Second team lose to UCL rivals

The University of East London’s second-string football squad lost their first game of the new season by the odd goal in seven against UCL at Memorial Park.

UCL took the lead after four minutes when a free-kick was given away by Dylan Feehily and whipped in by Jamie McElhone for one of his team-mates to head in at the near post.

But UEL grew into the game and equalised on 18 minutes when Harry Matthews passed the ball to debutant Cemal Agdelen who cut inside him man and bent his shot into the far corner.

The visitors regained the lead from the spot, after Simon Omooba was adjudged to have handled, as Henry McNeil stepped up and slotted the penalty into the bottom right corner.

And UCL went 3-1 up soon after with a superb first-time strike on the turn which left Dan Robinson helpless.

Captain Feehily kept UEL in the game with a last-ditch clearance off the line as Robinson was beaten.

And the home side hit back on the counter-attack as Matthews made a great run from the halfway line to coolly slot past the keeper.

UEL made three changes in the second half as William Semain was replaced by Marcus Smithies, Feehily made way for Chris Fassama and David De Medina was swapped with Alan Egunyemi.

But UCL caught the home side napping at the back as a ball drifted to the far post where McElhone restored his side’s two-goal lead.

UEL’s Victor Lelis found himself one-on-one with the keeper, but his shot was well saved before the hosts got back into the gameo on the hour as Lukman Adesina headed in a free-kick.

Omooba had a chance to level after great work from Henry Hayden, but saw his shot come back off a post.

And although UEL threw players forward in search of an equaliser, they could not break UCL down and were left empty-handed.

UEL: Dan Robinson, Mohammed Skeikhor, Lukman Adesina, Dylan Feehily (Chris Fassama 46), Simon Omooba, Cemal Agdelen, William Semain (Marcus Smithies 46), Harry Matthews, Victor Lelis, David De Medina (Alan Egunyemi 46), Henry Hayden.