Harmen go top after winning nine-goal classic
Southgate Harmen moved three points clear at the top of the Division One table as they beat Hendon B in a nine-goal thriller.
MGBSFL Division One
Hendon United B 4 Southgate Harmen 5
Sunday, 23 February, 2014
Perhaps it was the fact that we haven’t played a game for six weeks, maybe we thought that we had an easy fixture against a team that we had already beaten comfortably this season or maybe a few of our players had one to many bevvies the night before, a lacklustre performance coupled with blustery conditions did not make for easy viewing on the side lines.
Hendon started well with the wind behind their backs and took an early 1-0 lead. Harmen quickly equalised with Sam Castle receiving the ball from Jordan Grant, rounding the goalkeeper and slotting home. Hendon capitalised on poor defending to regain a 2-1 advantage but Harmen equalised before half-time, this time with Castle setting up Grant who took one touch to control the ball before powering home into the top left corner.
Five minutes in to the second half and with wind now assisting, Harmen scored their third to take the lead for the first time in the game. After a bit of ping pong in the box following a corner, Ben Henry claimed the goal albeit with the help of a large deflection. Hendon soon hit back with an equaliser of their own.
The fourth for Harmen was either good judgement from James Sandler or a massive fluke, either way the big centre-back played a long ball over the top from inside his own half, the ball taking one bounce over the keepers head who could only watch as it sailed into the top corner.
The fifth is being claimed by some as the best goal seen in Jewish football. Ben Weinberg received the ball on the half way line and the mini magician beat five players down the right before putting the ball past the keeper and receiving the congratulations from all in blue.
Harmen had plenty of chances to increase their lead, Lee Greenfield blazing over from no more than two yards out, Sam Castle rounding the goakeeper again only to fire wide and Ben Henry aiming for the top branch of the biggest tree in Hendon rather than the top corner with the goal gaping.
Hendon did hit back to bring the score to 5-4 but that was how it finished and the side skippered by Brad Fox for the first time took all three points.
After a scrappy game on a bobbly pitch, all eyes are on next week’s big clash against Brady at Rowley Lane and there is no time to sit back as we look to continue our push in the league.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
