Bedfont Sports hosted North Greenford United in an all Middlesex 2nd Round Proper Isuzu FA Vase match on Saturday last, 11th November and your roving team were there for the match.

Both sides are having good seasons in the Combined Counties Premier Division North. North Greenford United are currently in 5th place, while Sports are just two places below them, despite a fixture backlog. The Blues reached this round with a 3-2 home victory over Hollands & Blair in Round 1 Proper, while Sports disposed of Hassocks 2-0 at home, having previously beaten Hillingdon Borough 5-0 (away) in the 2nd Qualifying Round. 

North Greenford deservedly won a hard fought and enjoyable match to equal their best ever FA Vase run, for the second season in succession. They took the lead in the 15th minute but Sports equalised 7 minutes later. The Blues then added 2 further goals to lead 3-1 at the interval. There was no more scoring, as the visitors successfully repelled their hosts’ attempts to reduce the deficit in the second period.

North Greenford’s Charlie Patmore was the first keeper in serious action, taking a shot from Jared Myers, following a run by Thomas Kanek.

However, the Blues scored first, in the 15th minute, through Georgie Brown, who was making his 150th start for the club. Georgie drove a loose ball home from close range, following a corner.

The speedy Jared Myers dispossessed a defender, took the ball on but was foiled by the advancing Charlie Patmore.

Jared scored the equaliser for Sports in the 22nd minute, when he tapped home Tommy O’Neill’s low cross.

Mark Bitmead’s freekick from just outside the box cleared the visitors’ crossbar.

The Blues’ Joe Gritt made a run to set up Charlie Mitchell, whose shot went across the face of the goal.   

North Greenford regained the lead after 35 minutes. The influential Ryan Ewhare won the ball, made ground and shrugged off a tackle before squaring low down. Henry Poole got his foot to the ball but diverted it to Charlie Mitchell, who hit it home.

Bedfont Sports hit back. The Blues captain, Joe Gritt made an important headed interception from Josh Eatwell’s long ball into the box. Max Webb headed a corner onto the visitors’ crossbar. Mark Bitmead put Jack Beck-Nardoni through, who took the ball past the keeper but couldn’t stop it running over the bye line. Stephen Langley’s header from a corner was narrowly wide.

North Greenford increased their lead in the added time before the interval. Ryan Ewhare won the ball in a duel with the keeper and then hit a high shot from an acute angle, which entered the net off of the far post.

Half-time score: Bedfont Sports 1 North Greenford United 3

Sports pressed for an equaliser from the start of the second half but were unable to break through a resolute Blues defence, which was superbly marshalled by skipper Joe Gritt.

Defender Stephen Langley went up-field for a corner but his header was saved by Charlie Patmore. Charlie then held Mark Bitmead’s long freekick.

Stephen Langley just cleared the bar with a header from a long freekick.

A good run by Jared Myers finished with Charlie Patmore saving his low cross-shot.

The ball spent much of the latter stages of the match in the visitors’ penalty area, without their defence being breached. They successfully repelled Sports’ attacks, even when they were reduced to 10 players by the sin-binning of Joe Mills from the 85th until the 90+5th minutes.

In a breakaway, Tyrique Rasheed-Springer ran onto a through ball and tested the home goalkeeper.

North Greenford United are to be congratulated on an impressive win, away from home, against a strong Bedfont Sports side.

Result: Bedfont Sports 1 North Greenford United 3

TEAM LINE-UPS

Bedfont Sports: Henry Poole, Rylan Myers (Tristian Andrews 75 min), Josh Eatwell, Max Webb (capt), Scott Weight, Stephen Langley, Mark Bitmead, Tommy O’Neill, Jack Beck-Nardoni, Thomas Kanek (Aston Greaver 59) and Jared Myers.

Unused substitutes: Marvin Wood (gkpr), Oscar Kruczkiewicz, Kyle Eakin Efraim Fuamna Ngungi and Joe Smith.

Manager: Barry Chapman   Assistant Manager: Alfie Chapman   Physio: Andy Nolan

North Greenford United: Charlie Patmore, Keegan Bloom, Tyrique Rasheed-Springer, Georgie Brown, Joe Gritt (capt), Joseph Mills, Ryan Ewhare, Samuel Brown (Luke Baldwin 82), Tomasz Siemienczuk (Elliot Byrne 85), Callum Coen and Charlie Mitchell (Morgan Cooper 70).

Unused substitutes: Joshua Quadry, Ben Dunkwu, Othniel Lewis and Jacob Ballheimer (gkpr).

Joint Managers: Paul Mills and Gary Brown.

Referee: Gulam Damji   Assistant Referees: Martin Belsom and Dean Banks.

North Greenford United are drawn away again in the 3rd Round. They travel to Horsham to play Roffey, who currently sit in second place in Division 1 of the Southern Combination.

Two other Middlesex clubs progressed to Round 3. Harefield United, who reached Round 5 last season, before exiting in a penalty shoot-out are at it again. They beat Crawley Down Gatwick 2-1 at home and are now at home in the next round, to Jersey Bulls.

Meanwhile, Hilltop won a penalty shoot-out, after drawing 3-3 at Amersham Town. They will play the Hamble Club at home in Round 3.

The 3rd Round ties are scheduled for 2nd December.

Our condolences are offered to the Middlesex clubs who exited the competition at this stage. St Panteleimon lost by a single goal at home to Mildenhall Town and Wembley lost on penalties, following a 3-3 home draw against Athletic Newham. 

Report: Jim Taylor

Photography: Chris Benn

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