Seven days after a disappointing defeat away to Chichester ensured back-to-back defeats for the team, the University of East London Men’s First Team secured a highly impressive 3-0 win over University of Bath at a damp Parsloes Park on Wednesday.
First half goals from Isaac Sijuade and Matas Skarna put UEL in control before Skarna added a third late on to secure the team’s second win – and second clean sheet – of the season.
UEL demonstrated their intent right from the first whistle, playing to the strengths of their potent attackers, and were rewarded with ten minutes on the clock. Misha Djemaili – a well-known name in the local non-league football scene – played a clever cut-back to Sijuade, who finished powerfully at the goalkeeper’s near post to give the hosts a deserved lead.
Throughout the match, Bath struggled to find any real rhythm going forward, and in truth the final ball was a let-down for both teams at times – but UEL showed real talent on the counter-attack, and could have been two up on 15 minutes. The tenacious Enzo De Pina clipped a ball over the top for Skarna to run onto, who cut inside and found Sijuade but his close-range attempt was scuffed wide.
The few attacks that the away team managed were dealt with astutely by the UEL defence, with centre backs Harry Rixon and Rayyan Adam defending solidly throughout.
Though the first half saw very few clear-cut chances, UEL were clinical with the opportunities that they created, and grabbed a second just before the break. Forward Josh Fisayo burst down the right-hand side before cutting the ball back for Skarna, and the Bath goalkeeper was unable to keep out his sweeping, right-footed shot, which ensured that the hosts went into the interval with a healthy 2-0 advantage.
The second half, similarly to the first, saw few clear-cut chances, but Bath saw more of the ball and were venturing forward on a more regular basis. They managed a couple of shots from outside the area, but neither really troubled Kasper Zapieraczynski in goal.
Zapieraczynski also demonstrated his ability to distribute the ball to his team-mates, once playing a jaw-dropping ball from his own penalty area to Skarna, who picked up the ball near the Bath corner flag. Unfortunately, though, none of his team-mates were able to get onto his ball across the box.
The final 15 minutes saw pressure on Zapieraczynski’s goal from Bath, who did not want to head back to the south-west without at least a goal to show for their efforts. They nearly forced an own goal with 10 minutes to play, with Rixon diverting a cross narrowly wide of his own net, and even had a goal disallowed in stoppage time, with the referee rightly penalising the goalscorer for a foul on Zapieraczynski.
And the scoreline was complete in stoppage time. A ball over the top of a lacklustre Bath defence saw a UEL forward go through one-on-one against the keeper. His shot was saved, as was the rebound from Sijuade, but Skarna managed to score at the third attempt to secure the three points.
The referee blew the full-time whistle in the middle of the UEL celebrations, ensuring a miserable afternoon in Dagenham for Bath, but the rain, which fell throughout, certainly did not dampen the spirits of the UEL boys.
After the match, UEL Head Coach Jason Murray and centre-back Rayyan Adam gave their thoughts on the game.
“I think we were a lot quicker and sharper on the second ball today, which was pleasing”, said Murray. “The effort and enthusiasm from everyone was first-class today, so I’m delighted.
“We’ve not been playing bad as of late, but I thought we were pretty dominant today. I think if we continue with that level of commitment and enthusiasm, we’re going to be hard to match. I think we’re the best on the ball team in the league, and if we can play like that, we’ll be the best off the ball as well.”
Adam added: “It’s always nice to get a clean sheet, it was our first one since the first match against Exeter.
“We need to keep the same momentum now. We started very well against Exeter but the last two results didn’t go our way. Even though we didn’t play bad in those games, I feel that today’s result was a statement win, so we need to carry on the way we played today.”
Murray and Adam were also asked what they enjoyed most about being involved in football at UEL.
“I’ve been with these lads for quite some time, and we’ve been on a bit of a journey”, Murray reflects. “They’re wonderful people, they’re willing to work and they’re respectful. There’s a tight bond between the lads and it’s been a pleasure to see them grow and get to where they deserve to be – I think the ceiling is high for these lads.”
“It’s the togetherness of the team”, Adam agrees. “We’ve built a family here, I’ve been here since Jason started and I feel that we’ve built a very good togetherness, everyone is very friendly, and you can see that on the pitch in the way we express ourselves.”
The UEL squad now enjoy a week off before travelling to the University of Exeter, who sit one place below in 5th having won one match and lost three so far this season, and they will be hoping for a repeat of the 2-0 victory they managed in their opening match of the season when they travel south-west in a fortnight’s time.
UEL Starting XI: Kasper Zapieraczynski, Wilson Mendes, Rayyan Adam, Harry Rixon (C), Adam Ahmed, Edward Olaniyi, Misha Djemaili, Enzo De Pina, Isaac Sijuade, Matas Skarna, Josh Fisayo.
Goals: Sijuade, Skarna (2).
