Goalkeeper Taiw Aliu, named on the bench as a forward in this one, came off the bench to net a 90th minute winner for Greenhouse Sports, seeing them to victory in their final game of the season.
This was of course the final ESL Premier Division game of the 2015-16 season and it was switched toBarking‘s Mayesbrook Park ground as Greenhouse’s normal home at Coles Park was being ripped up in readiness for the new 3G surface being put down for next season.
Neither side had anything to play for other than pride and trying to finish the season on a high, but on a hard, dry, bouncy and bobbly surface the game began in a rather subdued fashion and the first chance didn’t arrive until the 10th minute, although it was a good one ,as sloppy defending from the hosts allowed Toch Singh in with a sight of goal but he could only drill wide of the target.
The hosts immediately went up the other end and made them pay for this miss as a ball forward found the pacey Ephraim Oyemakinde who ran in on goal before firing past Lewis Lockyer into the far corner to give Sports a 1-0 lead. The half though failed to really get going as the game had an end of season feel to it.
The visitors had a moment on 34 minutes when Tunde Adewunmi produced some great skill on the left hand side of the box, but saw his cross flash across the box and away. It just was not happening for the visitors as yet in what had been a frustrating half for Adwar Uddin’s side. They were seeing alot of the ball but not making it count and seven minutes before half time saw another opening go array when after Abdisamad Mohamed had out muscled his marker, his cross into the six yard boxfailed to find Adewunmi and was cleared.
However their luck was to change three minutes before the break when they were awarded a penalty after Abdisamad had pinched the ball of a defender and then was brought down inside the box andAdewunmi stepped up to tuck home the spot kick and bring the visitors level, which saw the sides go in level at the break as a result.
Half Time Greenhouse Sports 1 Sporting Bengal United 1
Sporting started the half strongly and barely a minute into it a good one two between Abdisamad and sub Jeff Nguede Noubissie saw the former strike a decent effort inches over the bar and then a couple of minutes later centre half Teo Borozan headed a corner just wide of the Greenhouse post.
And then six minutes into the half the visitors won another penalty kick when Noubissie’s flick header towards goal struck the hand of a defender and saw the referee instantly point to the spot. However Bruno Carvalio saved Abdisamad spot kick and then saw Abdisamad’s rebound effort squirm across the six yard box and away from danger as the hosts survived.
The visitors then almost took the lead in bizarre fashion just before the hour mark as a bog standard clearance from visiting defender Toib Adeuemi sailed into the Greenhouse box and bounced high of the hard dry surface in front of keeper Carvalio and almost went over the keeper, but he just managed to tip the ball over.
It looked likely that Sporting would eventually find a second goal but then came a disastrous moment in the 66th minute for the visitors, as against the run of play, a ball forward saw striker Oyemakinde and centre half Jordan Meikle chase the loose ball. The Sporting defender got their first but then failed to control the ball, maybe due to the nature of the surface, and saw Oyemakinde pounce and run in to smash home past an exposed Lockyer and give Greenhouse an unexpected lead.
More bad luck was to follow for Sporting as in the 74th minute centre half Meikle thought he had made amends for this error eight minutes before hand when he headed a loose ball from ten yards out towards goal and saw it deflect past Carvalio and into the net, but the linesman had his flag up so the goal was ruled out.
With ten minutes left the visitors attacked yet again and saw a great ball in from Prince William found Abdisamad all alone ten yards out, but his volley went miles wide and another chance went away. Eventually though the pressure told and the visitors grabbed their equaliser when another ball into the six yard box saw Noubissie touch past Carvalio and set up a grandstand finish with seven minutes to go.
Sporting were now pressing for a winner and with three minutes to go Borozan struck a free kick towards the bottom corner but saw Carvalio get down to make a decent save. Again it looked likely that Sporting were going to find a winner if there was to be one, but then came the crowning moment, as the hosts attacked down the right, and after good play from the impressive Oyemakinde, his pull back so substitute Aliu, keeper turned striker for this game, drill a left footed effort past sub keeper Luke Burns and net what proved to be the winner. Wonderful stuff eh.
It really was a wonderful story to end the league season although Sporting will wonder how they managed to lose this one. The win sees Greenhouse Sports climb above Southend Manor to finish in 15th spot and end their season on a positive note, whilst Sporting end the season in 12th spot.
Full Time Greenhouse Sports 3 Sporting Bengal United 2
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