Last Saturday, we faced Leverington at home in our 13th league match of the season. Determined to make amends after the disappointment against Moulton, the team worked tirelessly throughout the week. From post-match reflections last Saturday evening to a focused training session on Wednesday, we left no stone unturned in our preparation. I was confident the players were ready, both mentally and physically, and they delivered a performance to be proud of.

The match began with us taking the initiative, dominating possession and pressing high. However, an unfortunate error allowed Leverington to score early, putting us on the back foot at 1-0. Undeterred, we regrouped swiftly, and Snor Islam equalised with a well-taken goal. Moments later, Ruben Sanches gave us the lead with a clinical finish to make it 2-1.

The momentum shifted briefly when the referee awarded a penalty for handball, allowing Leverington to equalise. But just before half-time, Ruben Sanches struck again with a brilliant individual effort, restoring our lead at 3-2. During the break, I encouraged the players to approach the second half as though we were trailing 1-0—a tactic they embraced wholeheartedly.

The second half started brightly, with Liam Hatfield threading a clever pass to Evander Jose, who skipped past his marker and slotted home to extend our lead to 4-2. We looked in control, but the game took a turn when Liam Oliver Smith was shown a second yellow card, reducing us to ten players.

Despite being a man down, the team showed immense character. Adil Aziz, from his full-back position, produced a stunning long-range strike to push us further ahead at 5-2, a goal that lifted the entire team’s spirits. Leverington managed to pull one back, but we refused to let up.

Man of the Match Liam Hatfield latched onto an excellent pass from Jake Rayment to score our sixth goal, a moment that cemented our dominance. Even as Leverington found the net once more to make it 6-4, we continued to press forward. Cipriano Miranda, who worked tirelessly throughout the match, added the finishing touch with a late seventh goal to seal an emphatic 7-4 victory.

At the final whistle, we celebrated with our loyal supporters, The Green Army. Their unwavering energy and encouragement were instrumental in our success, as always. They are our twelfth player, and we are proud to have delivered a performance worthy of their passion.

Special thanks go to Ruben Sanches from the first team, whose contributions were invaluable, and to first-team manager Shahzad for making it possible. Ruben’s efforts, alongside those of every player on the pitch, were pivotal to this outstanding result.

This win was a testament to our determination and teamwork, and we look forward to carrying this momentum into our next match.

Goals
Ruben x2
Adil
Liam
Snor
Evander
Cipriano

MOTM
Liam Hatfield

Match Report by Manager Lucian Stipou