By, Danny Caro
10 min read
ByDanny Caro, Danny Caro
North London Raiders A, SPEC FC and Catford & Bromley Maccabi are top of their respective divisions after maintaining their 100 per cent records, while Faithfold A won clash of the titans in the Premier Division. Danny Caro looks back on Matchday 2 of the Maccabi GB Southern Football League season.
MATCHDAY 2 HEADLINES
Prem Div – Red-hot Raiders top of the tree
Div 1 – Super SPEC FC maintain 100 per cent record
Div 2 – Raiders B hit famous five
Div 3 – Brilliant Bord helps Cats make it two out of two
JC HAT-TRICK HEROES
Div 1 - Dan Pike (SPEC FC)
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NW NEASDEN vs SHIRLEY PARK MATCH PHOTOS
L'EQUIPE vs JEWDINESE MATCH PHOTOS
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DANNY CARO'S MATCHDAY 2 OSCARS
PREMIER DIVISION TEAM OF THE WEEK
DIVISION THREE TEAM OF THE WEEK
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PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Sam Lewis (Faithfold A)
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MANAGER OF THE WEEK
Phil Peters (Norstar London Raiders A)
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GOAL OF THE WEEK - PAUL SAVITZ
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JC SAVE OF THE WEEK
Sam Lewis (Faithfold A) - brilliant last-ditch tackle to deny Brady late on
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QUOTE OF THE WEEK - JON JACOBS
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YOUR WEEKEND REVIEW STARTS HERE:
PREMIER DIVISION
PREMIER DIVISION TEAM OF THE WEEK
TOP-SCORER
3 – Mike Pearson (Faithfold A)
RAMPANT RHODES LEADS RAIDERS HOME
CAMDEN PARK 1 NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS A 2
North London Raiders A came from behind to beat Division One champions Camden Park in a real thriller.
Captain marvel David Rhodes and Adam Jason helped Phil Peters' men maintain their 100 per cent record.
Camden's goal came through Rob Hershkorn in a game where centre half Max Saunders was their top performer.
NLR manager Phil Peters told JC Sport: "On days like today it’s the points that matter. It was a very different performance from last week missing several key players and losing three more to injury during the game."
Camden boss Josh Marks told JC Sport: "I think the loss came down to tired legs, having played well for 70 minutes, then two tired mistakes cost us."
DC Prediction: Camden 2 Raiders 2
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HAIK THE HERO FOR SUPERHOOPS
FAITHFOLD A 3 BRADY MACCABI A 2
A stunning strike from super-sub Jonny Haik inspired defending champions Faithfold to victory in a five-star contest against Morrison winners Brady at Chase Lodge.
Alex Kaye and Mike Pearson were also on target for the Superhoops who led 2-0.
Brady battled back into the game in the last 30 minutes and quickfire strikes from new signings Michael Kenley and Faithfold old boy Richard Baum set up a grandstand finish.
Faithfold boss Zuriel Solomon told JC Sport: "Brady had a young team and were missing some key players, but showed some great belief and Josh and Joel can be proud."
Brady joint-manager Joel Nathan told JC Sport: "It was a great game where we had five boys 18 or under playing against the league champions, but they adapted well and played some great football.
DC Prediction: Faithfold 1 Hendon 1
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FC TEAM OFF TO A FLYER
FC TEAM A 4 LONDON MACCABI LIONS BLUE 1
Simon Peterman, Richard Salmon, Adam Rones and Dec Selbo were the goal men as FC Team A made a dream start, crushing the Lions in Mill Hill.
New signing Lewis Blitz grabbed a consolation for the Lions.
FC Team boss Mitch Young told JC Sport: "I am delighted to start the season with a victory and to get the three points. As always the Lions team was full of talent and credit to them as they never gave up."
Lions' James Gold told JC Sport: "Overall, we were unfortunate to concede two goals in quick succession before half time, which took momentum away from us. We battled very well but conceded sloppy goals. Well done to FC Team who played very well in a good spirited game, but we will learn from this defeat and look forward to next week."
DC Prediction: FC Team A 2 Lions 1
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DIVISION ONE
TOP-SCORERS
3 - Jamie Kent (Shirley Park), Dan Pike (SPEC FC), Dave Newman (SPEC FC)
2 - Gideon Gold (Shirley Park)
BRILLIANT BRADY BATTER CHIGS
CHIGWELL ATHLETIC 1 BRADY MACCABI B 4
Division Two champions Brady B came from behind to crush an experienced Chigwell team at Peter May, with goals from new signing Henry Ziff, Reiss Mogilner, Dan Harrod and Josh Newman.
Craig Sandford put Chigwell ahead after 55 minute, but Brady rallied superbly to take the game away from the east Londoners in the last 25 minutes.
Manager Josh Dagul told JC Sport "The boys did exactly what we went there to do. It may not have been the greatest performance but we have the three points."
Henry Ziff commented: "I'm absolutely delighted to start my Brady career with a goal and three points. One team, one dream."
Disappointed Chigwell boss Richard Slater told JC Sport: "Brady are a very good side, and overall deserved the win, but yet again we have given a team a helping hand with at least two of their goals.
DC Prediction: Chigwell 3 Brady 2
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KENT HELPS SHIRLEY MAKE THEIR POINT
NORTH WEST NEASDEN 1 SHIRLEY PARK 1
Jamie Kent salvaged an equaliser as promotion hopefuls Shirley Park came from a goal down to earn a point against a confident Neasden at Hadley FC.
Dan Orgel registered for Shirley.
Shirley joint-manager Dave Lusman told JC Sport: "With three late drop-outs, our plans went pair-shaped before the game, so tactically we decided to set up more defensively minded which was new territory for us. With the players we had available our team dug deep and put in a real stern performance against a really sharp and well organised Neasden team."
NWN boss Andrew Goldman told JC Sport: "Four points from two games is a solid start from a team that has 15 new members. The team have gelled well, but there is more to come."
DC Prediction: Neasden 2 Shirley 2
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COHEN GETS HARMEN GOING
SOUTHGATE HARMEN 1 WOODFORD WANDERERS 0
Marc Cohen fired the winner as Southgate Harmen delighted their fans with a win and a clean sheet to get their season off to a great start.
Harmen dominated the game and had one harshly ruled out for offside. They showed a great togetherness and spirit and battled from the first to last minute.
Harmen joint-player-manager Sam Castle told JC Sport: "I couldn't be happier - three points and a clean sheet. Onwards and upwards to next week against SPEC FC."
Woodford's Martin Sales told JC Sport: "I thought the teams were pretty evenly matched, but we didn't have enough firepower going forward. Unfortunately we has some players pull out at the very last minute which didn't help."
DC Prediction: Harmen 3 Woodford 0
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PIKE IS A BIT OF ALL RIGHT FOR SPEC
SPEC FC 5 BRIXTON OLD BOYS 3
Dave Newman maintained his excellent early season form with a double as SPEC FC made it two out of two in a goal fest against Brixton.
But DAN PIKE grabbed the headlines with a sensational hat-trick.
Brixton's goals came through Alon Hershkorn, Dean Rosenthal and Daniel Raphael.
Brixton chairman Robert Silverman told JC Sport: "Having pulled two goals back from being 3-0 down we seemed to have put ourselves in a position where we could have gone on to win the game. However, the match turned when we had a player harshly dismissed for a second yellow card.
DC Prediction: SPEC FC 2 Brixton 1
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DIVISION TWO
TOP-SCORERS
2 – Ed Green (Bilbaum), Ben Bell (Bilbaum), Ben Zloof (AC Mill Hill)
REDBRIDGE EDGE PAST BILBAUM
ATHLETIC BILBAUM 2 REDBRIDGE JEWISH CARE B 3
Redbridge B made a flying start to the season, with Ben Binder, Sam Sollosi and Jordan Sapler on target in an excellent team performance by Jon Jacobs' troops.
Bilbaum's goals came through Ed Green and Ben Bell.
Delighted Redbridge manager Jon Jacobs told JC Sport: "It would have been a travesty to come away from the Bernabaum with a draw - we battered them with a true footballing performance of pace, power and movement and when that didn't work, a long throw here and there."
DC Prediction: Bilbaum 3 Redbridge 1
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FC TEAM C WIN FIVE-GOAL THRILLER
FC TEAM B 2 FC TEAM C 3
Shim Bensoor, James Joseph and Jeremy Julius helped newly-promoted FC Team C make their intentions clear with victory in a five-goal thriller over FC Team B.
Eddie Sternberg and new signing Paul Savitz registered for FC Team B.
FC Team C joint-manager Michael Myers told JC Sport: "It was always difficult playing against our B team - they are a physical, well-organised team and we had to dig really deep to overcome the 2-1 deficit at half time, to run out overall winners."
FC Team B boss David Gordon told JC Sport: "I was proud of the boys – we were the better team in the first half and we stopped the C’s from playing their football with an extra man in midfield. We worked hard and were deservedly in front at the break. Unfortunately we couldn’t keep it up in the second period and the early goal at the start of the half cost us before they scored a very good late winner."
DC Prediction: FC Team B 2 FC Team C 2
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RED-HOT RAIDERS HIT FAMOUS FIVE
NORSTAR LONDON RAIDERS B 5 AC MILL HILL 2
Strikes from Andrew McMaster, Raffi Addlestone, Gilad Kestenbaum, Rob Samuelson and an own goal helped Raiders B crush newly-promoted AC Mill Hill.
Goal-poacher Ben Zloof bagged a brace for the visitors.
Jubilant Raiders boss Jonathan Adelman told JC Sport: "Considering this was our first competitive game together I have to be pleased. We created a lot of chances and at times played some nice slick football. We know we have to cut out the errors, but the exciting thing is that we know we can improve."
Mill Hill boss Joe Levy told JC Sport: "We started extremely sluggishly and looked disjointed. We know we are capable of better and hope to show that against Faithfold next week."
DC Prediction: Raiders 3 Mill Hill 2
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BLIZZARD BOYS MAKE THEIR POINT
OAKWOOD B 0 BLIZZARD STORM 0
Defences dominated in the clash between title hopefuls Oakwood B and Blizzard Storm as the teams came away honours even.
Blizzard boss Simon Linden told JC Sport: "I'm pleased with a good point and a clean sheet against a tough team in Oakwood.
"We lost Dan Vandermolen early on and had five other players out, so to get a draw against a good side I can't complain."
DC Prediction: Oakwood 1 Blizzard 1
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DIVISION THREE
DIVISION THREE TEAM OF THE WEEK
TOP-SCORERS
5 – Richard Fogelman (L’Equipe)
4 – Steven Black (L’Equipe), Ben Berrick (Jewdinese)
LEADER DENIES BATTLING BOCA
BOCA JEWNIORS 1 TEMPLE FORTUNE 1
A second-half strike from new signing Matt Leader earned Temple Fortune a point against Boca at the Roger Bannister Sports Centre in Pinner.
Dan Ezra put Boca ahead on the stroke half time, but Fortune picked up after the break and deserved the point by the end.
Boca joint-manager Viv Emanuel told JC Sport: "We defended well and battled hard for the whole game. Jack and myself are very proud of the team as this was only the third game the team have played together and we look now to next week's game against Faithfold."
Fortune's Mike Shorvon said: "This was a potential banana skin against an improved Boca team, but I think the draw was a fair result all things considered. We were poor in the first half but battled well in the second and shaded it."
DC Prediction: Boca 2 Temple Fortune 3
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GLORIOUS GREENBLATT LEAVES FAITHFOLD IN A FLUSTER
FAITHFOLD C 2 KING CROWN 4
Newcomers King Crown recorded their first-ever victory in the MGBSFL with a thrilling 4-2 win over Faithfold C.
Man-of-the-match Benji Greenblatt led the way with a double, with Daniel Cohen and Daniel Elghanian putting the icing on the cake.
Nick Roman and Dan Gordon netted for the second consecutive week for Faithfold.
King Crown player-manager Jacob Kadoch told JC Sport: "I was hugely impressed with the team spirit and the determination of the team - great bouncebackability from last week. King Crown has officially arrived. Great performance from they boys very proud!"
"It was one off those days," Faithfold player-manager David Garson told JC Sport. "We had injuries, let in silly goals and missed a penalty, as well as hitting the bar three times."
DC Prediction: Faithfold 4 King Crown 2
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LAWRENCE FRUSTRATED AT AN OPPORTUNITY MISSED
L’EQUIPE 1 JEWDINESE 1
L'Equipe and Jewdinese remain unbeaten following a well-contested 1-1 draw.
Jules Bohm put L'Equipe ahead on the stroke of half time, but Jewdinese's pressure was rewarded by a wonder strike from Ben Bertick.
Jewdinese manager Darren Lawrence told JC Sport: "It's disappointing not to come away with the result we deserved. Nonetheless, it is still a point so we can't complain about getting 4 out of 6 points."
L'Equipe joint-manager Daniel Cordell told JC Sport: "We’ll take the point considering the amount of absentees we had. Next week we’re expecting a full attendance and look to continue our unbeaten start to the season.
DC Prediction: L’Equipe 4 Jewdinese 2
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BORD AT THE DOUBLE FOR CLASSY CATS
CATFORD & BROMLEY MACCABI 4 AC WHETSTONE 1
The Cats made it two out of two, with Yonni Bord leading the way with a quality double. Eli Baraty was also on target.
Whetstone's goal came through Alex Wolffenden.
Clive Nathan, the Whetstone boss, told JC Sport: "Considering it was our first-ever senior game, and that we only had one player over 16 (and that's me at 48!), I am hugely proud of all our boys. We play the game the right way and will only get better. Full credit to Catford who took the chances we gave them and played the game in a very sporting manner."
DC Prediction: Catford 2 Whetstone 1
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MATCHES POSTPONED
Prem Div - LM Lions vs Redbridge Jewish Care A - no pitch available at Rowley Lane
Div 3 - NL Raiders vs Loughton Orient - no pitch available
