Table-toppers Norstar London Raiders A take on FC Team A in one of the games of the day on Matchday 7 of the MGBSFL. Danny Caro looks ahead to all the action and goes head-to-head with Dan Cohen in the latest round of Challenge Caro.
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PHOTOGALLERY: FC TEAM A vs HENDON UTD SC A
PHOTOGALLERY: FC TEAM C vs REDBRIDGE JC B
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CYRIL ANEKSTEIN ROUND TWO DRAW
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YOUR WEEKEND PREVIEW STARTS HERE:
PREMIER DIVISION
TOP-SCORERS
6 - Richard Salmon (FC Team A)
5 – Mike Pearson (Faithfold A), Yishai Last (Hendon A)
BRADY MACCABI A vs CAMDEN PARK
Camden boss Josh Marks has been in reflective mood since last week’s defeat against Faithfold.
He told me his team have been playing well but they can’t seem to buy a win at the minute.
Rob Hershkorn has been their star man so far, but Marks knows that it will need a top effort to beat the Morrison holders on Sunday.
He told JC Sport: “I’m not sure if we’re finding life difficult in the Prem or we’ve been hard done by. We got a good point against Redbridge and then let two leads slip (only just) against two of the best teams in the league.
“Still, we cannot come away every week with no points so this week really is a must-win.
“Our big names such as Rob Hershkorn, Rich Silver and Jake Saunders are currently on fire so fingers crossed they carry it on this Sunday.”
Brady boss Joel Nathan praised Matt Sofier for helping his youngsters come through their test against Oakwood. Mike Kenley bagged a brace, with former Chelsea starlet Sam Monjack on target for the first time this season.
Both players are important to the future of this team and I can see them playing key roles on Sunday.
Brady joint-manager Joel Nathan told JC Sport: “After last week’s win the boys have really got the bit between their teeth and are looking forward to Sunday … they showed great resilience last week and battled to a great win but they know they have to show that week in week out.
“We don’t know much about Camden Park as they came up last season and I only saw them once when they played our B team in the cup, but from what I can remember they are a good young team who really want to make a name for themselves in the Premier Division so we will be taking them very seriously.”
Having tipped Brady for the title, I expect them to put an inconsistent start behind them and can see them kicking on, starting on Sunday.
JC team news: Brady have a few injury concerns with Matt Sofier, Brad Sharp and Jake Rinsler having late fitness tests but we welcome back Zac Skry and Jordan Nathan from uni.
Michael Khalastchi remains out following ligament damage however everyone else is fit. Sam Bennett has stepped in accordingly at CB.
Venue – Rowley Lane, Ref – Andy Myerson
JC star man: Sam Monjack (Brady)
DC 1 Prediction: Brady 3 Camden 1
DC 2 Prediction: Brady 3 Camden 1
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HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB A vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE A
Hendon boss David Garbacz had a big smile on his face at his pre-match press conference this week after announcing the marquee signings of Yoav Lebens and Ed Weisz from London Maccabi Lions.
Unbeaten after four games and lying third in the table, the timing of the deals is perfect for the Hammers who are playing their bogey team. Redbridge have had the better of recent exchanges, and Garbacz and co are determined to put that right, starting on Sunday.
Seconds after Lebens and Weisz put pen to paper on long-term deals, Garbacz told JC Sport: “We decided to act after losing Dovid Korman through injury for the season, and with Paul Bentley not being available most of the time.
“Both these signings signal our strong intent this season and will give us massive strength and depth to what is already a very talented squad .
“We have had our eye on Yoav (sideshow Bob) Lebens for a while now and when he expressed an interest in joining us this week, we jumped at the chance. Together with Ari Last we expect them to provide a formidable central midfield partnership.
“Ed is also a player of great experience who reads the game well and will also be a huge asset to our defence. We are delighted they have both come on board the Hendon ship and both new signings come straight into the squad.”
Looking ahead to the game, Garbacz added: “Redbridge have proved to be a bit of a bogey team to us in recent years and for whatever reason we haven’t performed well against them in the league.
“I noticed that they got their season up and running last week with a good win so clearly seem to have settled down and, as usual, will be a tough nut to crack.
“We had a great confidence boosting win last week, with a memorable last-minute winner, plus we are also boosted by our two new signings this week and with renewed competition for places there is every incentive for all to really be up for this in a big way.
“Hadley has become a bit of a fortress for us – we were unbeaten there all of last season and I believe with the boys feeling fit and strong and with our added determination this term all coupled together with home advantage, I fully expect the bogey to be pulled out once and for all!”
Redbridge warmed up for the game with a 2-0 win over Lions – with the goals coming from two men called Adam – Hakimi and Stolerman. Having moved back into midfield this season, Hakimi’s 30-yard thunderbolt pleased manager Sam Rosenthal and took the pressure off him a little too.
Rosenthal described it as “a controlled performance” in a game where the east Londoners “defended very well and should probably win by more”. There were also excellent display from Adam Shafron and Ben Graham.
Redbridge know how to play against Hendon and appear to have an Indian sign over the reds, but Hendon have been together for a while now and with home advantage, I can see them edging home in what promises to be a great football match.
JC team news: Hendon welcome back Yoav Kestenbaum, but they are without Greg Corin and Ari Nevies who are both away. Ben Kon hopes to be available despite his wife having a baby this week – Garbacz added: “That is the sort of commitment we like and I’m talking about his missus!”
Venue – Hadley FC, Ref – Richard Jaye
JC star man: Yoav Lebens (Hendon)
DC 1 Prediction: Hendon 2 Redbridge 1
DC Prediction: Hendon 2 Redbridge 1
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LONDON MACCABI LIONS BLUE vs LONDON MACCABI LIONS WHITE
The departure of captain Yoav Lebens tells you everything you need to know about what is going on at London Maccabi Lions.
There is a mood of unrest at the club, with the flagship Saturday and Sunday teams really struggling.
With Lebens and Ed Weisz moving to Hendon, the club hopes the presence of Jonathan Meltzer will have a calming affect. He will help manager Eilon Kennet as the team looks to get their season back on track. Defeat to the B team is unthinkable.
The Blues have no such problems; manager Jamie Kyte has a close-knit group and they have nothing to lose going into the derby.
With the Whites knowing exactly what is at stake, I can see this being a nervy affair and there won’t be many goals.
Venue – Rowley Lane, Ref – Steve Levy
JC star man: Nick Astaire (LML Blue)
DC 1 Prediction: LML Blue 0 LML White 0
DC 2 Prediction: LML Blue 0 LML White 1
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NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS A vs FC TEAM A
The bigger they come, the harder they fall. That’s long been the motto at FC Team. Over the years they have produced some wonderful results against the likes of Hendon and Faithfold.
There has been very little to separate Team from Raiders over recent times – matches between the two have felt like cup finals. But this season, Raiders have stepped things up and been the model of consistency thus far. Manager Phil Peters and his merry men are enjoying the ride, but they know it’s a marathon and not a sprint.
L’Orange start the match 10 points ahead of the boys in yellow and blue, but Mitch Young’s men have two games in hand and they will be looking to close the gap with three points on Sunday.
Young told JC Sport: “We are looking forward to facing Norstar. They have had a good start and we know we need to beat them to stop them in their tracks.
“We know a lot about them and they know a lot about us - their players get very excited about playing us and this makes us feel very flattered.
“It will be a big day for David Dinkin who has been trying to sign for us for the past month, but I have always preferred Salmon. It is a shame Salmon is injured, but we couldnt get the paperwork done in time for Dinkin so he has to stay with Norstar.
“Rob Richman is another one - he just will not leave us alone. He resigned from managing Raiders thinking he could just take up the Club Secretary position at Team. Does he not know who Johnny Pearl is?
“Anyway, we are looking forward to the game. It should be an excellent contest and I believe and expect us to fully take something from it.”
Raiders go into the game on the back of an impressive 3-0 win over Lions. Matt Stock, Jamie Wolfson and Adam Jason were the marksmen in a game where Justin Spiro was the star of the show. Keeper Jake Doffman was once again in imperious form, keeping his third clean sheet since joining the club.
Phil Peters was unavailable for comment this week so instead club spokesperson Joseph King spoke to the JC. He said: "We have three players available for the game against FC Team and all were born in the 2000s. The rest are missing due to the imminent release of Tax Tips: Episode 5 by Mitch the Taxman, aka the perpetual moaner, aka MY27. David Dinkin was due to be available, but the idea of being linked to FC Team has made him physically sick.
"We're annoyed to hear that Ed Bloom is out – scored a lot of goals past him last season. Keep it low and Bloom has no chance! And who is this Salmon fella that’s missing? Is he still recovering from being ‘kicked in the head’ against Brady?
"We've heard that Declan Selbo is likely to be back and want to remind him of the limited amount of room there is at the Ark for a long-throw run-up so perhaps FC Team should consider adapting their tactics. Likewise, the wires above the pitch don't allow for great route one football.
"All in all it should be an entertaining game; we'll be trying to play football, they'll be trying to stop us. Let's hope the B's and C's can lend us some players so we'll at least have 11 out."
I can’t see there being more than a goal between the sides on Sunday, but am tipping home advantage and momentum to help Raiders over the line in a battle between two of my former clubs. My the best one win!
JC team news: Team are missing two key men in striker Richard Salmon and keeper Ed Bloom. They will line-up in a 5-3-2 formation.
FC Team starting XI:: D Grossman, O Segal, J Weiner, D Silverman, J Korn, T Miller, A Rones, J Breger, S Peterman, M Young, M Harris
Venue - Brunel, Ref – Robert Benardout
JC star man: Adam Jason (Raiders)
DC 1 Prediction: Raiders 2 Team 1
DC 2 Prediction: Raiders 2 Team 0
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OAKWOOD A vs FAITHFOLD A
Faithfold will be looking to close the gap at the top on Sunday as they visit an Oakwood team that have not made the start they were looking for.
The Superhoops have been grinding out results so far, with no sign yet of the champagne football they are capable of.
The majority of their games have been at home so far and they have turned Chase Lodge into a fortress, but I believe they will face a real test of their title credentials against determined opposition.
Manager Zuriel Solomon told JC Sport: “I expect a much tougher game then our last game although all games are tough. Oakwood always give as good as they get and we will have to make sure we are on our game.
“This year the league is much tougher and everyone is capable of beating each other, so nothing is taken for granted. We haven’t been as fluid as we would like, but are starting to show glimpses of our form from last year.”
Oaks boss Ric Blank knows there would never be a better time to get three points than on Sunday.
He told JC Sport: "Faithfold again? Why not, hey? I've looked at the fixture list and it looks as though we're playing Faithfold every Sunday until May. I think Zuriel is probably sick of Oakwood! We've played them five times in the past few months (not withstanding summer break). Every other week there's an email from me about a pitch here or there. He must dread checking his inbox!
“We love these big games. We love testing ourselves against good teams as often as possible. Sometimes we're good enough, sometimes we fall short - but it's never for wont of trying. In the reverse fixture I felt we were the better side going in at half time, but committed too many errors at the back to push on and win. It's something we've got to cut out. It doesn't help changing centre halves each week but the players we have are more than good enough to eradicate errors and give us a foundation to go on and win these games.
“Faithfold are the best team in the league and in Pearson have the outstanding player. We won't set up specially to play him - but we'll know he'll punish us if we give him half a chance. Daryl and Ben Ellis too for that matter.
“It's going to be a huge challenge - but we're not afraid."
JC team news: Oakwood have lost captain Adam Levine for the foreseeable future. He was risked against Brady and came off after half an hour. Alex Koslover is a major doubt too after taking a whack on the ankle. But they welcome back Anthony Kintish, Scorah, Sam Jacobson but are without Dan Abrams and Jonny Beilin.”
Faithfold will be without Alex Kaye, Paul Babai and Joe Cohen, but will have an otherwise full squad to choose from.
Venue - Brunel, Ref – John Feenstra
JC star man: Ilan Scorah (Oakwood)
DC 1 Prediction: Oakwood 1 Faithfold 1
DC 2 Prediction: Oakwood 1 Faithfold 0 (Got to back my team!)
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DIVISION ONE
TOP-SCORERS
7 - Jamie Kent (Shirley Park), Mitch Hahn (Woodford)
CHIGWELL ATHLETIC vs SOUTHGATE HARMEN
Harmen new boy Alex Bowman made an instant impact with an eye-catching display in the 2-2 draw against Brixton last Sunday and managers Joel Alterman and Samuel Castle are hoping for more of the same against Chigwell.
Bowman was a real handful, playing alongside Castle and they will be looking to cause havoc against Chigwell’s leaky defence.
Castle told JC Sport: “After last week’s disappointment of only a point against Brixton, we will be looking to put in a big performance this Sunday. Chigwell away is always a very tough fixture, but one the whole squad are up for as we look to keep our unbeaten start to the season going.”
Joint-manager Joel Alterman added: “We have a lot of new boys in the squad this season and it’s a case of so far so good. The old and the new have blended in well to make a cohesive unit.
“Next up is Chigwell away, a game I earmarked at the beginning of the season as a must-win to lay down a marker to the rest of the league.”
Chigwell were also involved in a 2-2 draw, with Ryan Cole bagging a brace in the match against SPEC FC.
Manager Richard Slater is confident his team will return to winning ways on Sunday. He told JC Sport: “The last two performances have been good, especially last weekend when, for 75 minutes, everything about us was superb.
“Hopefully this weekend it's third time lucky and we can get the three points we deserve. We're missing quite a few due to injury, but welcome back some key players from last weekend'.
Confidence is high in the Harmen camp right now and I can see the feel-good-factor seeing them home.
JC team news: Steve Summers, Dean ben-yosef and Russell Brill all back for Chigwell after missing last weekend. Centre half Jon Raven down from Liverpool and will play.
Ben Henry is in line to make his first team debut - the league can expect big things from this young, quick, skilful winger. James Sandler is still suspended, whilst Oliver Leslie, Marc Cohen and Ben Kaye are all unavailable.
Harmen: Squad: J. Castle, J. Segal, A. Osper, B. Fox, J. Morris, M. Green, A. Velleman, L. Greenfield, B.Weinberg, J. Grant, R. Rinder, B. Henry, A. Bowman, S. Castle, J Alterman, B Adaki
Venue – Peter May, Ref – Laurie Benson
JC star man: Adam Velleman (Harmen)
DC 1 Prediction: Chigwell 1 Harmen 2
DC 2 Prediction: Chigwell 1 Harmen 3
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BRIXTON OLD BOYS vs SHIRLEY PARK
Brixton have named a fully fit squad for Sunday’s clash against high-flying Shirley.
Alon Hershkorn, James Kaye and Paul Shamplina were the star performers in last week’s 2-2 draw against Harmen. Alon Hershkorn maintained his impressive run of form with a double, including a late leveller.
Brixton are a work in progress. They will have good weeks and bad weeks, but it’s important they find a level of consistency and keeping raising the bar.
“We’re looking forward to another great footballing encounter,” manager Scott Smith told JC Sport. “We know that we are capable of big things in this league. We have the players to do so … our midfield is one of the strongest out there
“We know this year is about gelling as a team and there have been many signs recently that this is happening as we saw with the result last week and the result against Brady.”
Shirley are licking their wounds after going down 2-1 against Brady. Stefen Benfredj put them ahead but they lost their shape and focus as they went down to their first defeat of the season.
No doubt manager Dave Lusman will be looking for a big reaction from his men and they will have noted the fact that Brixton have yet to keep a clean sheet.
Venue - Clowes, Ref – Martin Fox
JC star man: Paul Shamplina (Brixton)
DC 1 Prediction: Brixton 2 Shirley 3
DC 2 Prediction: Brixton 2 Shirley 3
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HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB B vs NORTH WEST NEASDEN
“We just need that belief in our conviction to finish off teams.” Those were the words of NWN boss Andrew Goldman after his team slipped up against Blancos last weekend.
Shai Davidi was on target again, but the failure to win enough individual battles resulted in them losing the ultimate collective one.
So Sunday will be a case of dusting themselves down and get ready to go again as they take on the division’s bottom team.
NWN's Josh Tiano told JC Sport: "We lost too many individual battles all over the pitch last week and need to start learning from our mistakes. Every team - whether top or bottom - need to be respected or last week's result will reoccur time and time again.
"That starts this weekend with against a bruised Hendon team who I am sure will want to get last week's result out of their system. We have a number of injuries, but that's when our ever-growing squad need to step up and stake a claim for a starting berth."
Hendon gave their fans an early Halloween horror show last Sunday as they were thumped 9-1 by Woodford. The pressure is already growing on managers Chaim Gothold and Aryeh Golding who must be considering going back to basics in a bid to clinch that first win.
Featuring several quality attack-minded players in their line-up, it’s important they remember to defend and there will be times when they need to find Row Z rather trying to play fantasy football for 90 minutes.
It’s a classic battle of beauty and the beast and I’m going for NWN’s big hitters to nail it.
JC team news: NWN have a number of injuries ruling out Steven Murad, Jimmy Lee and Michael Goldberg, with Kane and Josh Gilbery facing late fitness tests. But they welcome back Robert Murad and Danny Sherman from their travels.
Venue – West Hendon, Ref – Neil Cooper
JC star man: Josh Tiano (NWN)
DC 1 Prediction: Hendon B 2 Neasden 3
DC 2 Prediction: Hendon B 1 Neasden 3
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LOS BLANCOS vs BRADY MACCABI B
Blancos chairman Joel Minsky won JC Quote of the Week for his post-match words of wisdom that the late Winston Churchill would’ve been proud of following the memorable win over Neasden last Sunday.
It’s vital the Blancos boys use that result as the launchpad as they go in search of their second consecutive win against new leaders Brady B.
Captain Adam Waters led by example in what one Blancos fan described as a “complete performance”. Young keeper Rafi Cohen certainly looked the part and manager Adam Hersh knows he can rely on him when called upon. Alex Lewis also caught the eye.
The more players that step up on Sunday the better, according to Blancos’ Jon Ison. He told JC Sport: “After a morale-boosting win, we're looking to take our confidence into this week’s game with a good Brady side.
“We’re still missing a few players, but are hoping last week's debutants continue the way they started.
“Hopefully we can get a fair few wins under our belt before the squad gets back to full -strength which will put us in a strong position to really push on and do well in our first season in Division One.”
Brady showed tremendous character to come from behind to beat former leaders Shirley Park. My tips for the title have made a solid start, and that win tells you everything you need to know about a team that has quality from back to front.
Another goal from Reiss Mogilner and one from Richard Winton took them to the summit and they will be looking to go into next week’s big cup game against Camden Park with their fourth league win under their belts.
With Jonny Meltzer having moved to ‘the other side’ of Rowley Lane, player-manager Josh Dagul will be able to call on the ‘experience’ of former Lions boss Josh Newman who has been a colossus since joining the multi-talented team.
As good as Blancos’ result was last week, I think Brady will have too much for them on the day.
Venue – West Hendon, Ref – Henry Raffe
JC star man: Richard Winton (Brady)
DC 1 Prediction: Blancos 1 Brady B 3
DC 2 Prediction: Blancos 0 Brady B 4
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WOODFORD WANDERERS vs SPEC FC
It seems to me that SPEC FC needs to hire a researcher as, for the second week running, they go into a game without a Scooby Doo about their Wanderers of Woodford.
They haven’t even heard of Mitch Hahn, which I find hard to believe, but a man-marker would seem sensible given the form of the 2009 Team GB Maccabiah star.
Dave Newman rescued SPEC FC against Chigwell last weekend, scoring twice in the last 15 minutes to earn them a point.
But it’s at the other end where questions will be asked, with Laurence Conway needing big performances from keeper Michael Rhodes and Anthony Hayman amongst others.
SPEC’s Ricky Lawrence told JC Sport: “Again we face a team we know next to nothing about. The whole squad can't wait to travel to Essex again!
“We saw their score last week so we know it's going to be very tough, we just have to hope we rise to the challenge.”
As Lawrence says, a 9-1 scoreline means Woodford have the fear factor right now. A they are not a one-man team, far from it in fact. Harrison Midda joined Hahn in the hat-trick heroes column, with Joe Sumray and Elliot Gold completing the rout.
Things are coming together nicely at Woodford and although SPEC will huff and puff, I can see them blowing their house down.
Venue - Fairlop, Ref – Steve Russell
JC star man: Elliot Gold (Woodford)
DC 1 Prediction: Woodford 2 SPEC 1
DC 2 Prediction: Woodford 1 SPEC 1
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DIVISION TWO
TOP-SCORERS
7 - James Joseph (FC Team C)
6 - Ben Zloof (AC Mill Hill)
AC MILL HILL vs REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B
There’s a humdinger in store at the Lodge as team of the moment Redbridge B take on Mill Hill.
The pundits have labelled it Zloof versus Sollosi but they’ll be bags of talent on show in a game that brings together two teams with promotion ambitions.
The Mill Hill boys suffered their second defeat of the season last weekend, going down 3-2 against Bilbaum. Manager Joe Levy knows they will have to step things up against a determined Redbridge team who earned the result of the week, beating former leaders FC Team B 4-2.
Young Nathan Sollosi was the star of the show once again. He already looks a strong candidate for the Young Player of the Year award, and he will hurt Mill Hill if they give him time and space.
Manager Jon Jacobs described it as “a very disciplined performance” and he’ll be looking for more of the same from his talented pack this weekend.
Fans are advised to arrive early to avoid disappointment.
Venue – Chase Lodge, Ref – Martin Lavender
JC star man: Jordan Sapler (Redbridge)
DC 1 Prediction: Mill Hill 2 Redbridge 3
DC 2 Prediction: Mill Hill 3 Redbridge 3
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FC TEAM B vs FAITHFOLD B
It’s been a tough start for both FC Team B and Faithfold B and you have to think something will give on Sunday. I’ve got a funny feeling for Faithfold this time.
Dan Yoss’ troops have conceded the most goals in the division, so it’s quite simply really – they just have to score more than Team this weekend!
Leor Harel and Ben Rosenblatt frightened the life out of Oakwood B last week and I believe that their first win is just around the corner.
Yoss told JC Sport: “Everyone is in good spirits despite our loss last week. We really believe we've for a good chance of taking all three points on Sunday. If we play like we did in the second half last week this will be the case.”
FC Team B became London Haroldeans’ first victims last week and manager David Gordon would’ve worked his players hard in training. There must be a hint of frustration in the ranks after five straight defeats, but they will definitely go into this contest believing they can win.
Gaffer Gordon sounded in determined mood ahead of the match. He told JC Sport: "We know how important this game is to the team and to the club; FC Team have never had a team relegated and we won’t be the first.
"We gave a much-improved performance last week, but it still was not enough – hopefully we can step it up more this weekend and get, what would be, a very important three points."
It should be a cracker, with goals aplenty.
JC team news: FC Team's injury problems are piling up. Mitch Lassman, Eddie Sternberg, Emile Ben-Atar and Adam Savitz are sidelined, while Paul Savitz, Paul Walker, Daniel Woolfe and Jon Franks are unavailable.
Venue – Old Camdenians, Ref – Neal Cohen
JC star man: Oliver Telvi (Faithfold)
DC 1 Prediction: Team B 3 Faithfold 4
DC 2 Prediction: Team B 2 Faithfold 1
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BLIZZARD STORM vs OAKWOOD B
Ian Tussie is back to take charge of the Oaks after Dave Eden maintained his 100 per cent record as stand-in manager for the epic 4-3 win over Faithfold B.
Haydon Davidson, or should we call him Oakwood’s Harley Davidson bagged a brace in the seven-goal thriller, with Charlie Cohen and Vic Librae sealing the points.
Focus has now shifted to Simon Linden’s men. Looking ahead to the match, Tussie told JC Sport: “Yes, Sunday, another game against Blizzard Storm, a name that makes me think of the old WWF tag team 'Natural Disasters' with Earthquake and Volcano. They were a great pair, so physical, one of my favourites. I always felt a bit sorry for them when the new breed (e.g. D Generation X) came in and took over.
“Anyway, Blizzard Storm away, a repeat of our opening fixture and a very difficult game for us. They're a strong team and they have one the best players in the league in Adam Levene in defence.
“It's been a hard week for the club. We're in dispute with our kit providers who still haven't sent us our away kit (mauve with a tangerine sash and trim, tangerine shorts and lime stockings) as they said we're 'not fit to wear the kit'. As such I had to go kippah-in-hand to Nick at Bizzard and ask if they would mind wearing their away kit to avoid a potential kit clash. Thankfully he agreed to - real mensch.
“Anyway, Sunday's game. Yes, I'm hoping we can continue our good form and win again, we know we need to keep as close to the pack as possible so every week is big for us.
“We're without Eric Lewis who is away and Marc Conway who is playing for our Development Squad to build up his fitness following his shabbatical in South Africa and we're without Dave Eden who is on his stag. We do have Edward Manson in the squad as he continues his rehabilitation from injury and have in-form Haydon Davidson and new signing Joseph Lazare in the squad too. There's also the born-again Benjamin Polak who is fit and healthy and ready to get his season back on track. He told me this week, 'Tus, I'm ready to get my season back on track' and that's all the evidence I need.
“There's plenty of strength in depth and I'm hoping it brings us the three points on Sunday.”
The Blizzard boys were ultimately well beaten by Raiders B last Sunday and gaffer Linden has tipped L’Orange to win the title.
It’ll be interesting to see what he thinks of Oakwood’s chance at the final whistle. Ahead of kick-off, he told JC Sport: “It’s another tough game - Oakwood seem to be in the same boat as us. On their day they can beat anyone in the league.
“Hopefully this will be a better game for the neutral as last time it was a bore draw. We need a win and I’m hoping we can get three points.
I don’t think either camp will get the result they want and can see it finishing honours even.
Venue - Hertswood, Ref – Warwick Blake
JC star man: Joseph ‘Joey’ Lazare (Oakwood)
DC 1 Prediction: Blizzard 2 Oakwood 2
DC 2 Prediction: Blizzard 2 Oakwood 3
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LONDON HAROLDEANS vs ATHLETIC BILBAUM
Revenge is the name of the game for London Haroldeans on Sunday as they look to build on their first win in the MGBSFL.
They made hard work of beating FC Team B last weekend, with strikes from Oli Joseph and James Abrams steering them home.
Player-manager Jonathan Abrams hailed the performance of his back five - Alistair Marks, Jamie Isenwater, Julian Robinson, Ben Kfir and keeper Darren Witcoop, with captain Marks leading by example.
They face a tougher challenge in the shape of Bilbaum on Sunday, but Abrams told me they won’t be running scared.
He told JC Sport: “This is game no. 2 against Athletic Bilbaum and we were unlucky last time in our first-ever league match. We're going into this game more confident after last week's victory, although we're missing a few key players.
Bilbaum earned an impressive result against AC Mill Hill last Sunday. Ben Bell, Adam Bier and Jake Gilbert. Three points on Sunday, and results going their way, would see them finish the weekend top of the pile.
JC team news: New striker Bobby Abrams and full-backs Ben Kfir and Julian Robinson miss out, both defenders “possibly as a result of last week's heroics!”
Venue – White City Turf Tigers, Ref – Robert Caplin
JC star man: Adam Bier (Bilbaum)
DC 1 Prediction: Haroldeans 1 Bilbaum 2
DC 2 Prediction: Haroldeans 0 Bilbaum 4
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NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS B vs FC TEAM C
One of the top matches this weekend sees the top two in Division Two going head-to-head as Raiders B welcomes FC Team C.
This is the second such clash between the clubs in the MGBSFL on Sunday, with the respective A teams tussling in the top-flight.
Raiders are now the only team in the whole league boasting a 100 per cent record. They were clinical and ruthless against Blizzard last week, when goals from David Esterkin, Danny Bloom and Simon Buchler helped them make it four out of four.
But manager Jonathan Adelman is keen to take the pressure off his players. He told JC Sport: “We know this weekend against the overwhelming favourites for the league will be very tough, but we also know anything can happen in these 'derby' games.”
I expect Team to come out all guns blazing following their first defeat of the season. Shim Bensoor and James Joseph maintained their good run in front of goal, but they were blown away by the sheer quality of the young Redbridge team.
FC Team joint-manager Michael Myers told JC Sport: "We're looking to bounce back from last week's defeat. We are'nt use to losing and we don't like it. We are hoping to take away Raiders unbeaten streak, but we know they are tough opponents."
No doubt big Rob Sanford will be keen to impress against some of his former teammates as FC Team get ready to go again - they are not used to losing. Both sides start on 12 points, though Raiders have a game in hand and if you’re looking for a great advert for Jewish football this will be the one to watch.
JC team news: Raiders are “still riddled” by injury and absence, but David Simnock and Adam Posner return to the squad.
Venue - Brunel, Ref – Paul Dobkin
JC star man: David Simnock (Raiders)
DC 1 Prediction: Raiders 2 Team C 2
DC Prediction: Raiders B 2 Team C 3
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DIVISION THREE
TOP-SCORERS
12 – Richard Fogelman (L’Equipe)
10 Dan Gordon (Faithfold C)
AC WHETSTONE vs HENDON UNITED SPORTS CLUB C
Tough game to call this one as mid-table rivals Whetstone host Hendon C at the Lodge, but it’s definitely one for the purists.
Hendon will be looking to build on last week’s morale-boosting victory over Loughton Orient.
Boss Adam Glekin has a strong squad available, with everyone that contributed last week plus more eager to make the short trip to Mill Hill.
Glekin told JC Sport: "Last week was important, but we need to follow it up and string a sequence of results together now.
“I don’t know much about AC Whetstone, but they've had some cracking results recently and we'll need to be on our game.”
Philippe Auret did the business for Whetstone against last Sunday, when they beat King Crown, but joint-manager Clive Nathan was far from happy with the level of performance.”
He and Anthony Cohen are confident everyone selected in the starting XI is ready to step up against Hendon.
Nathan told JC Sport: “We have a full squad to choose from this week so our rotation leaves out Jonah Gordon Boyd; Dan Weisellberg and David Clements. It's tough on all of them and Jonah in particular who scored twice the week before last.
“We are looking forward to another home game and have worked hard in training this week on ball retention and being more relaxed in possession.”
They will get the opportunity to put that to the test against a team that will give them time and space in a game that all boils down to which team takes its chances.
Venue – Chase Lodge, Ref – Alex Smith
JC star man: Ezekiel Jacob (Hendon)
DC 1 Prediction: Whetstone 3 Hendon 3
DC 2 Prediction: Whetstone 1 Hendon 1
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BOCA JEWNIORS vs NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS C
The summer merger between Norstar FC and North London Raiders has worked wonders in the early part of the season. The A team is top of the Premier, the B’s are joint-top of Division Two and the only side boasting a 100 per cent record in the league and the C’s remain unbeaten.
Manager Zack Gothelf will be looking to extend that run with three more points on Sunday as they look to complete the double over the Boca boys.
Gothelf told JC Sport: “We’re going in to Sunday's game looking to extend our unbeaten run in the return fixture against Boca.
“We are brimming with confidence at the moment and will look to bring that into Sunday's game. We've started playing the type of football that we really want to play and will only get better with games.
“We know Boca have improved a lot, we got a big shock when we conceded late against them in the last game, but we'll look to avoid any possibilities of that if we continue to play as we did against Jewdinese last week.”
The odds looked stacked against a Boca team that has yet to taste that winning feeling this season. Managers Jack Shulman and Vivian Emanuel are still mulling over how best to spend the big transfer fee that followed Jamie Weinrich’s departure to NLR, but their players know they must focus for the full 90 minutes on Sunday.
Emanuel told JC Sport; “We see the return of Norstar this week only two weeks after playing them last - how odd the fixture list is.
“In our last outing it was a very close game for 87 minutes - we scored, but a lapse in concentration saw us concede even later on.
“This week is all about getting that first win. When Jack and I took on Boca we knew it would take a while to get a win and we are hoping this weekend will be that very time.
“Being the only team in the league without a win is driving us to make sure this will happen.
JC team news: Boca are missing Adam Kaye this week, while Michael Patterson is getting married. Emanuel added: “Mazal tov to him! Hopefully he won’t be missing too many weeks now he is married!” Jacob Emanuel and Harrison Saffer return from University to help Boca at the back, and we may see a cameo from the bench for joint-manager Jack Shulman.
Raiders welcome back Daniel Polak into the squad which will give them “an added boost”.
Venue – Roger Bannister Sports Centre, Ref – Adam Yuchetel
JC star man: Liam Stein (Raiders)
DC 1 Prediction: Boca Raiders 3
DC 2 Prediction: Boca 0 Raiders 4 (always back your best mate's teams!)
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CATFORD & BROMLEY MACCABI vs JEWDINESE
Home is where the heart is. That’s what Catford’s Adam Luria told me ahead of the visit of Jewdinese.
The league leaders go in search of their sixth win against the ambitious Jewdinese.
Yonni Bord was at his inspirational best against Temple Fortune last weekend, while Ryan Kangisser reminded his teammates that he can be quite good when he puts his mind to it. No doubt he’s framed this week’s JC after making my Team of the Week!
Speaking to JC Sport ahead of the game, Luria said: “We’ve got an extremely strong squad this week. Even with a few absentees, we still have a whopping 16 players who have declared themselves available this week, including a couple of new signings.
“Competition for places is fierce and the quality of the squad just gets stronger and stronger.
“We don't know much about Jewdinese, but will expect a tough test. With any luck we'll be on top of our game and that will give us the best possible chance of adding to our points tally for the season.
“Importantly, we're looking forward to our first proper home game at Norsemen as our previous two have been played at nearby White Hart Lane Sports Centre. Still, we haven't had a bad run of it with two wins from two at home, so hopefully the return to Norsemen will see us continue our strong home record.”
Jewdinese go into this game on the back of their first defeat. Zack Collins was their score in a 2-1 defeat which left manager Darren Lawrence scratching his head. He told me after the game that his team were hurting, so expect a big reaction.
Club chairman Jake Erlich told JC Sport: “Simply put, this game has the potential to make or break our season. If we win it means we can forget about last week’s loss to Norstar, but a loss means we will be playing a game of cat and mouse and would have to rely on other results to get us back to the top.
“All the players know exactly what is at stake and everyone is raring to go.”
A determined Darren Lawrence said at training on Tuesday night: "We can't afford to lose this, so everyone needs to man up and play to the quality I know you have.”
The boys are looking for no less than three points so expect a close encounter on Sunday.
I can see this game coming down to small details and it wouldn’t surprise me if both faces when home relatively happy.
JC team news: Bad news came to Jewdinese’s attention in the week when they found out starting centre-back Harry Brian has been ruled out for a further six weeks with ligament damage to his knee. They have a full-strength squad otherwise,including goal machine Zach Collins.
Venue – Norseman FC, Ref – David Lazarus
JC star man: Gary Conway (Catford)
DC 1 Prediction: Catford 1 Jewdinese 1
DC 2 Prediction: Catford 3 Jewdinese 3
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FAITHFOLD C vs TEMPLE FORTUNE
Ball retention has been something of an issue for Faithfold and Fortune this season. Both camps know possession is nine tenths of the law but I can’t see this contest turning into a game of keep-ball.
Faithfold allowed a handsome lead slip against L’Equipe last weekend and player-manager David Garson is promising a tweak or two against Fortune.
“We need to defend better,” he told JC Sport. “We have no problems scoring just conceding. We may tweak the defence a bit.
Dan Gordon is hoping to keep up his impressive record of scoring in every game.
Fortune boss Jonathan Cohen saw “lots of encouraging signs” in the recent 3-1 defeat against table-topping Catford. Darren Zitren’s first competitive goal for the club would have been one of them.
Ahead of their first meeting with Faithfold, Cohen told JC Sport: “If we put a 90-minute performance into our second 45 against Catford last week, I would expect to get something from the game.
“But we know that Faithfold have had little problem finding the back of the net and we will have to nullify that threat to achieve a positive result.”
I’m predicting a high-scoring affair, with Faithfold edging it.
JC team news: Faithfold welcome back Lewis Maleh and Elliot Bloom, but Nick Viola is out.
Venue – Chase Lodge, Ref – John Nitka
JC star man: Charlie Resnick (Faithfold)
DC 1 Prediction: Fortune 4 Fortune 2
DC 2 Prediction: Faithfold 3 Fortune 1
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KING CROWN vs LOUGHTON ORIENT
The Loughton boys have made a decidedly dodgy start, with three defeats in four. They will be looking to put things right on Sunday when they make the long schlep to King Crown – a team with a similar record.
“Sunday’s game can't come soon enough as we look to get last weekends poor game behind us,” Loughton boss Dan Curtis told JC Sport.
“Our start to the season has been extremely disappointing, especially after such a good pre-season. This Sunday we will be looking to get our season back on track and only three points will do.”
King Crown boss Jacob Kadoch has drafted in some reinforcements following the 3-2 defeat against Whetstone. Benji Greenblatt found the net again, as did Daniel Cohen, but they were unable to come away with the point that some of their fans felt they deserved.
Indeed Kadoch hopes a similar effort will be rewarded with all three this weekend. He told JC Sport: We’re looking to bounce back after a game of two halves last week. We need to be consistent for 90 minutes, then we would be top, and I have new defenders to assure the back.
“We know this is a must-win game if we are looking for promotion and we are more or less at full-strength.”
I’m looking forward to an open and entertaining game of football that could be settled by the organisational skills of the boy Silver.
JC team news: There are some changes to the Loughton squad, with Perry Kissin and the experienced Marc Silver coming in. Jaimie Sinclair and Ryan Kissin face late fitness test.
Venue – Ludgrove Grove, Ref – Laurence Thorne
JC star man: Marc Silver (Loughton)
DC 1 Prediction: King Crown 2 Loughton 3
DC 2 Prediction: King Crown 2 Loughton 2
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DANNY CARO’S MATCHDAY 6 OSCARS
REFEREE OF THE WEEK
Richard Jaye (London Maccabi Lions White vs Norstar London Raiders A)
SAVE OF THE WEEK - JOSH RONSON
QUOTE OF THE WEEK - JOEL MINSKY
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CHALLENGE CARO
Wk 5 - DC 17 (including 3 correct scores), Ben Lederman 14 (including 1 correct score)
