Thurlow Nunn Division 1 South - Saturday 20th December

Clapton CFC 3-2 NW London

Hussein Farhat 34' (NW London)
Fred Taylor 68' (Clapton CFC)
Adam Sidky 74' (Clapton CFC)
David Makisi 77' (Clapton CFC)
Yotam Tesfameskel 87' (NW London)

NW London came into the game against familiar rivals Clapton CFC, with both clubs having started in the Middlesex divisions before rising through the ranks to reach Step 6. NW London had achieved promotion a year earlier, in 2022, after beating Clapton to the Middlesex Premier title.

The form book favoured Clapton CFC, who sat fourth in the table, while NW London were looking to halt a run of five consecutive defeats.

Gherardo Lucceshini failed a late fitness test and, with Krasniqi unavailable, it meant a start for Algerian forward Aymen Messaoudi, recently signed from Soccer Stars Ascenders of the Middlesex Division (Step 8), a club with which NW London have a close partnership.

NW London began the match confidently, dominating proceedings with their trademark possession-based style. Clapton CFC offered little in attack during the early stages, limited to a couple of half-chances that were fired straight at Barker.

Despite enjoying plenty of the ball, NW London initially struggled to turn possession into clear opportunities. That changed when Farhat jinked his way into the box and drilled a low finish into the left corner to give NWL a deserved lead.

NWL continued to control possession for the remainder of the half, looking comfortable without creating further clear-cut chances.

Clapton emerged with greater impetus after the break, forcing Barker into a sharp save during a brief spell of pressure. However, the game soon returned to the pattern of the first half, with NWL dominating the ball and Clapton struggling to gain a foothold.

The match took a drastic turn when a long free kick was only partially cleared, and Fred Taylor reacted quickest to drill home the equaliser.

The game then swung on a highly contentious moment. Burcea appeared to shield the ball out for a goal kick, only for a corner to be awarded. Clapton capitalised on the decision, scoring from the resulting set-piece to turn the game on its head.

NWL pushed forward in search of a response, but Clapton extended their lead when a lung-busting run from Makisi through the heart of the defence ended with a fortunate ricochet falling kindly before he toe-poked home.

There was an immediate response from NW London. Tesfameskel, now deployed as a makeshift striker, was played through and, after an initial save from the Clapton goalkeeper, reacted quickly to convert the rebound.

Moments later, Tesmafekel had a huge opportunity to equalise but was denied by a brilliant sliding challenge.

Despite late pressure from NW London, no further clear-cut chances materialised, and Clapton CFC held on to win the clash between old rivals.

For NW London, despite the defeat, there was a sense of injustice over the refereeing decision that led to Clapton's second goal, particularly in a match where they controlled large spells of play.