Faithfola A 2-1 FC Team A
Faithfold A manager Zuriel Solomon believes that his team’s Premier Division quality and experience proved the difference after his team were given a scare before proceeding to the quarter-finals of the JC Cyril Anekstein Cup.
A late strike from Daryl Phillips helped the Superhoops come from a goal down to beat second division FC Team A in one of only four JC MSFL matches played.
Solomon paid “full credit to both sets of players” after a full-blooded contest. “Both teams gave it their all,” he said. “We had the benefit of playing on a good surface which helps. My team kept up the impetus throughout and we pushed forward and got the goals.”
The match, which was played on a 3G pitch at Barnet’s training ground in Edgware, started evenly, with Team Jake Weiner and Matt Drage coping well with the attacking play of Alex Levack, Benji Dymant and Dan Stock.
Weiner had a shot cleared off the line early on, with Faithfold Paul Lenchner heading over from five yards at the other end.
The hard-working Lenchner had another effort ruled out. Visiting keeper Mike Perkin denied Faithfold with a couple of brilliant saves either side of half-time to keep the match goalless; one was a block from a Dymant shot and the other a clawed save from a looping header.
It was FC Team A who took the lead on 63 minutes when a mazy run pass by Lorian Madanes saw him cross with the outside of his boot allowing goal-poacher Mitch Young to glance home from 10 yards.
Faithfold responded five minutes later from a free-kick that was bundled over the line by Matt Kleinman.
Struggling to pick up men from set-plays throughout, FC Team A were punished seven minutes from time when Phillips was left free in the area to score from 12 yards.
FC Team A manager Jonny Pearl said: “After two months without a game, I’m immensely proud of my team’s effort. If we’d held on a little longer we might have done it. We will now concentrate on trying to win the Division Two title.”
Faithfold A: Shepsherdson, Howard, Frenner, Taylor, Kleiman, Stock, Dymant, Levack, Lederman, Lenchner (sub: Perkins), Phillips (sub: Joe Cohen)
FC Team A: Perkin; De Smith, Drage, Weiner, Clements, Silverman, Sternberg (sub: B. Moss), Buchler, Madanes; Young, Ryan (sub: Law)
