moishi Lewis, Nick Roman, Alex Weinfeld, Jonny Blain
Ref – Martin Lavender, KO – 10am
JC star man: Adam Levenson (NLR)
DC Prediction: Raiders 4 Faithfold 1
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TEMPLE FORTUNE B vs STRAW HAT PIRATES
James Phillips and Gab Saul were the star men for Fortune B in last week’s 2-2 draw against Catford.
Fortune showed good discipline in a fiery affair, with joint-manager Steven Black describing Saul as “a beast in midfield”.
Fortune fans will be hoping Sunday is the day they break their league duck at home. They’ve lost all four games there and conceded 26 goals in the process.
The Pirates hold a seven-point advantage over Fortune, but the hosts have three games in hand and will go into this game believing they can win.
POSSIBLE SQUADS:
FORTUNE (from): Lee Fegan, Anthony Beilin, Jacob Kalms, Josh Klepper, Adam Lenz, Eric Lewis, Gab Saul, Oli Segal, Gideon Wetrin, Darren Zitren, Sam Barth, Adam Jacobs, Josh Taylor, Zach Goodman, James Phillips, Jon Pressman, Dan Krieger, Simon Cohen
PIRATES (from): David Wolinsky, Jake Yudelowitz, Sam Assil, Matt Cohen, Sim Cohen, Jono Nesbitt, Aron Gale, Gideon Gale, Solly Ishack, Ben Mandell, Joel Newman, Saul Tiano, Matt Cohen, Adam Hilsenrath, Barney Rhodes
Venue – Silver Jubilee Park, Ref – Paul Dobkin, KO – 10am
JC star man: Sim Cohen (Pirates)
DC Prediction: Fortune 3 Pirates 3
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FAIRLOP FC P REAL HENDON P
Match postponed – Real forfeited due to insufficient numbers
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DANNY CARO'S MATCHDAY 21 AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jordan Abrahamson (NL Raiders A)
MANAGER OF THE WEEK: Dan Shafron (NL Raiders A)
REF OF THE WEEK: Bob Caplin (SH Pirates vs Hertswood Vale)
GOAL OF THE WEEK: Joel Barnett (Los Blancos)
SAVE OF THE WEEK: Adam Biton (Bayern Mincha)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: DORON SALOMON (NL Raiders B)
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