Footballers break season duck in style

The University of East London’s second string got their first victory of the season with a slender 2-1 win over table-toppers University of Hertfordshire 3rds at Beckton District Park.

Tobi Adesina’s first-half brace was enough to hold off the South Eastern 4D leaders despite a late consolation goal from the visitors.

UEL now move off the bottom of the table and out of the relegation position and will look further up the table.

The East London side started brightly and almost caught Hertfordshire off guard three minutes in, as the ball was worked out to Adesina whose powerful sidefooted volley rocketed off the crossbar.

Hertfordshire went close as their striker broke away from the UEL defence and was in on goal, but his shot beat Dan Robinson and went wide of the post.

UEL were awarded a penalty after the ball was whipped into the box and a Hertfordshire defender pulled down Henry Hayden and Adesina stepped up and fired the spot-kick hard and low into the bottom left corner, giving the away keeper no chance.

The home side doubled their lead 15 minutes later as Michael Ogboin found some space on the edge of the box.

His miscued shot fell kindly into the path of Adesina, who took one touch out of his feet and fizzed a swerving shot inside the near post.

In the second half UEL controlled the game and contained the visitors, almost grabbing a third as Harry Matthews seized on a loose ball in the box and chipped it over the keeper, before it was cleared off the line by a defender.

Hertfordshire got a goal back four minutes from time as their striker tucked the ball past Robinson.

But UEL saw out a nervous few minutes late on, after Robinson conceded a free-kick on the edge of his box for handling just outside the box.

The free-kick was lifted in, but Robinson made up for it by collecting the ball in a crowded penalty area and then clearing the danger to secure the points.

UEL: Dan Robinson, Dylan Feehily, Henry Hayden, Conrad Roka, Simon Omooba (65 Ricky Brown), Mohamed Sheikhnor, Marcus Smithies, Harry Matthews, Cemal Agdelen, Michael Ogboin (60 Joshua Adjei), Tobi Adesina.