Middlesex County Premier League

Cricklewood Wanderers FC 3 v St Panteleimon 6

(Tajbakhsh 3, Massey, Albadri, Dunkwu)

On a bright warm day in April, the clocks were striking 14:30. A beautiful pitch at Vale Farm, Wembley, welcomed two teams hungry for goals. And they came. Boy did they come.

Within 25 minutes the Saints were up 0-3, with the kind of flowing, passing, crisp football that has been their trademark this season. With some sublime close touch football by Brazilians Tiago Goncalves and Guilherme Monti, partnering nicely with the front line scorers Tajbakhsh and Albadri, made the Saints impossible to deal with. Ben Dunkwu’s goal for the third made it a party for the Saints fans, enjoying the day in the sun. Cricklewood pulled one back, and this made the Saints even more determined. Tajkbakhsh adding a stylish fourth, after some phenomenal one touch, tiki-taka football. 1-4 at half time.

Before the fans had refreshed their drinks for the second half, it was already 2-5, with Massey getting in on the act. Then some superb skill from Tajbakhsh gave him his well-deserved hat-trick, and extending his own lead at the top of the scorers table in the Premier Division, with 22 for the season.

2-6 and a great day’s work. Cricklewood pulled another one back with a great chip.

Final score 3-6 to St Panteleimon, and the facts are these: –

– If St Panteleimon get one more point from their last two games, then they are champions

– Victoria can only become champions if three things happen: St Panteleimon lose their remaining 2 games, Victoria win their last 4, and they recover the massive +21 goal difference advantage that the Saints have – currently at +59 to Victoria’s +38.

The remaining two games for St Panteleimon are as follows:-

HOME: Tuesday 23rd April, 7:45pm. Against CB Hounslow Reserves FC. At Silver Jubilee Stadium, Kingsbury, NW9 7NE.

AWAY: Saturday 27th April, 2:30pm. Against Indian Gymkhana Club.

Quite a breath-taking season is coming to a climactic finale. Did I mention that St Panteleimon are unbeaten this season? They are unbeaten. They have been unbeaten in the league since March 2017. Two years and one month

Played 22, Won 19, Drawn 3, Goals 81, Goals against 22, GD +59, Points 60

Reporting by James Neophytou

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