Hendon 2 Marine 3

Pitching In Southern League Premier South | Saturday 2nd December 2023

Hendon 2 Marine 3

Posted by Keith Yeomans on December 3rd 2023

`Match Report from Pete Crockett`

MARINE WIN ANOTHER FIVE GOAL THRILLER

Jimmy Sirrell, a former Notts County manager of several decades ago, once said that “the best team always wins and all the rest is rumour”. Taking the simplest interpretation of his musing he was correct – if one side scores more than the other they are, de-facto, “the best side” on the day.

In fairness to Sirrell his comment was very much “tongue in cheek” and this gnarled old Scottish manager knew only too well that the route to victory has many pathways. The conquest where an opponent is played off the park; the win where fortune goes entirely one way; and the success which is acquired through going “toe-to-toe” in a scrimmage with a strong opponent. Marine’s win at Hendon was very much in that last category.

This was a game which could, from a Marine perspective, easily have been lost or drawn. It was a triumph that contained many elements of quality play from Marine but was as much a win built upon a foundation of pertinacity – that quality of a bull headed and obstinate refusal to easily yield ground or surrender the points.

The first five minutes saw Marine penned in their own half as the hosts swarmed forward with vim and gusto. However, with their first attack of note Marine scored when a Liban Ibrahim shot from 25-yards struck the foot of the upright and rebounded into the path of Dave Sims-Burgess . The striker, with that opportunistic instinct of a proven goal scorer, followed up to net the loose ball. The Marine loanee very much looks a man enjoying his football.

This goal saw Marine gain confidence and a bit of a foothold in the game. Jake Andrews was starting to assert himself and one glorious forty-five yard cross-field pass was of that real “wow” quality. George Dowling also went close with a run from wide left seeing him drive into the box from parallel to the goal line. His effort forced a sharp save from the host’s keeper.

As the half progressed Marine found themselves under ever more pressure from a Hendon team determined to retain their unbeaten home record. The equaliser arrived in the 20th minute. Hendon turned over possession forty-yards from goal. A short pass found Kai Brosnan five yards outside the left corner of the Marine box. He drove across the area and from 20-yards out, and level with Marine’s far post, struck an inch perfect shot past Conor Brann.

The remainder of the half was pretty much two sides jostling for the upper hand in a skirmish of the midfield. The one exception being an excellent run from deep by the Hendon centre back Ethan Light. Winning possession thirty yards inside his own half he surged forward and curled a well struck thirty-yard effort just wide of the post.

The irrepressible Kai Bronsan was very much becoming the proverbial thorn in Marine’s side. In the first ten minutes of the second half he had four chances. The first seeing a shot going just wide; the second eliciting a superb block from Marine’s Toby Raison; the third seeing him score when, running onto a pass from Fin MacNab, he powered an effort into the roof of the net; and the fourth when he put another effort just wide.

During the first ten minutes of the second half Marine were very much on the ropes. This was one of those spells where a visiting team under sustained pressure has to dig deep into their reservoirs of resilience. Marine did this weathering the storm. Slowly the composure and confidence returned and in a two-minute spell Marine turned the game on its head.

In the 57th minute a left-wing corner saw Toby Raison rise high in the box to power home a header to make the score 2-2. Then barely a minute later a precision pass from Jake Andrews set Dave Sims-Burgess clear down the right wing, he drilled a low cross into the area, and from close range Levi Irving slid the ball past the host’s keeper.

Now Marine had a lead to hold onto. Hendon had several close moments – they surged forward time after time, but Marine defended resolutely. The visitors also, on occasions, had the good fortune to see crosses flash across the face of their goal and elude onrushing Hendon strikers.

The host’s more lofted crosses were also consistently thwarted by the good handling of Conor Brann in the Marine goal and some commanding centre back play from Mat Liddiard and Toby Raison. Indeed, the closest the hosts came to an equaliser was when a Niko Muir shot was driven at Conor Brann who saved the effort with relative ease in the 82nd minute.

In the final thirty minutes of the second half it was Marine who created the two clearest openings with some fluent counter attacking. The first effort saw Joe Tumelty clear the bar from twelve yards and the second saw Brad Gray, under pressure from a rapidly advancing keeper, unable to dink his effort into the net.

Those final minutes seemed to last an eternity but at the full time whistle the shared delight of Marine’s players, management, and travelling support made this a memorable victory. To inflict a first home defeat against a high-quality opponent is something every player in a Marine shirt can be proud of.

This was a genuine team effort where, whilst not at their fluent best, Marine dug deep to earn their right to compete. Meanwhile Hendon will, with justification, feel unlucky not to have got something from a thrilling game in which they played some very impressive football.

Reflecting on the game from a Marine perspective there were a number of noteworthy features. The duel between Sam Turl and Hendon’s Kai Brosnan was engrossing with two excellent players in a battle of high quality in which both put in top notch performances.

The Marine defending as a group in the final thirty minutes was tremendous with the back four and keeper doing brilliantly. The midfield showed that not only are they quality in possession, but they can also do the battling ugly side of the game as and when required. Marine’s striking combinations are also a constant threat. Credit also to the Marine management team who set the team up well and timed their substitutions effectively.

This result sees Marine climb a place; extend their unbeaten league run to four games; and have a record of only two defeats in eleven games. There is still much to do but wins like this prove that this Marine team has the quality and character to advance up the table. Come on Marine!

Editors Hendon Star Man: Kai Brosnan
Editors Marine Star Man: Toby Raison
Attendance: 201

`Line Ups`

Hendon
Manager: Lee Allinson
Colours: Green & White
Line-up: 1. Loris Marcimain 18. Dave Diedhiou (c) (12. Florian Ada 15’) 20. Lucas Perry 4. Blaze Riley-Snow (15. Luca Allison 85’) 5. Dan Matsuzaka 6. Ethan Light 7. Olatunbosun Adenola 8. Billy Leonard 9. Finlay McNab (17. Hamza Bin-Semakula 75’) 10. Niko Muir-Merchant 11. Kai Brosnan
Subs Not Used: 14. Simeon Olarerin, 16. Shaun Lucien
Goalscorers: Kai Brosnan 20’, 49’
Cards:
David Diedhiou 15’, Kai Brosnan 50’, Finlay McNab 61’ Yellow Card
None Red Card
None Yellow & Red Card