Men's football news
Written by: Joe
Lewes bounced back from their defeat to Billericay Town last time out with an 1-0 win over Hendon at the Dripping Pan on Saturday – a win earned through skipper Danny Bassett’s strike early in the second half, reports Christopher Coleman.
A brilliant cross-field pass from Marcus Sablier found Bassett in acres of space, and after a couple of touches, the captain beat the Hendon keeper Matteo Salamon, powering in at the near post.
Lewes’ resilient back line was a key factor in the game, as the Rooks managed to keep Hendon’s clear sights on goal to a minimum.
The result puts Lewes in 13th in the table and keeps the Rooks level on points with Wingate and Finchley – better cementing our position in the middle of the table.
Hendon came into the game off the back of a quarter-final penalty shootout win in the Velocity Cup against Leatherhead, while the Rooks were looking to instantly bounce back from a 4-2 defeat to second-placed Billericay.
Lewes made three changes as Jack Meeres, Hamilton Antonio and Hassan Jalloh came out of the lineup, with Peter Ojemen, Ethan Kaiser and Parish Muirhead coming in. Hendon’s only change from their last league game came in goal, as Solomon replaced Browne.
Sablier had the first chance of the game on six minutes, but his drive found the hands of Solomon. Hendon also got a chance early, but it did not faze Toby Bull in the Lewes goal.
Bull had to do a bit of brave goalkeeping after this, as he got to a low cross before Hendon forward Leo Sery did, resulting in them colliding with each other, after which both were fine to continue.
Ollie Starkey did well to get behind the Hendon backline midway through the first half but his low cross into the box could not be diverted goalwards.
After 42 minutes Bassett had a good run up the pitch but failed to find Starkey in the box. That would be the most meaningful chance before half time.
Lewes got a chance straight from kick off in the second half, but Starkey’s pass was diverted away before it could reach Matty Warren in the 16-yard box. Hendon’s Rohdell Gordon also had a chance minutes later from outside the box but his volley was no problem for Bull.
Starkey was involved in frequent attacks in the second half also, where he pushed the Hendon defence up the pitch and almost got himself one-on-one with the keeper on a number of occasions. His efforts resulted in him being named player of the match.
Bull got called into action again by Sery, with a quick reaction stop from a shot from inside the box, and Hendon could not capitalize from the resulting corner.
Bassett eventually broke the deadlock on 57 minutes, after a through ball by Sablier cut through the Hendon backline and the captain coolly and calmly slotted it in.
Sablier almost made it two on 64 minutes, but a curling effort did not find the target. There was also a home debut for Robert Unwin, who came on for Calvin Ekpiteta.
After winning a free kick when Solomon collided with Shae Hutchinson, Unwin was the closest to getting a shot in after a scramble in the penalty area. He then had a deflected cross which didn’t get the height it needed to beat the Hendon keeper, but the Lewes players seemed determined to get a second to make the game secure.
Bull, meanwhile, had some more brave goalkeeping to do in the second half, and was clattered over by Hendon’s Kofi Anokye-Boadi whilst grabbing a long ball in the air.
A late Hendon free kick found Sery, but there was no troubling the Lewes net, and another cross a minute later trickled out, with no one getting a strong connection on the ball.
Lewes’ early second half goal from Bassett would end up being enough to beat Hendon, with the Rooks’ next game pencilled in for 1 March away to Dulwich Hamlet.
Lewes XI: Bull, Jones, Ojemen, Warren, Kaiser, Sablier, Bassett, Starkey, Ekpiteta, Muirhead, Spinks
Subs: Antonio, Unwin, Ladapo, Hutchinson, Meeres
Words: Christopher Coleman.