(Southern Championship, Warrior Park, Monday, 2 November 2020)
Olympia Warriors 1 (B Ait Maamar 82’)
New Town White Eagles 1 (S Leszczynski 38’)
HT: 0-1 Ref: I Colhoun
Olympia Warriors: Ross; Arnold, Azab, Curtis, Khasif, Moschogianis, Pacey-Mayne, Sloan, Tilley, Wadawu, Yost (Subs: Ait Maamar, Barrett, Collins, Puli)
New Town White Eagles: Cook; Back, Brown-Price, Butler, Clamp, Clark, Johnstone, Leszczynski, McKay, Pilkington, Vernon (Subs: Anderson, Nutting, Rojahn, Ryan-Buchanan)
Second-placed Olympia Warriors failed to make up ground on Southern Championship leaders University when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home at Warrior Park by fifth-ranked New Town White Eagles.
A superbly struck goal in the 38th minute by Sam Leszczynski put the visitors ahead, while a late strike by substitute Bilal Ait Maamar made it 1-1.
Olympia’s Austin Yost almost grabbed a winner in the last minute, but his shot struck the angle of crossbar and post.
It was a very physical game with some ferocious tackling and Olympia lost Ewan Sloan after just 20 minutes, while Eagles’ Jacob Clamp suffered suspected concussion midway through the second half and had to be replaced. Speaking after the game, Clamp said he had no recollection of what happened after he fell heavily.
Jamie Cook played in goal for Eagles, his injured right knee strapped with a support, and by the second half he had to rely on a team-mate to take goal-kicks. His distribution with throws was spot-on, however , and he put team-mates away at times on the half-way line with long, accurate deliveries.
Both sides had chances in the opening half, with Olympia’s Yost sending a powerful drive just over the bar and Abdekrahman Azab flicking the ball cheekily at goal with his heel after a low cross from the right by Evan Arnold.
For Eagles, Jamie Vernon fired a powerful shot over the bar and Clamp sent a tame header straight at the goalkeeper after he was picked out with a free-kick by the excellent Andy Clark, who was solid in defence and won every header whenever Olympia pumped high balls into the box.
After Leszczynski’s goal, Eagles were unlucky not to win a penalty when Ben Curtis upended Monty Pilkington, but Mr Colhoun waved play on.
The first half ended with Oliver Johnstone shooting over the bar when he might have hit the target.
Early in the second half, Eagles’ Callum Back went close with a header, but the side’s momentum was disrupted shortly afterwards Bac was cautioned and when Clamp had to be replaced after injury.
Olympia continued to strive for an equaliser with Warren Wadawu seeking to create openings from midfield and bring his attackers into play.
Yost shot over the bar in the 71st minute, but Eagles hit back 4 minutes later when substitute Jac Ryan-Buchanan sent a long ball out of defence to substitute Jack Rojahn, but he blazed high over the bar.
With 10 minutes remaining, confusion at the back by Olympia let Pilkington and Anderson in, but they fluffed the chance when they got in each other’s way.
Olympia launched a quick counter-attack in the 82nd minute that produced fruit, Bilal Ait Maamar scoring the equaliser with a low shot from the left across keeper Cook, who got his fingers to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
Yost hit the frame of the goal in the final minute, but the game ended when Olympia won a corner but had no time to take it.
2 comments:
Some very bad officiating in this game. Clamp was scissored from behind and no free kick. a yellow card at least to make him fall heavily in front of the referee, a penalty for eagles and not allowing warriors to take a corner and blows the whistle , anyway.
I liked the look of Leszczynski, he could play at a higher level
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