Football Review – A Non-League Football Review

Saturday brought a double header at the Lakeside Sports Ground as both the Reserves and Firsts of Chadwell Heath Spartans featured with the Essex Alliance League season drawing to an end.

Chadwell Heath Spartans Reserves 0-4 Collier Row Reserves

The day began with the Reserves against Collier Row Reserves in Division Two, a match up that pitted 5th against 4th, with the Spartans having the chance to close the gap on their opponents in the penultimate game of the season.

The first chance of the game came in the opening minutes for the hosts, but the effort was fired over before Oliver Woodrow was forced into a good save to deny Collier Row. There was limited goalmouth action following the opening two chances, but both teams sought to bring the ball forward, exchanging possession in midfield.

The deadlock was broken in the 18th minute after a free-kick was spilled by Woodrow and tucked home on the rebound. The game remained fairly even despite the visitors taking the lead. Collier Row looked to double their lead, but the goalscorer was denied by the quick reactions of Woodrow before a corner was swung in, but the hosts did well to clear their lines.

The Chadwell Reserves had a good chance, but the effort was fired straight at the keeper before it was Collier Row’s turn to attack again. An effort on goal was comfortable for Woodrow before a free-kick from distance was fired over the bar. Just before half-time, Abraham Ladoja looked to round the defender, but the ball was seen out well by the opposition before Woodrow was out quickly before anyone could tap home the low cross.

Collier Row came forward first in the second half but Woodrow did well to hold on, before the lead was doubled in the 51st minute after a shot from distance was caught by the wind and carried over Woodrow’s head. The first 10 minutes or so of the second half just saw nothing happening for the hosts as the closest they got to goal was a free-kick straight into the wall. A third had been added just six minutes later as a free-kick was fired beyond the young keeper before there was a huge chance for the host just past the hour mark as Owen Rami was played through by Sami Aboulainaf, but the keeper pulled off a big save. A minute later, Rami had the ball in the back of the net, but he was deemed offside and the goal ruled out.

As the game approached the final 20 minutes, a volley fired towards goal was tipped round the post by Woodrow before a fourth goal was scored in the 75th minute. Despite being 4-0 down, Chadwell Heath Reserves came forward in the final 10 minutes or so. The ball ran out of play before a cross could be put in, before no one was close enough when a cross was fired into the box.

Samir Aboulainaf got his head to a corner ball, but he wasn’t able to steer it towards goal before he made a good run, and looked to chip the ball over the keeper, but it was just wide of the target. Chadwell continued to come forward, but Collier Row did well to repel their attacks. A throw in was flicked in the box but Sheldon Dragwidge could only help it into the keeper hands before Chadwell worked the ball well into the box, but they were denied by a last gasp block in the final minute of normal time.

Chadwell Heath Spartans 1-2 FC Petrocub

After the teams had a chance to warm up, Chadwell Heath Spartan got their final game of the season underway against FC Petrocub at Lakeside!

It was the visitors who were on the front foot early on, but they struggled to make anything happen. Chadwell Heath managed to score their lines until the 10th minute when the deadlock was broken. An initial shot into the box was blocked before it fell to the forward who fired it home. The visitors came forward again, but the shot was fired wide before a cross from David Amire was caught by the wind, but carried just over the bar.

Petrocub saw one of their efforts string the hands of Daniel Wheeler before the Spartans were able to see it safely into the keepers hands. A couple of minutes later, the lead was doubled as a free-kick was floated into the Spartan box and taken round the keeper for 2-0. Despite going down by two, Chadwell Heath continued to come forward: A corner was swung into the box by the hosts, but the keeper did well to pluck it out of the air before Joseph Butcher tried his luck from distance, but the ball just ran through to the keeper and a free-kick fired towards the back post, didn’t have anyone get a crucial touch to it. The away side also looked to increase their lead. Wheeler was out quickly to boot the ball clear before a shot was fired over the bar.

The last actions of the first half saw Chadwell Heath have a series of corners, but they couldn’t make it count. The final of the four saw the ball headed back across the box by Aaron Hunwicks, but the shouts for handball were ignored by the referee.

Again the visitors looked to come forward early on. A through ball just ran out of play before a shot from distance was comfortable for the keeper. It wasn’t all them though as the Spartans had some promising attacks themselves. Enoch Sacami delivered a ball across the face of goal, but no one was close enough to poke it home before Billy Gipp had the ball taken off his toes by the Petrocub keeper.

The away side missed one of the best chances of the game as the ball was fired over from a few yards out, but it was Chadwell Heath who continued to seek a goal back. The visitors dealt with the pressure well with a ball played over to Peter Adeleye taken out of the air by the keeper before they conceded a penalty in the 70th minute. George Mariner was brought down as he made a darting run into the box, with Billy Gipp making no mistake from the spot to make it 2-1. The goal had given the hosts some confidence as they sought an equaliser.

The keeper was out to claim again after the hosts got the ball back immediately after scoring before Gipp tried to roll a free-kick towards goal, but the keeper was down quickly to hold on. A deflection brought the ball to the feet of Diego Panessar, but his effort was fired over before Adeleye fired an effort towards goal from the edge of the box in the final minutes, but it was blocked. In added time, Petrocub saw an free-kick well saved by Wheeler before the final chance of the game came when the hosts were awarded a free-kick in the 96th minute. The ball was floated towards the back post, but the header across goal took it over the bar.