YOUR WEEKEND PREVIEW STARTS HERE:
(all matches kick-off at 10am unless stated)
PETER MORRISON TROPHY QUARTER-FINAL
BORUSSIA BARNET vs WHITEFIELD WANDERERS
Borussia Barnet have a golden chance to become one of very few second division teams to reach the last four of the Jewish FA Cup this weekend when they host Whitefield Wanderers in a lunchtime kick-off.
“Sunday is the biggest game of all our Sunday League lives to date,” manager Brad Papier told JC Sport. “We’ve been buzzing since the draw.
“We know the Whitefield lads very well because a lot of us lived with them at uni, so it’s got a personal aspect as well. A lot of their players are coming to Friday to stay at some of our players houses.
“However, once the game kicks off, it’s all business from there and we’ll make sure of that, they can all be best friends, but not for 90 minutes. It’s great to have young talent like Henry Mattey and Ben Bellman returning to the side, and we all know what having Adam Lipman can do, he’s just a class above."
Papier went on to say: “For a club in the bottom division, it’s a massive achievement to reach this far and we don’t plan on stopping here. We believe we can win every competition we’re in. We know how big Sunday is for our club and we can’t wait for the occasion.”
Whitefield, who are co-managed by Jonny Rose and Phil Gordon, reached the last eight after FC Team forfeited. They play in the first division of the Manchester Accountants League, where they currently lie third, with four wins out of seven. Big names to look out for are Dan Margolis and top-scorer Josh Gordon.
The Wanderers started 2020 in style, with a thumping 5-2 win over Sporting Manchester. Ahead of the tie, Rose told JC Sport: "The boys have really embraced the weekend and are keen to show London what we're all about. It's Borussia's home pitch but we'll be very organised and are concentrating more on ourselves than them.
"We're really pleased with how the season has gone so far and our biggest strength is that we're a good footballing team, with no individual superstars."
It’s definitely one to keep an eye on.
JC team news: Borussia’s Jack Mattey is out with a back strain. Otherwise the hosts have a fully-fit squad.
Borussia squad: Joe Botchin, Adam Freedman, Henry Mattey, Sam Lipton, Oliver Lewin, Ben Bellman, Noah Bergman, Adam Lipman, Scott Greenfield, Nathan Rosenthal, Mitchell Gerber, Adam Bowman, Danny Shina, Ollie Hart, Michael Kenley, Josh Pampel
Venue - Hive, KO – 12.15
JC star man: Michael Kenley (BB)
DC Prediction: BB 2 WW 1
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - BORUSSIA vs FAITHFOLD DOCMM GREEN
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OAKWOOD vs HMH
The cup competitions offer the most realistic chance of silverware for both Oakwood and HMH this season, which places huge importance on Sunday’s match.
Both teams have also reached the same stage of the League Cup, so now it’s time to step up and show their rivals just how much they want it.
Oakwood fans will be looking forward to getting a first glance at Louie Basso – who until recently was the heartbeat of the all-conquering Manchester Maccabi team. His signing really is a major coup for the club. And quite possibly a timely boost ahead of a game they will be desperate to win.
Last week, James Gold was their hero – popping up with a late leveller against Fairlop. His second goal of the game, plus one from defensive lynchpin Alex Lee, ensured the Oaks shared the points in a 3-3 draw. But the bottom line is they will need to defend better on Sunday.
Having lifted the Morrison for the first time last season, many expected HMH to kick on this season, and challenge for the league. But failure to win any of their last three, which includes a goalless draw against Oakwood, has left their title hopes hanging in the balance.
Avi Goldberg’s troops have strong attacking options, but his strikers have failed to deliver in recent weeks, despite the team creating a host of chances. Luck went against them last weekend, when they were beaten 2-1 by HMH, in a game they hit the woodwork twice.
Looking ahead to the game, Goldberg told JC Sport: "Another year, another Peter Morrison Trophy quarter-final against Oakwood. Matches between us tend to bring out the best in both teams, with the talent on display eager to demonstrate it to the other.
"Last season's quarter-final was an epic captured by the JC cameras, with HMH equalising in the dying seconds and narrowly winning on penalties 5-4."
Reflecting on the most recent encounter, Goldberg said: "The match in the league two weeks ago served up an equally enthralling encounter, even though the score remained goalless."
The neutral will be hoping these two teams serve up another classic. Goldberg added: "We may go into the game on the back of what looks like a string of poor results post-Chanukah, losing by the odd goal to both Lions and Faithfold. But manager Goldberg remains upbeat ,sayin: “We know we are playing some great football. Our defence is strong as even these recent results, none of the goals conceded have come from open play, and going forward we are bristling with talent and creativity. All that’s missing is a bit of luck in front of goal which we hope will change come Sunday.
"Following another strong training session, I am backing my lads to create chances and find the back of the net, while keeping Cuby and co out.”
I can see this tie being decided by small margins, and you could toss a coin over which team will come out on top.
JC team news: There are a number of HMH players facing late fitness tests, including worryingly Max Foster and Sam Monjack, who both missed out last Sunday, and Tom Prais particularly, as Eli Wegrzyn will miss out.
Venue – Ark Academy
JC star man: Louie Basso (Oakwood)
DC Prediction: Oakwood 1 HMH 1 (Oakwood to win on penalties)
WATCH: VIDEO OF LAST SEASON'S PMT QF
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HERTSWOOD VALE vs FAIRLOP FC
Opportunity knocks for Hertswood Vale on Sunday when they welcome Premier Division Fairlop FC.
They righted the wrongs of the Mill Hill game with an excellent second 45 against Redbridge Jewish Care last weekend, with talisman James Millet in sizzling form.
Vale were denied by an in-form goalkeeper early on, but they continued to create and eventually found a way through, in a game where Charlie Becker was their other scorer.
Some of their front-foot football was a joy to watch, and that could be the order of the day here.
A big crowd is expected in east Barnet, and the management team of Jacob Emanuel and Danny Hirschberger cannot wait to lock horns with the Essex giants.
Emanuel told JC Sport: “It's an absolutely huge game and we're really excited about it.
“Beating Hendon in the last round was absolutely brilliant, and a proud moment for everyone involved in the club - the boys deserve their chance in the quarter-final stage of this competition and we're looking for the chance to prove that the result wasn't a one-off.
“However, it would be naive of us to pretend that Fairlop don't offer an equal threat to that of Hendon. They're a well-established club having gained a lot of success since they were formed, and they've picked up some brilliant results in the last few weeks.”
He added: “As such, we know they're going to come along to Barnet expecting to beat us comfortably, so it's up to the boys to put in a performance of their lives for the second time this season.”
Fairlop have clicked into gear since the beginning of the year. A win over MLFC was followed by a draw against Oakwood last weekend, when they were just seconds away from recording what would’ve been an excellent win.
James Jaconelli put in an excellent shift. He scored twice and worked his socks off, with Daryl Rubin also on target in a 3-3 draw.
On Sunday Fairlop need their big-match players to stand up and be counted. I’m talking about the likes of Ryan Cole, Brad Gayer, Max Freeman, Daniel Bean, Adam Goldman and Jaconelli. Their attitude will be key as Vale will be smelling an upset in a tie that will be settled by which team wants it most.
Vale will know Gayer is capable of scoring from the halfway line - he only does spectacular goals! But if they marshall him well and match Fairlop in the physicality department, they might just spring a surprise.
JC team news: Vale go into Sunday's game without captain James Neidle (knee ligament damage), Adam Morrow (troublesome calf), and Jamie Steinberg, who has now gone travelling for the rest of the season. Jack Shulman remains a long-term absentee. Sunday also represents the last game this season for midfield maestro Charlie Becker, who “has had an absolutely incredible debut season for the Vale, so we'd like him to send him off with a strong performance”.
Venue – East Barnet School
JC star man: Charlie Becker (Vale)
DC Prediction: Vale 2 Fairlop 1
WATCH: MILL HILL DONS vs FAIRLOP
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MGBSFL PREMIER DIVISION
LEAGUE TABLE (TOP 3)
1. Faithfold DocMM White Pl. 11, W. 7, Pts. 23
2. Hendon United Sports Pl. 8, W. 7, Pts. 21
3. HMH Pl. 11, W. 5, Pts. 17
TOP-SCORERS 12 - Josh Cuby (Oakwood A), 11 - Akiva Solomon (Faithfold Doc MM White - plus one for Green)
MLFC BLUE vs HENDON UNITED SPORTS
Hendon will be looking to regain top spot when they make the short trip to the Lane to take on MLFC.
With three games in hand on the teams either side of them, the red men will be nice and fresh, having had three weeks to recover from the match against Oakwood following last week’s weather-related postponement.
Danny Kon was their hero that day, coming off the bench to score a late winner. The extended rest would’ve given some of Hendon’s walking wounded a chance to repair, and Kon will be hoping his efforts are rewarded with a place in the starting XI.
Ahead of kick-off, Hendon boss Jordan Sapler told JC Sport: “Lions have had some great results so far and are looking like a very dangerous team on all fronts.
"We know what we need to do and although it’s not ideal to have not played for a couple of weeks, the boys have been working hard at training to keep the intensity levels up.
"Playing on the 4G means that the game will be on and it provides us with a chance to catch up on the teams around us, having played several games less.”
MLFC were eliminated from the Morrison last weekend at the hands of a Manchester Maccabi team who proved too strong. Mikey Perkins and Sam Hamerton scored second-half goals, but the damage had already been done.
The home side will be hurting but there is no better game than the champions at home. But there is no better team than Hendon at finding a way to win and I think they will finish the weekend back on top.
JC team news: Chaim Korman is suspended for Hendon, while Avi Korman is unavailable. Zac Garbacz, Ari Last, Jonti Aremband are all out with knee Injuries but Josh Harris and Kiki Levin are nearing a return. Josh Bharier returns from suspension and Russ Corin returns from injury.
Venue – Rowley Lane
JC star man: Mordi Weiler (Hendon)
DC Prediction: MLFC 1 Hendon 2
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - HENDON vs OAKWOOD
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DIVISION ONE
LEAGUE TABLE (TOP 3)
1. NL Raiders Pl. 10, W. 8, Pts. 25
2. Hertswood Vale Pl. 12, W. 7, Pts. 22
3. NL Galaxy Pl. 9, W. 6, Pts. 21
TOP-SCORERS 17 - Aron Gale (North London Raiders), 16 - James Millet (Hertswood Vale), 15 - Zach Cohen (Mill Hill Dons), 14 - Reiss Mogilner (Jewdinese), 12 - Liron Mannie (North London Raiders)
BROOK FARM ROVERS vs NORTH LONDON RAIDERS
Raiders have dusted themselves down following defeat in the North London derby and they are ready to go again.
The 1-0 defeat to Galaxy came as a shock to the system and was also the first time they have failed to score this season. I’m expecting a big reaction on Sunday, so Rovers beware.
Looking ahead to the game, NLR joint-manager David Isaacs told JC Sport: “We’ve had a little break since our last game and we are now raring to go.
“There are no two-ways about it; the last game we played was a massive disappointment as we have allowed Galaxy back into the title race.
“However, we have six games left, which means six wins, 18 points, it’s as simple as that and we start off with Brook Farm Rovers away on Sunday.”
Isaacs predicts a close game, and he believes turning up with the right application and focus will be key. “We played them a few weeks back and if you take away the result, they gave us a good battle for periods during the match.
“We can’t under-estimate them as they did takea1 point off Galaxy a few weeks ago.”
RJC go into the game on the back of a terrific 2-1 win at Redbridge. They recovered superbly after going a goal down, and the celebrations were a joy to behold when Josh Silverman popped up with the winner. It was Sunday morning football at its best.
Having been hit for six by Raiders earlier this month, Rovers will be determined to prove a point. But they must produce the perfect performance and adopt a no-nonsense approach in defence. Then and only then will they earn the right to challenge the table-toppers.
Rovers' joint-manager Dan Cohen predicts a more determined effort from his boys second time around, and told JC Sport: "Having been beaten fair and square by Raiders only a few weeks ago, we are determined to give a better account of ourselves this time around.
"No doubt a game against the league leaders will be incredibly tough once again, and we’ve witnessed how good they can be, but we feel we’ve learnt from that defeat and can approach this game with a fresh mindset, ready to work hard and do everything we can to get something out the game."
Cohen added: "We’ve shown so far this season that we can take points off the big boys at home and that’s what we’ll be aiming to do on Sunday."
But when all is said and done, I think Raiders will have too much ammunition and their will to win help push them over the line.
JC team news: NLR will be missing Bradley lander and Daniel Behar this week.
Venue - Capital City
JC star man: Josh Bloom (Raiders)
DC Prediction: Rovers 0 Raiders 1
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - MH DONS vs BROOK FARM ROVERS
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - GALAXY vs RAIDERS
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JEWDINESE vs MILL HILL DONS
Promotion-chasing Jewdinese look in for a tough test against the in-form Dons.
‘Nese have games in hand on their rivals, but they can take nothing for granted against a Dons team that has won their last two.
A 5-1 win over SPEC last time out clearly galvanised the ‘Nese fans dreaming of reaching the top-flight. They have several players with Premier Division quality but must now produce week on week.
Reiss Mogilner is their biggest threat, while at the back, Adam Gold and Grant Reingold are two of the best defenders in the division.
Ahead of the game, ‘Nese boss Darren Lawrence told JC Sport: “We will be cautious going into this game, as we are now facing an MH Dons team who have won two on the bounce, having only won one out the eight games before that.
“We know they'll be up for it and are coming into the game with some great momentum. However, with the quality we have in our side, I'd be bitterly disappointed to not pick up all three points.”
The Dons have clicked into gear nicely since the hammering at Raiders. Right now, everything top-scorer Zack Cohen touches turns to goals. The boy is on fire but he can only thrive if the players behind in put in the hard yards.
Dons boss Jamie Nagioff told JC Sport: "We haven't faced Jewdinese yet but their league position suggests this will be a tough game.
"But, it's a game that we're looking forward to as we're coming into it in superb form. I'm looking to make this three wins on the bounce against opposition ranked above us in the table."
Nagioff added: "The squad is looking stronger and stronger, both in terms of performances and numbers available for selection. There will be several players missing out on the squad this week and it's going to be a tough selection process as everyone is playing so well. It's an exciting time to be a Dons fan!"
In terms of a prediction, whoever wins the key midfield battle will come out on top.
JC team news: Excluding the long-term absentees, ‘Nese have a fully fit squad to choose from, so competition for a starting place is fierce.
Venue – St James’ Park, KO – 10.15am
JC star man: Ben Berrick (Nese)
DC Prediction: Nese 2 Dons 1
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - SPEC vs JEWDINESE
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - MILL HILL DONS vs FAIRLOP
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REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE vs MLFC RED
The bottom two meet in what is the ultimate relegation six-pointer.
RJC have lost eight out of ten. They took the lead against Hertswood Vale last week but were eventually over-run, and had it not been for the reflexes of Hayden Pitch in goal the margin of defeat would’ve been more emphatic.
MLFC have huffed and puffed this season but ultimately the youngsters have failed to win any of their first eight games. Manager Joel Nathan isn’t hitting the panic button yet, although adding some experience would certainly benefit the team.
It may not be a classic on Sunday, but I think home advantage will be key so am tipping RJC to nick it.
Venue - Fairlop
JC star man: Jimmy Castle (RJC)
DC Prediction: RJC 2 MLFC 1
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DIVISION TWO
LEAGUE TABLE (TOP 3)
1. FC Team Pl. 12, W. 9, Pts. 29
2. Borussia Barnet Pl. 11, W. 8, Pts. 26
3. Temple Fortune Pl. 12, W. 8, Pts. 25
TOP-SCORERS 17 - Jono Gaon (Hampstead Ducks), 16 - Daniel Garfinkle (Club De Chigwell), 12 - Saul Green (Club De Chigwell), Danny Sherman (Temple Fortune), 11 - Simon Cohen (Temple Fortune), 10 - Richard Salmon (FC Team), Zacki Doumou (North West London Bears), Alex Bourne (Scrabble)
CLUB de CHIGWELL vs FAITHFOLD DOCMM GREEN
Another goal-fest is expected as Club de Chigwell tackle Faithfold DocMM Green for the second time this season.
It finished 4-3 in favour of the Superhoops when the teams met in November, and I’m predicting another open and entertaining contest.
Automatic promotion is now off the radar for CdC, but they will be determined to get back on the winning trail following defeats against Temple Fortune and North West London Bears.
Co-manager Adam Conway told JC Sport: “After a week off, we have been putting the hard graft in on the training pitch and will be looking to have a strong finish to the season.”
Faithfold are hard to predict. They were excellent against Scrabble last week, with the versatile Tony Plaskow in commanding form between the sticks. Ben Kfir's boys are starting to share the goals around too, which is a good sign, and they believe they can secure a league double.
JC team news: CdC are expected to name a similar squad to the one from the Temple Fortune game.
Venue – Peter May Sports Centre, Walthamstow
JC star man: Dean Bernstein (CdC)
DC Prediction: CdC 3 Faithfold 2
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HAMPSTEAD DUCKS vs NORTH WEST LONDON BEARS
The in-form Bears will be looking to extend their unbeaten run to six matches when they travel to the Ducks.
Zacki Doumou produced a master-class against the same opponents last weekend, when the Bears were walking in a Doumou wonderland.
Two of his finishes were simply sublime in a game where he registered five times. The Bears re enjoying their football right now – they are bang in form and playing with big smiles on their faces.
Now they have to do it all over again. Ahead of the game, Bears’ joint-player-manager James Harpin told JC Sport: "This will be another testing game but hopefully if we work hard and produce quality in the final third as we have been recently, we will win the game.”
Breaking news that every Ducks fan should read … “We don't have Zacki this week but we still have enough quality to break them down.
“We will go there with a game=plan and hopefully the boys will listen to how we want them to play. A win on Sunday could take us up to fourth which is remarkable considering we had not won a game up until 5 games ago.
“We all want to keep this run going and we hope we can turn it on again on Sunday.”
So now the Ducks know Doumou is a non-starter, I wonder if they will set up differently. The bottom line is that they must play with no fear and be prepared to go toe to toe with a team that is in a good moment.
JC team news- Sam Shackleton and Sammy Letzer are back from Uni for this game. Jack Miller is back in the squad after missing out last week due to a golf tournament. They have a strong squad to pick from, giving Sam Fresco and Harpin a selection headache.
Venue – West Hendon
JC star man: James Levene (Bears)
DC Prediction: Ducks 1 Bears 2
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SCRABBLE vs FC TEAM
Division Two leaders FC Team take on Scrabble for the first time this season, and I’m predicting a Mitch Young’s warriors to win by a fairly big margin.
Young was unlucky not to feature in Team of the Week after scoring two in the 3-1 win over West Hamdillah. It wasn’t FC Team’s best display of the season, but they got the job done.
After losing to the Bears earlier this month, Young challenged his players to win several cup finals, and they are well on the way.
Ahead of the trip to Barnet, Young told JC Sport: “We are looking forward to playing a team which is closer to our average age this week. But in all seriousness we know Scrabble are a good side full of quality experienced players so we are expecting a very difficult game.
“As I always say if we perform to the levels we all expect and take our chances we should win the game but we will need to start fast.”
Scrabble are missing two of their most influential performers, and boss Jon Yantin told JC Sport the home side aren’t looking forward to it”.
If FC Team score early doors the floodgates could open.
JC team news: Scrabble are “severely depleted“ without top-scorer Alex Bourne and the influential Serge Cowan.
Josh Morris misses out for FC Team. Ben Sollosi returns while Craig Sandford is rated 50/50.
Venue - JCoSS
JC star man: Jonny Haik (Team)
DC Prediction: Scrabble 0 Team 5
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - FC TEAM vs TEMPLE FORTUNE
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TEMPLE FORTUNE vs PARIS SAINT-JEWMAIN
Temple Fortune could regain second place when they host PSJ in Kingsbury.
Three consecutive wins have kept Simon Linden’s men in the mix, although FC Team and Borussia Barnet show little sign of faltering.
Danny Sherman and Simon Cohen have provided a regular source of goals in a team that are due a clean sheet.
Gary Hyams was Fortune’s match-winner when the teams met in January. Fortune took maximum points from a 4-3 thriller, so they will go into this match with a slight psychological advantage.
Fortune boss Simon Linden told JC Sport: "It's good to get back to business after a week without a game.
"We know that PSJ are a good side that will make Sunday difficult for us. It won’t be easy but it’s vital we get a result to stay in the promotion race."
PSJ will be determined to right the wrongs from a run of four straight defeats. Defensive frailties have come back to haunt them, but they will be hell-bent on outscoring Fortune second time around.
Boss Elio Elia told JC Sport: “We've haven't had the best of results recently, but overall the boys have deserved a lot more with their performances in each of these games.
“We know there are things to improve on but we've shown there's plenty of quality in the team to compete against everyone.”
Elio went on to say: “Our last game against Fortune was very close, we just weren't able to manage the game well enough when we were in the lead. However I'm sure this time round we can put that right.”
If Fortune score first, I’m backing them to take the win.
Venue – Silver Jubilee Park
JC star man: Eshed Rahav (Fortune)
DC Prediction: Fortune 4 PSJ 2
WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS - FC TEAM vs TEMPLE FORTUNE
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ALSO SEE
DANNY CARO'S MATCHDAY 18 AWARDS
PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Toby Levy (Manchester Maccabi 1st)
MANAGER OF THE WEEK: Avi Markiewicz (Faithfold DocMM White)
GOAL OF THE WEEK: Nathan Rosenthal (Borussia Barnet)
SAVE OF THE WEEK: Jack Showman (Manchester Maccabi 1st)
QUOTE OF THE WEEK: Dan Kristall (Oakwood)
