These dark horses can nowgo all theway

WHILE many of you are thinking about demolishing doughnuts, Dan Jacobs is toasting on a sweet success. I wasn’t surprised by his team’s cup victory over three-time winners Hendon United in the slightest.

Looking at the team-sheet before kick-off, it was like a who’s who of Jewish football, with several members of Lord Kestenbaum 2009 silver-medal winning Maccabiah heroes in the squad.

Not only were there several former Wingate & Finchley stars, such as Guy Morris, Alex Levack and Craig Pearl, there were also two former pros in Paul Linger (Charlton) and Sam Sloma (Wimbledon and Dagenham & Redbridge). Throw Paul Hakim (St Albans City) into the mix and you have a team more than capable of mixing it with the finest the MGBSFL has to offer.

The Masters team was a real throwback to the glory years of the Maccabi League – Adam Myeroff, Josh Bentley, Danny Daggers and Adam Stolerman have been great servants to Jewish football and are accustomed to winning major honours. They won their individual and collective battles against a Hendon team who have dominated the Jewish FA Cup competition for the past 36 months.

Rob Glass and Adam Harvey add legs and steel to a squad whose fitness levels will only improve between now and the end of the season, with former Player of the Year Lee Cash looking as sharp as ever.

That is not to say Hendon do not have talented players of their own. Young goalkeeper Arthur Caplin looks to have a very bright future in the game. He is young and wiry and will give Russell Corin a run for his money in years to come. And it appears to be only a matter of time until the versatile Avi Korman picks up a top player title of some description. Sunday was a great learning curve for both these players, as it was Zac Garbacz, who did not look out of place on the big stage.

With the holders out of the equation, the Masters are no longer dark horses. I can see them going all the way. And it would be a case of the cream rising to the top once again.

This team was a throwback to Maccabi League glory years