Two late goals from Ian Tussie won all three points for Oakwood in an entertaining promotion six-pointer in Division One.
Julian Noti put FC Team ahead before Rob Davidson levelled the scores at Parmiters. Ollie Segal had restored the visitors’ lead before Tussie turned the game around in the final moments, leading by example in the absence of manager Ric Blank, and was delighted with his goals.
“It is great to win but to be honest it is good to score two goals as well. We know we are one of the better teams so we should win more than we lose and we want to be up there at the end.”
FC Team settled the quicker and just six minutes had gone when they went ahead. Following a corner which Oakwood failed to clear properly, Jake Weiner picked the ball up just inside the box, cut inside and sent in a clever cross which gave Noti the simple task of heading home from close range.
Oakwood started to find their rhythm but they could have been two down when Craig Edwards put Mitchell Green through but his shot was comfortably saved by Ollie Geey.
It took Oakwood just 10 minutes to level the scores as a good passing move saw Matthew Levy put Davidson through on goal, and he kept his composure impressively to slot home.
Oakwood were playing a high line and pinning FC Team into their own half but found it tricky to carve open a stubborn defence. Levy played in Josh Rubin whose speculative effort on the turn was blocked. But FC Team had the best chance to take the lead before half time, as the lively Danny Moss cut in from the right before firing wide.
The second half continued in the same pattern as the first, but the referee began to take centre stage as tempers flared following a string of poor fouls which went unpunished, to the bemusement and anger of players on both sides.
Moss could have restored the visitors the lead but he fired wide following a corner. Oakwood then had a great chance to go in front as Segal’s poor backpass was picked up by Levy but his shot was saved by Grossman. From the resulting corner Ilan Scorah sent a half volley over the bar.
Another defensive error from Dan Silverman then gifted Levy a one-on-one with Grossman, but he lifted the ball over the bar.
Yet it was FC Team who struck against the run of play with 25 minutes remaining. Richard Salmon skinned his marker on the left hand side and hooked a ball across the field which found Segal, who scuffed a cross but saw it loop over the head of Ollie Geey and into the Oakwood net.
To their credit, Oakwood fought back and Tussie levelled the scores with 15 minutes left with a brilliant free kick which he curled left footed over the wall and into the top corner via a slight deflection.
With just under 10 minutes left Tussie then won the game as Rubin’s ball was collected by Daniel Abrams, whose cross eluded Crossman and found Tussie with an empty net to tap the ball into.
The win saw Oakwood complete a league double over FC Team A who they have now climbed above in the table.
Oakwood joint-manager Ric Blank, who missed the game, told JC Sport: "We're delighted with the win over FC Team at the weekend. Having beaten them comfortably just a few weeks ago, we knew we were the better side but had to dig deep to get the three points.
"Parmiters is never an easy pitch to play on and it usually comes down to who's fitter and stronger on the day. Fortunately yesterday it was us. As ever, we are playing catch-up on the teams at the top and we know Raiders and Brady will be right up there come the end of the season.
"So all we can do is keep winning and hope that we get a bit of help from others along the way. Talk of promotion is premature with so many points on offer - not to mention other sides such as Chigwell still in the mix.
"We've got a huge game at Rowley Lane on Sunday, we've got a massive squad to choose from and to say we're up for the challenge is an under-statement."
FC Team boss Mitchell Young was left bemused by the referee, and told JC Sport of his disappointment at losing a game he felt his side could have won.
“We were looking good, they were bad goals to concede after working so hard to get ourselves in front. We let them back in the game after a good 20 minute spell.”
Oakwood:O Geey, Belan (sub: Tussie), Isaacs (sub: Lewis), Levine, Cohen, Scorah, D Geey, Myers (sub: Davidson), Rubin, Levy, Abrams
Scorers: Davidson 15, Tussie 75, 81
FC Team A: Grossman, Segal, Green (sub: Salmon), Silverman, Weiner, Wood, Noti, Rones, Moss, Young, Edwards
Scorers: Noti 6, Segal 67
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