Chigwell Athletic earned one of the results of the day as they sent local rivals Redbridge A crashing out of the Peter Morrison Trophy, while Norstar London Raiders B became the first team to clinch promotion in the MGBSFL this season. Danny Caro reflects on all the action on Matchday 22 of the season.
MATCHDAY 22 HEADLINES
PMT - Chigwell crush noisy neighbours
Prem Div - Lions crush Camden
Div 2 - It's legs 11 as NLR B clinch promotion
JC HAT-TRICK HEROES
PMT - Alex Elf (Hendon Utd SC C)
Div 2 - David Esterkin (NL Raiders B)
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
PHOTOGALLERY - RAIDERS A vs HYDE PARK ROVERS
SEASON 2013/14 VIDEO HIGHLIGHTS
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
THE CONTENDERS
GK - Jay Jaffa (Chigwell), Jake Doffman (NL Raiders A)
DEFENDERS - Ronnie Firman, Glenn Davis, Paul Hizer, Bradley Gayer (all Chigwell), James Neidle, Gideon Caller (both Hendon C), Pete Lazard, Joel Lassman (both LML White), Jordan Nathan (Brady A), Stuart Haring, James Milman (both FC Team B)
MIDFIELDERS - Jonathan Swead, Craig Sandford, Steve Summers (all Chigwell), Adam Posner, David Esterkin (both NLR B), Gab Saul (Hendon C), Ben Winters (LML White), Josh Gordon (Brady A), Paul Savitz, Freddie Marks, Jon Franks (all FC Team B)
STRIKERS - James Jaconelli, Dean Ben Yosef, Ryan Cole (all Chigwell), Alex Elf, Joni Kleiman (both Hendon C)
MANAGER - Richard Slater (Chigwell Athletic), Chaim Strom (Hendon C)
REFEREE -
Email nominations to dcaro@thejc.com
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
DANNY CARO'S MATCHDAY 22 OSCARS
GOAL OF THE WEEK - JAMES JACONELLI
SAVE OF THE WEEK
Jake Doffman (NLR A) - SAVE 1 - fantastic one-on-one save against HPR with the tie goalless
QUOTE OF THE WEEK - DAVID GARBACZ
--------------------------------
--------------------------------
CYRIL ANEKSTEIN CUP QUARTER-FINAL DRAW
------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------
YOUR WEEKEND REVIEW STARTS HERE:
PETER MORRISON TROPHY ROUND THREE
THREE CHEERS FOR L'ORANGE
NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS A 3 HEATON PARK ROVERS 0
Second-half strikes from David Dinkin, Dan Grossman and Matt Stock steered treble-chasing NLR into the fourth round of the National Cup after they held off a determined HPR at Brunel.
NLR boss Phil Peters told JC Sport: "In the end it was a good performance against a spirited Heaton Park Rovers side. They came with a plan, worked exceptionally hard and we certainly under-estimated them in the first half which we won’t do again.
HPR boss David Seligman told: "Everyone, including ourselves, feared we would be on the end of a drubbing, but that was never the case. We left the pitch wondering what could have been. Alex Swift and Harry Roache hit the crossbar with the game goalless. If one of them goes in then it is a different game."
DC Prediction: NLR 3 HPR 0
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
AFC FLIXTON P HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB A P
Match postponed - waterlogged pitch
Hendon boss David Garbacz told JC Sport: "I'm afraid the weather was the winner once again - match postponed - I think it was Flixton's first home game postponed all year which was pretty typical. I think we have now played once (an evening cup kick-off) in the last 11 weeks. It is just a never-ending season of misery. Every Sunday I have to go to Brent Cross with my wife - it is bloody driving me mad!"
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
ROUND TWO
CHIGS SILENCES NOISY NEIGHBOURS
REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A 1 CHIGWELL ATHLETIC 4
Richard Slater's Chigwell put their disappointing league form behind them by stunning Premier Division giants Redbridge 4-1 at the Ark.
Two goals from James Jaconelli steered Chigs to their best win of the season, with Ryan Cole and Dean Ben Yosef finishing the job.
Jubilant Chigwell boss Richard Slater told JC Sport: "I've said all along our league position isn't a reflection of the talent we have. We've been too inconsistent, but today everything came together for us. The boys were outstanding, especially with only 11 men available.
RJC boss Sam Rosenthal told JC Sport: "The best team won on the day. We had plenty of players coming back and look forward to focusing on the league."
DC Prediction: Redbridge 5 Chigwell 1
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
FC TEAM B WIN IN A BLIZZARD STORM!
FC TEAM B 1 BLIZZARD STORM 0
Paul Savitz guided FC Team B into round three as they edged past Division Two rivals Blizzard.
FC Team player-manager David Gordon told JC Sport: "It was a good and hard-working performance from us in very difficult conditions. We stepped it up in the second half again and ran out deserved winners."
Blizzard boss Simon Linden told JC Sport: "That pretty much completes our season. It was a very close tie, but the moment we lost skipper Adam Speck at the 60-minute mark we had to reshuffle and lost our shape."
DC Prediction: FC Team 3 Blizzard 1
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
HUSTLERS ON SONG
JEWDINESE 2 HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB C 9
Hendon C moved into the next round in emphatic fashion with a 9-2 thumping of Division Three rivals Jewdinese - with leading marksman ALEX ELF walking away with the matchball in a ruthless performance.
Gab Saul, Joni Kleiman, Jono Nesbitt, Kleiman and super-subs Ezra Dulberg and Jamie Grossman finished the job against a 'Nese team who finished with 10 men.
'Nese player-chairman Jake Erlich bagged a brace for the home side, and later told JC Sport: "It was a disappointing performance which turned into a disappointing results. We finished the game with seven men whilst only having 10 players available for the game. We can now concentrate on the league and hopefully put this performance behind us."
DC Prediction: Jewdinese 4 Hendon 2
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
PREMIER DIVISION
LIONS CRUSH CAMDEN
CAMDEN PARK 1 LONDON MACCABI LIONS WHITE 4
Lions White won the relegation six-pointer in style - with Ben Winters (2) and Joel Lassmann and James Belchak completed a good morning's work for LML.
Richard Silver grabbed the consolation for a Camden team who finished with 10 men.
Lions assistant-manager Jonathan Meltzer told JC Sport: "It was a good performance and a pleasure to play a game after the weather being so disruptive this year."
Camden boss Nick Kagan told JC Sport: "I'm disappointed as we didn't give a good account of ourselves and our performance was a real step backwards from Raiders - beaten and outfought by the better team in the first half, a sending off knocked the stuffing out of us early in the second."
DC Prediction: Camden 2 LML 1
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
HERSHMAN INSPIRES BRADY
BRADY MACCABI A 2 FC TEAM A 1
Brady Maccabi A returned to winning ways courtesy of a Josh Hershman strike and an own goal as they edged past FC Team A at Rowley Lane.
FC Team's goal came through Richard Salmon.
Brady boss Joel Nathan told JC Sport: "It was a deserved win in difficult conditions - we controlled the game throughout and kept trying to play a passing game and not long ball football ..."
FC Team manager Mitch Young told JC Sport: "We don't seem to be getting the rub of the green at the moment - hopefully our luck will change in our remaining games."
DC Prediction: Brady 1 Team 2
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
DIVISION ONE
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
DIVISION TWO
DEADLY DAVE HELPS RAIDERS HIT LEGS 11
LONDON HAROLDEANS 3 NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS B 11 (ELEVEN)
DAVE ESTERKIN was the hat-trick hero as NLR B boosted their title hopes and goal difference with a crushing 11-goal demolition of struggling Haroldeans - clinching promotion in the process.
Jonny Blain (2), Adam Posner (2), Andrew McMaster, Nicky Woolf and Richard Bloom joined the party as Jonathan Adelman's boys went goal crazy.
Ben Binder (2) and an own goal accounted for the Haroldeans goals.
NLR boss Jonathan Adelman told JC Sport: “We were irresistible today – what a way to clinch promotion. Some of our football today was delightful, and but for an outstanding display from the Haroldeans keeper it could have been more."
Haroldeans manager Jonathan Abrams told JC Sport: "When you're on a losing streak, getting hammered 1-10 and then 3-11 over the past two games - it's difficult not to sound like a moaner when discussing what went wrong."
DC Prediction: Haroldeans 1 NLR 6
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
DIVISION THREE
-----------------------------
-----------------------------
MATCHES POSTPONED (waterlogged pitches
PETER MORRISON TROPHY
Brady Maccabi B vs Shirley Park
Faithfold A vs NL Raiders C
NW Neasden vs FC Team C
PREM DIV
Oakwood A vs LM Lions Blue
DIV ONE
Los Blancos vs Brixton Old Boys
DIV THREE
King Crown vs Boca Jewniors
L'Equipe vs Catford & Bromley
Loughton Orient vs AC Whetstone
Temple Fortune vs Faithfold C