Lions licking their wounds after defeat
FOOTBALL DAN Jacobs expressed pride after Maccabi London Lions suffered a heartbreaking defeat to Hadley.
Missing top-scorer Lee Cash, and with Paul Hakim restricted to a cameo role through injury, the Lions were pushed back from the first whistle by a Hadley team featuring former Reading midfielder Mikele Leigertwood.
The Lions battled valiantly on an uneven surface at Rayners Lane FC, with goalkeeper Rob Abrahams equal to a series of shots. He produced two outstanding, plunging saves to keep the Lions on level terms.
Lions improved and it was somewhat against the run of play when Hadley forged ahead, just after the hour mark, with a fine strike finding a way past the inspired Abrahams.
Lions reacted and introduced Hakim and, with his first touch, he levelled things up. A superb run by Mike Pearson saw him crudely upended 25 yards from goal, allowing Hakim to curl a superb free-kick into the corner of the net.
Lions pressed for the winner — Craig Pearl had a goal ruled out for offside and Dan Stanton fizzed a shot across goal.
The chances continued to come in extra-time, with a Josh Bentley glancing header against the crossbar. With both teams preparing for penalties, Hadley hit the Lions with a sucker punch, with the goal-line heroics of Bentley and Abrahams in vain as they scored with virtually the last kick of the game.
Lions joint-manager Jacobs commented: “It was a terrific effort from both sides. Dan Reuben and I are proud of our performance against a very good side who, on balance of chances, one would have to say just about deserved the win, cruel as it was on us to come so late.”
LIONS: Rob Abrahams, Jon Rayner, Tony Gold, Rob Glass, Adam Myeroff, Alex Levack, Craig Pearl, Dan Stanton, Mike Pearson, Brad Lazarus, Paul Lenchner. Subs: Brad Lee, Josh Bentley, Paul Hakim, Max Radford