With the league title wrapped up with three games to spare, the only thing still to be decided is whether they can complete their league campaign unbeaten. Having only dropped two points all season – a goalless home draw against Rapid Viennas in November – Nagioff said: “We hold ourselves to very high standards and of course we want to keep our unbeaten streak for as long as we can. But we take each game as it comes and we’ll see what happens.”
Able to already look ahead to next season and life in a higher division, he adds: “We’re really excited for a new challenge next year. We always believe in our ability but naturally, when you go up a division, it’s a much tougher task. I believe if we keep our desire and motivation, we can cause problems for any team.”
Fortune’s slip-up means 40 Year Wanderers could still finish as runners-up, Sam Holden’s hat-trick sealing a 3-1 win at Mill Hill Minyan giving them an outside chance.
Bottom side Beitar Bushey could still salvage a mid-table finish after they claimed a shock 7-2 win over second place HMH Camden. Lawrence Rosenberg bagged a hat-trick, with Reuben Gordon, Sammy Hillton, Ben Mandell and Dan Mincer also all on target. Acting manager Saul Jackson said: “The guys were all absolutely fantastic, everyone put in a shift, they played the game of their life and it shows how the table can be deceiving.” Charlie Ruff and Rob Hirshkorn scored for Camden, with manager Joe Levi saying: “Having been on a great run, it was a real humbling experience. Everything that could have gone wrong did, not our best day in the office.”
Three teams booked their places into the semi-finals of the Peter Morrison Trophy, the most dramatic of which was Maccabi London Lions Vets’ penalty shoot-out victory over MGBSFL Division One champions Yallatasary. Freddie Land fired Yallatasary in front, before Adam Myeroff levelled for the Lions. The visitors went back in front ten minutes from time, only for Dominique Cheniart to net a 95th minute equaliser for Lions, before they took the tie 4-2 on penalties. Yallatasary manager Buddy Smith said: “It was an agonising result, our first taste of defeat and it was a nasty one. Credit to them, they were the best footballing side we’ve played this season. It was very gutting, but we dust ourselves down and go again.”
Two north vs south clashes resulted in two wins for the latter sides, Stoke Salmon winning 5-1 at Leeds Maccabi U18 Jets, while HMH A beat Manchester Maccabi 4-2, Yossi Landes scoring twice for Maccabi.
Redbridge Jewish Care are through to the last four of the Cyril Anekstein Cup after they edged past Millbrook Park Calcio in a seven-goal thriller, 4-3.
There was further knockout action in the Division One David Wolff Cup with two semi-final places booked. Goals from Jake Aspis, Conor Brand, Jack Brand, Aaron Diamond and Noah Raphael saw Brady to a 5-0 win at Mill Hill Dons, with manager Ricky Ansher saying: “It was a very sluggish first 45 minutes, but we knew once we got the first goal, the rest would follow. They were tough to break down for most of the game, but we didn't let up, kept on plugging away and eventually our quality shone through.”
Brook Farm Rovers are also into the last four as Simon Zeffert and Adam Goldberg scored in their 2-0 win over Hampstead Ducks. Rovers’ Toby Nathan said: “It was a well-deserved and really needed victory with a clean sheet as a bonus. Lots of creativity but discipline and a strong defence when required.”
London Lions U18s are through to the next round of the London U18 Boys Sunday Cup, after they came away from Beckenham Town Junior U18s with a 5-0 victory.
There was a top-of-the-table clash in Division One of the Maccabi Masters Football League and it saw Scrabble close the gap on leaders Maccabi London Lions as they came back from a goal down to win 2-1. Danny Schindler headed Lions in front, before they hit the bar twice as they threatened to cruise to victory. However, Tony Plaskow, fed through by Mark Wagman, equalised, before man-of-the-match Wagman claimed another assist, playing in Andrew Binstock to score the winner, in doing so closing the gap at the top to three points, while also having a game in hand.
Elsewhere, goals from Gavin Sherman, Adam Lustigman and Adam Gishen saw Brady come away from Temple Fortune with a 3-2 win. The hosts had gone ahead through Ed Lewin, with Stefan Simons, who earlier missed a penalty, later equalising for Fortune.
In Division Two, Jason Bentley and Paul Herszaft goals earned St John’s Wood Tigers a 2-1 win, Dave Simmons replied for Glenthorne.
Sukkotingham Forest players lift manager Sam Nagioff as they celebrate winning the MGBSFL Division Two title. Picture Credit: Georgia Rosenberg[Missing Credit]