3 – 1 to THE BOROUGH
It was a great weekend for the Borough as both teams recorded victory by the same score. On Saturday the Men’s team picked up 3 vital Ryman League points to lift themselves out of the relegation zone when mid-table Great Wakering Rovers visited Coles Park. On Sunday the Women’s achievement was perhaps greater as they travelled to League leaders Stevenage and destroyed their erstwhile 100% League record, lifting themselves to the fringes of the title race in the process.
The men enjoyed the benefit of a strong diagonal wind in the first half and dominated play leading to the first goal which arrived when Jorge-Djassi Sambu’s header from a corner looped over the keeper and dropped just under the bar after 18 minutes. It was 2-0 after 38 minutes when Daniel Aristidou confidently drove home a penalty following the dismissal of visiting defender Ellis Sands who kept the ball out with a hand after a cross had rebounded back into play off the crossbar. The Rovers were given an unexpected lifeline three minutes later when Jake Gordon ran through from a position which all in the ground knew was off-side with the exception of the man with the flag whose opinion really mattered. After the interval and with wind advantage Rovers pressed for a while but Borough then began to make their extra man tell and only some poor crosses and worse shooting coupled with a fine display from visiting keeper Adam Seal kept the result in doubt. But the much needed insurance of the third goal effectively settled the game fifteen minutes from time when Rakim Richards finished low, hard and accurately from ten yards out. Rovers did respond but Borough’s lead never looked seriously threatened.
Borough squad:- Ashley Harris, Rakim Richards, Dean Fenton, Joseph Tabiri, Aaron Scott (Daniel
Gudgeon), Daniel Walker, Daniel Aristidou, Jorge Djassi-Sambu, Ashley Fashanu (Anton
Blackwood), Ishmael Kamara, Anthony McDonald (Lee Allen)
Unused Substitutes:- Leroy Griffiths, Mikheil Kharshiladze
The Women had the better of a goal-less first half at Stevenage and pressurised the home defence after the interval into two own goals as free kicks were fired into the danger area. Stevenage equalised after the first but Zhane Amoaten forced home a corner and Borough defended the home sides late response stubbornly and successfully.
Borough squad:- Cherkish Young, Roisin Cormack, Ellena Finneran, Shaydeen Gorman, Oyindamola
Okunowo, Brooke Hills, Zhane Amoaten, Morgan Lundberg, Aleah Headley,
Anele Komani, Jaidene Browne, Rianna Davis, Stephanie Cooper, Hollie Cox,
Shannon Carter, Karla Parker
