Lions lick their wounds after 3-2 humbling by Herts league strugglers
LONDON LIONS’ Development team manager Laurence Judah labelled his team’s performance at the weekend as “the worst of the season” as he saw them crash to a 3-2 home defeat against bottom side Edgware & Kingsbury Reserves.
Looking to gain promotion from Division One of the Herts Senior County League, they went into the game on the back of three consecutive wins, but despite goals from Zak Jackson and Nate Kashket they still contrived to lose, in doing so handing Edgware their first league win of the season.
Judah said: “It was the worst display by some distance albeit against a team that had loaded up with first teamers as they fight to stay in the league.”
The defeat leaves them in fourth spot, four points off a promotion place, and they have also played more games than the sides around them. Looking ahead to the remainder of the season and as to what they can achieve, he says: “We have nine hard games ahead of us including going away to three of the top five. This is a competitive league and even the leaders have dropped points in a third of their games. All we want is to get better every week. We’ll focus on our own performances and know that results will come.”
There was better news for London Lions’ First XI as they won their first game in six matches. Jack Mordecai’s second half strike was the difference as they came away from Wembley with a 1-0 win. The result lifts Andrew Landesberg’s side within a point off mid-table stability in the Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North.
Oakwood A are through to the semi-finals of the Cyril Anekstein Cup, though they had to do it the hard way, playing half the match with ten men, but ultimately seeing off Geez Park Rangers 2-1. Felix Shalom and Charlie Kasler scored their goals, with manager Jake Feinstein saying: “It was a battling performance. We had to dig deep after going down to ten men but showed great fight and I’m happy to progress.”
Jack Mattey scored for Rangers, whose manager Ben Leslie said: “It was a tough morning for us and a game in which we have to be disappointed not to have created more chances to score in. In the end, their experience and know-how in big games proved to be the difference, but a massive learning curve for us and we have to take the positives of pushing the best team in the league until the end.”
Hapoel Hampstead kept their firstever clean sheet in the Maccabi GB Southern Football League and it was enough to see them move to within a point of the Division Two leaders, as they thrashed Qarabagel 5-0. Jordan Conn scored twice, with Jacob Brassey, Freddie Coverman and Matt Davidson also finding the back of the net.
Two goals from Sam Leaders helped Brady Maccabi overcome Millbrook Park Calcio 4-1. Jack Brand and Rafi Jacobs were also on target.
Redbridge Jewish Care White are now unbeaten in their last four matches as a hat-trick from Bailey Brown helped them to a 4-2 win at Camden City. David Cohen and Daniel Fattal scored for City.
History was made on Sunday morning as Temple Fortune’s A and B team met in a competitive MGBSFL fixture for the first time in 43 years. And it was the As who romped home to an 8-1 win in their Barry Goldstein Trophy tie, with Ben Krieger’s hat-trick and Gab Saul’s double setting them on their way. Adam Hilsenrath, Daniel Vandermolen and an own goal completed their scoring, though Jo Winter’s strike for the B team was the best goal of the nine.
In the David Wolff Division One Cup, goals in each half from Saul Fenton and Max Walker saw London Athletico claim a 2-0 win, while Redbridge Jewish Care Purple beat Real Madreidel 1-0.
Maccabi London Lions closed the gap at the top of the Maccabi Masters Football League table to six points as they won a thrilling nine-goal clash against Temple Fortune. Brady Lazarus bagged a hat-trick, Michael Abrahams scored twice, with Darren Dryer also on target. Wayne Davison and Stefan Simons replied for Fortune. The win means Lions close the gap on Scrabble, but have now played a game more.
In the league’s other game, a lastminute goal from Richard Fraiman secured EHRS Stonegrove a 1-0 win over Hendon Harriers.
It was the worst display of the season by some distance