Bill Tuiloma – Portland Timbers (American Major League Soccer)

Yeah mate you put one on a platter for Bill Tuiloma like that and there’s only one outcome gonna happen. He might not be overly tall but he’s got a huge leap on him and he’s a great header of the ball and while this was only his third MLS goal in 48 appearances he always looks like a threat on the end of those set pieces whenever he plays. Give him a run of starts and he’d bang ‘em away all the time.

He got the start in this game. Away to Real Salt Lake on the quick turnaround and this time it was Billy T and Larry Mabiala at CB... meaning that those two and Dario Zuparic had rotated with two of the last three starts each. Sadly Portland took half an hour before they even turned up by which time they were 2-0 down. Douglas Martinez got the first in the 11th minute, a cutting ball through the defence not ideal but the goal came about from a flappy hand from the Portland keeper (backup Aljaz Ivacic getting a start), inexplicably not just diving over the ball and swallowing it as it looked like he took his eyes off it, worried about the striker’s boot. That was a poor start and then Damir Kreilach was left open at the back to volley in a corner after 25 mins. Great finish but confusing defending. Tuiloma was the nearest man but he was also marking another dude. Kreilach just wrapped around unwatched.

The Timbers fired up in the second half after getting through to the break thanks to a few fine saves (making amends) keeping the score where it was. But they also never really looked like scoring until Tuiloma’s header and that led to a little onslaught in the latter stages but they couldn’t find another. A flat performance for a Timbers side that wasn’t at full strength, breaking a five game winning streak.

Then on Monday Tuiloma was named on the bench as Portland rode Jeremy Ebobisse’s goal from the 47th minute all the way into stoppage time against LAFC. That was when Billy T was chucked on as the fourth man off the pine, replacing a striker with the win in sight. Coming on to help make sure of it. Instead this happened...

Bloody teenager with the equaliser. Fifth youngest scorer in MLS history. Not the best defending you’ve ever seen there either, although not Tuiloma’s fault. Also not what they hoped for when they sent him on though. The two dropped points there keep Portland from going top in the West... granted they’re still in a great place with five games left.

Up Next: Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers, Friday at 3.30pm (NZT)

Chris Wood - Burnley FC (English Premier League)

Chris Wood: “It’s only three games in. We’ve got 35 more so we’re not too worried at the moment. We’ve just got to keep focused, keep working on where we’re going, get back to what we’re doing and I’m sure we’ll come through. We’ve done it before. We know we can do it, so hopefully we can go and do it again. We’ve got a good group of lads here, at a good club, and we’ve got a good sense of what we’re about and what we can do. It’s about showing it on the pitch and getting back to being solid as we are as Burnley and fighting our way through and getting the results.”

Them’s fighting words... sort of. But he’s right that Burnley have consistently over the last few seasons had these low spells where they look utterly hopeless then they ping off a run of four wins from five or something and suddenly everyone’s praising Sean Dyche and this tight-knit squad again. Lather, rinse, repeat. Burnley didn’t get much help in the transfer window but they did at least have an international break to take pause and get a few fellas healthy again.

After which they went away to West Brom... and forget the week off because it was one of the most mundane games of football you’re likely to see all season. Karlan Grant had a first half goal disallowed for offside for WBA but for the most part this was a case of two teams who’d been conceding far too many goals lately making sure that their defences were right first. Which s’pose you’ve gotta say they were as the pair treated us to the first 0-0 draw of the Premier League season. It took 47 games to finally get one, the longest ever wait in the PL era.

Nick Pope in particular had another strong game in goal for Burnley, who stuttered along for a lot of this game low on confidence but definitely finished the game the stronger side over the last half hour. It was Chris Wood who came closest to breaking the deadlock, naturally. Dwight McNeil was full of tricks and elusiveness on the left wing, the architect of most of Burnley’s best moves, though this one time it was Ash Westwood who swung in a fine ball which Wood rose high to head back toward goal only to see it hit the top of the crossbar. A couple minutes later Ash Barnes had a similar header which Sam Johnstone saved and then Wood put the rebound onto the crossbar once more (leading to a roar of frustration). It was a point blank reaction, too close to control it, but one he clearly expected himself to do better with. Not that it mattered because he was offside so it wouldn’t have counted. He also had one other shot off target.

Really it was just that one header that he didn’t quite get over the top of. That was the big chance which could’ve made him the hero of the day against the team that gave him his start in English football but ‘twas not to be. Tell ya what though, a couple gorgeous first touches taking the ball out of the air from him in this game. The confidence is there... just a coat of paint too much on the crossbar. First point of the season for Burnley so at least they’re up and running.

Up Next: Tuesday at 9am, Burnley vs Tottenham (NZT)

Jana Radosavljević - Werder Bremen (German Bundesliga)

Suddenly things don’t look so bad for Werder Bremen. After losing all five of their games to start the season (with a -15 goal difference) they could hardly have started worse but things turned a corner lately with back to back wins against fellow (previously) winless teams. The second of those wins being a 1-0 triumph against SC Sand thanks to a second half winner from Jana Radosavljević herself. Her first goal in the Bundesliga, her first goal for Werder Bremen... and there should be a few more where that came from for a player who in the second division scored 15 goals in 45 matches.

Rado started on the left wing, her second league start for WB. Having already played once this week Werder Bremen were a bit slow to get going with some long range efforts but nothing much else until Agata Tarczyńska broke through and so nearly gave them the lead only for the crossbar to get in the way. This after an odd incident where a handball outside the area from the Sand keeper only resulted in a yellow card.

Werder Bremen were pretty comfortable in defence for once, they just needed that goal... and in the 59th minute Jana Radosavljević served it up with a back post header off of a pinpoint cross from Nina Lührßen. What a header. Rado was then subbed off ten minutes later as WB played it safe to secure the points. They probably shoulda scored again, hitting the post late on, but no dramas. Highlights here.

Jana Radosavljević: “To earn two wins in a row is important for us. We showed that we can keep up with the other teams and win these games. I'm of course very happy about my first Bundesliga goal, but the most important thing is that we won.”

This after a 2-1 win against SV Meppen in the midweek. Werder Bremen had taken the lead after 35 minutes as Margarita Gidion popped one in from outside the area after a corner kick was half-cleared. Rado started on the bench here but was subbed on at the interval in place of midfielder Verena Volkmer who was on a yellow card (and who she replaced in the starting lineup in the SC Sand game). Michelle Ulbrich almost doubled that lead, hitting the post from a free kick a mile out, but then Agnieszka Winczo levelled up for Meppen in the 71st minute with a very good header off a corner kick and it seemed as if an unflattering draw would be the result. That was until Werder Bremen won a late penalty for a handball. Agata Tarczyńska took the spottie and she dispatched it. 2-1 to Werder Bremen and then they did for Duisburg a few days later and with those two wins they’re looking a whole deal better.

Up Next: DFB Pokal second round away to Fortuna Köln on Sunday 1 November at 7am (NZT)

Myer Bevan – TS Galaxy FC (South African Premier Soccer League)

Hold on a second... Myer Bevan? Golden boot from the last Premiership season with Auckland City Myer Bevan? The one and only. The PSL loves a signing out of the kiwi Men’s Premiership and Myer Bevan has joined Emiliano Tade, Micah Lea’alafa, Dan Morgan, and Andre De Jong in going down that route in recent years. He’s signed on with freshly promoted TS Galaxy – one of 13 new signings as they bolster their squad for the top flight. He’ll wear the number 17 jersey for TSG and unsurprisingly they’re already calling him the new Brockie. Andre De Jong (AmaZulu) & Dan Morgan (Maritzburg) are the other two NZers currently in the PSL... which kicks off its new season next week.

Up Next: TTM vs TS Galaxy on Monday at 2.30am (NZT)

Rosie White – OL Reign / Katie Bowen – Utah Royals (American National Women’s Soccer League)

Feels like the season’s only just started (for a second time) but this game was also the end of the road for the NWSL in 2020. The Portland Thorns had already wrapped up the title and neither of these two teams, each featuring one of the only two kiwi players partaking in the Fall Series, were ever much in contention for the big prizes. In fact neither had won any of their three previous Fall Series games. But one last chance to show off a little and Rosie White was named to start as an attacking midfielder for the Reign while Katie Bowen was named to start at right back for the Royals. Away we go.

OL Reign were instantly on the offensive as Leah Pruitt rattled the crossbar from range in the second minute and the chances kept coming from there. Rosie White had a couple of them, a crack from outside the area which the keeper saved and another from closer which she put over the top. The Reign had to score eventually and 24 minutes in they did as Sofia Huerta’s shot took a slight deflection on its way in after a swift counter attack. Before the half was out White had ripped off a couple more shots... one blocked and another, her best effort of the match, snuck just wide left after a strong hit from distance. She also nearly set another one up for Huerta but her shot was a little too high, then after the break she played a big role in OLR’s second as her ball in from the right was flicked square by Beth Balcer and then stroked in by Leah Pruitt before Katie Bowen could get a foot in to block her rushing infield to cover.

If that all sounds one-sided... well, it kinda was. Utah were better after the second goal as OLR slipped into conservation mode, with a couple chances in the last quarter of an hour that put a worry in the Reign defence, and if they’d scored one then it could’ve been a cracker of a finish but nah 2-0 was the final score. Rosie White was subbed off with 11 minutes left, Katie Bowen played the full contest. The Reign with their only win of the Fall Series and their only clean sheet too. Still, on an individual level it was quality stuff from the both of them with Bowen one of only three players to play every minute for Utah (360 mins - four games) while Rosie White started three out of four matches and came off the bench towards the end of the other for 225 combined minutes with a goal and a yellow card.

After this the focus shifts to 2021 and beyond with next season’s contracted lists to be revealed in early November - about a week before the expansion draft and the next trade window emerge. Would expect the league to shift back to its usual schedule again next year so that’d mean an April start... by which time Ali Riley (Orlando Pride) and Abby Erceg (NC Courage) should be back in the competition, though we’ll see where each of the quartet stands when re-signings and contract options start happening in two weeks.

Up Next: See above, obvs

Elijah Just & Callum McCowatt - FC Helsingør (Danish Division 1)

That FC Helsingør squad just got a little more stacked as Callum McCowatt finally got all his clearances to allow him to play and first game up he came off the bench to help set up a goal for his buddy Eli Just. FCH had led since the third minute of the match thanks to Jonas Henriksen (heading in from a corner) though Just’s goal didn’t come until the 84th minute, clinching the game despite Skive pulling one back with two minutes left.

Helsingør with the 2-1 win. Nice and timely after two straight defeats had dented their excellent start. 21 minutes for McCowatt as a sub, 85 minutes and a goal for Eli Just (his third of the season). Only thing missing was the third musketeer because Dalton Wilkins is still out injured a month after going off hurt in the opening league game of the season. Seven games in and FCH are only two points off top having just been promoted.

Up Next: Thursday at 5.30am away to Fremad Amager (NZT)

Vic Esson – Avaldsnes IL (Norwegian Toppserien)

Got a genuine title race on our hands in Norway as Vic Esson and her Avaldsnes team rallied from being 1-0 down with twenty minutes to go away at LSK Kvinner to win 3-1. The game was played indoors on an artificial turf, curiously, and Esson had already made a couple sharp stops when Tonje Pedersen whalloped in the opener for LSK on 23 minutes, a belter that caught Esson out with the swerve and went in off the crossbar.

Further saves were forthcoming and the frame of the goal chipped in too as somehow Avaldsnes kept it to just the one concession... then with a good old fashioned smash and grab strategy they pounced at the end with Rasheedat Ajibade scoring a wonderful equaliser in the 72nd minute and soon after that a bit of a flukey own goal and a well-taken Elise Hove Thorsnes strike gave Avaldsnes a win that had looked extremely unlikely for most of the match and which probably wouldn’t have happened without Esson’s steady presence in goal either (the first time in their history that Avaldsnes has done the double over LSK).

What’s more is that Vålerenga and Rosenborg, the two teams ahead of Avaldsnes on the table, played each other and drew 1-1 (CJ Bott was an unused sub for Vålerenga) which leaves just a single point between those three top teams with three more games to play. And their next game could be the decisive one as they’re away to Rosenborg after the international break. Vic Esson has played every minute this season by the way, keeping six clean sheets in fifteen matches.

Up Next: Away to Rosenborg, Sunday 1 Nov at 1am (NZT)

Michael Boxall, James Musa & Noah Billingsley – Minnesota United (American Major League Soccer)

Noah Billingsley: “I haven’t had the conversation [about my role] just yet, obviously I’m pretty fresh off the plane. If they need me to slot in, hopefully I’m able to do that. If they don’t, I’m just happy to help the team any way I can.”

The USL is over and Noah Billingsley is back with Minnesota United. What role he’ll play over the rest of the season remains to be seen but hopefully there’s an MLS debut in there somewhere. He’s come back at a weird time though because the Loons had to postpone back to back games, first after two positive coronavirus tests which meant they couldn’t play against FC Dallas last week and then in the past midweek they had to cancel a game against Chicago Fire just 75 minutes before kickoff after another suspected positive. But the whole squad has since tested negative so they were good to go against Houston Dynamo (albeit after two weeks off and limited training).

No Billingsley here, he wasn’t in the squad. James Musa was but he was an unused sub. So it was just the ever-present Michael Boxall who has still yet to miss a minute this season. And you wouldn’t have known the team had been so disrupted this past week either as they gassed out to a 2-0 lead after half an hour with Ethan Finlay bagged a double – some poor sleepy defending from Houston but also two sharp finishes.

But immediately after that second goal the dynamic changed. Minny had kept three straight clean sheets coming into this but Mauro Manotas soon started threatening and Minnesota stopped. They barely had another shot all game. The Loons maintained things into the second half but then in the 59th minute a midfield turnover left Boxall and fellow CB Bakaye Dibassy exposed against a four on two counter attack. Boxall covered it pretty nicely but Dibassy was all over the shop and Manotas slipped it to Niko Hansen who thrashed it in.

Now the momentum was all in one direction... and in the 83rd minute another slashing counter led to defender and goalkeeper getting in each other’s way and Memo Rodriguez buried the scraps. Ah well. Minnesota Utd survived the rest of the way to at least emerge with a 2-2 draw, a precious point keeping them on pace for the playoffs.

Up Next: Cincinnati vs Minnesota, Sunday at 12.30pm (NZT)

Winston Reid - Sporting Kansas City (American Major League Soccer)

There was no Winston in the midweek loss against FC Dallas. They went down 1-0 to a Ryan Hollingshead goal just before half-time to snap a three-game winning streak. Reid wasn’t even in the matchday squad as he took a well-earned rest. Given all the injuries he’s been through, including this MLS season when he played a trio of games in quick succession and went off hurt in the last one a while back, gotta be getting his rest now and then.

He was good to go against Chicago Fire though and that game ended up being a wild one. Reid was one of five changes from the fellas that lost to FC Dallas and he wasted no time in throwing himself around, a 15th minute block and then scrambled half-clearance making the highlight reel. He wasn’t the only one either as Chicago kept threatening from set pieces... but then a turnover in midfield put Erik Hurtado in and he slid it past the keeper for SKC’s opening goal against the run of play.

SKC didn’t hold on until the break. Instead Robert Beric smashed one towards goal after a poorly defended corner and although it was initially cleared, the technology in the house later clarified that the ball had crossed the line first. Not the best afternoon for Sporting in attack but they did think they’d won it in the 83rd minute when Gadi Kinda turned in a flicked-on corner kick... then the wildness happened.

Elliot Collier was subbed on for Chicago with ten minutes left, a bit before that second SKC goal, and he was lurking at the far post to nearly equalise straight away when the ball somehow got through to him from a cross. Except his volley was off target. Yet another close call as he awaits his first goal of the season. Surely one of these is gonna fly in sooner rather than later.

One eventually did for Chicago but it was Dordje Mihailovic in the fifth minute of stoppage time, getting on the end of a hopeful long ball which was woefully misjudged by the SKC defence. It wasn’t Winston, he was on the other side of the line, but his buddy there took his eye off the runner and Mihailovic beat the keeper to it and cut in for the space to score. Reid recovered enough to get back to the line in desperation but couldn’t stop Mihailovic slotting the open goal. Reid subsequently threw a fit at his defence and SKC and Chicago left with shared points after a 2-2 draw.

And here’s a podcast or something...

Up Next: Home against Colorado Rapids on Sunday at 2.30pm (NZT)

Ria Percival – Tottenham Hotspur (English Super League)

This one got ugly fast. It took just four minutes before Katie McCabe curled in a free kick from out on the right, the left-footed shot whipping inside that far post. Spurs are a tough team capable of hanging even with a free scoring team like Arsenal but not when they give them a huge headstart. Vivianne Miedema burst into the box three minutes later after a one-two with Danielle van de Donk and obviously the best striker in the world was gonna perfectly pick out the bottom corner on the run like that. Ria Percival was one of the defenders bypassed by the earlier wall pass. Two goals down after seven minutes. Then Leah Williamson played Caitlyn Foord in over the top down the middle of the defence and the Aussie forward buried that one to make it 3-0 after fifteen minutes. Might as well have been game over already.

Spurs were able to slow the game down for a spell after that but the last ten minutes of the first half were almost as bad as the first fifteen minutes. Miedema added her second in the 36th via a deflection after a sneaky set piece move. Five minutes later she had a hat-trick after combining brilliantly with Foord. It was bad enough that the Spurs managers made a double sub in the 38th minute... and even when they got a bit of luck, like a soft penalty awarded early in the second half, they couldn’t take it as Manuela Zinsberger saved Rianna Dean’s attempt.

Eventually Beth Mead set up Foord for her second and Arsenal’s sixth. Spurs did get a Luciana Leon goal from a corner in the 77th minute for some consolation so that was something, only a 6-1 defeat in the end. Ria Percival played the full game in midfield but not much else to say there given the way it went. Although she did pop up with Alanna Kennedy on the pre-game show to answer a few questions...

Nothing to say on the others either as Rebekah Stott was an unused sub for Brighton in a 2-2 draw with Everton and Erin Nayler was an unused sub for Reading as they drew 1-1 with Manchester City. Down in the Championship it was Olivia Chance versus Katie Rood as Sheffield United and Lewes went head to head... but Chance was also an unused sub. Roodie wasn’t however and she played 79 minutes, though there wasn’t a huge amount of attacking to be done as Lewes and their newfound defensive excellence repelled the Blades, particularly in the last twenty minutes. A few decent looks on the break in there but Lewes will be the happier side with a 0-0 draw. Sheffield Utd stay undefeated, Lewes have now kept four clean sheets in a row. As for Meikayla Moore and Liverpool... they had the bye.

Up Next: International break, then it’s Chelsea in the WSL Cup group stage at 8am on Weds 4 Nov (NZT)

Ryan Thomas – PSV Eindhoven (Dutch Eredivisie)

PSV’s unbeaten start to the season continued with a pretty comfortable win over PEC Zwolle on Monday morning. They went 2-0 up inside twenty minutes, including a debut goal for Mario Gotze, and then survived a hiccup or two from there on to win it 3-0 in the end. Gotze kicked a backpass to round the keeper and score after eight minutes. Cody Gakpo tapped in a fine move in the 18th minute. Keeper Yann Mvogo then had to be the hero a couple times, making a close range save as an entrée before later in the half saving a penalty... then Malen pumped in his second and PSV’s third in the 39th minute and the rest of the game was routine.

But Ryan Thomas wasn’t there to enjoy the 3-0 win against his old team. He didn’t travel for the game, staying behind in Eindhoven with an unnamed injury keeping him out. Thus new signing Ibrahim Sangaré came in to take his place alongside Pablo Rosario in midfield. Sangaré is a highly rated Ivorian international who they picked up for a bit of a steal from Toulouse and he had an excellent debut winning challenge after challenge in the midfield... though Thomas has been a regular all season under Frank Schmid so it’s probably Rosario who’d be more worried for his job. Doesn’t sound like it was too serious of an injury or anything because earlier this week Thommo was talking to media about his ongoing love for PEC Zwolle and connection to the area. And also why he’d celebrate, but only a little, if he scored against them...

Ryan Thomas: “That's why I won't be cheering exuberantly on Sunday, should I score the winning goal. I'm going to cheer, but then modestly. And that is also allowed I think. Especially after everything I've been through. I don't think the PEC fans, who have always supported me, will blame me.”

A day or two before the game he was considered ‘questionable’ so fingers crossed he’s back next match.

Up Next: Europa League group stages begin on Friday, PSV vs Granada at 5.55am (NZT)

Ali Riley – FC Rosengård (Swedish Damallsvenskan)

Doing her bit for charity in support of breast cancer awareness, as mentioned in a previous Flying Kiwis. Here’s the jersey up for sale. She got to wear it for proper first as she started away to Vittsjö out on the right flank and it took absolutely no time at all before Rosengård gave their title challenge a boost when they won a penalty in the second minute of the game, Anna Anvegård stepping up to convert. They nearly let one back in after a goalie hash from a corner kick but otherwise FCR were pretty good, hitting the crossbar early in the second half and going close after Ali Riley had picked out a teammate in the area (similar to her assist a week back).

But then they really did leak one in from a corner kick in the 54th minute. Mie Leth Jans with the goal and Rosengård weren’t able to find another goal in response. Ali Riley was subbed off after 65 minutes, the game ending 1-1. Highlights here.

A rough result given their dominance prior to conceding that goal (and they nearly lost it with but for a goal-line clearance with five mins left) as they’ve now won just one of their last five games. It’s not as bad as it could’ve been because Göteborg also only drew but with three games to go they’re four points off top. Göteborg plays two top five clubs in their last three though, while FCR’s find trio are all bottom half clubs. Still a chance...

Up Next: Rosengård vs Uppsala, 2am on Monday 2 November (NZT)

Hannah Wilkinson – Djurgården IF (Swedish Damallsvenskan)

There’s heaps on the line for Djurgården too but it’s at the other end of the table where they’re only a point clear of relegation after losing 3-0 to Linköping. That while two of the teams below them both won (with Växjö leapfrogging DIF) which drastically condenses that whole relegation battle. All Djurgården’s remaining three games are against teams in and around them though so it’s all very much in their own hands.

As for the Linköping game, it wasn’t great. They started strongly and hit the crossbar from a shot from miles out but Linköping put some proper pressure on late in the first half and took the lead through Frida Maanu. Something extremely notable did happen in this game though... Hannah Wilkinson earned just her second start of the season and would go on to play the entire ninety minutes for the first time in any game since signing with DIF. Fine reward after her goal in the Swedish Cup a week and a half ago. She had one golden chance soon after the Links scored too, running in behind the line and holding off two defenders but just as she lined up her shot a sliding challenge disrupted things and it was a simple save for the goalie.

Maanum scored a second for Linköping five minutes into the second half with a tidy finish and then Uchenna Kanu made sure of it with twenty to go, volleying home on the turn. Still, Djurgården kept at it and were unlucky not to get one back with a few snapshots here and there. Wilkinson nearly latched onto a keeper’s rebound one time... then 89 minutes into the match she really did put one over the line, scrambling in a loose ball, however the offside flag was already up against the teammate behind her on the initial cross. The right call... but damn. Have a look at that and the rest of the highlights here – definitely a noticeable impact from Wilkie even if things didn’t work out like they could have, with a bit of luck that’ll herald a bigger impact over the last few weeks (she did once score the goal that avoided relegation back when she played for Vittsjö so there’s a track record).

Up Next: Eskilstuna Utd vs Djurgården at 1.30am on Monday 2 November (NZT)

Liberato Cacace – Sint-Truiden (Belgian Pro League)

Probably wasn’t the plan to come out of the international break and ship six goals against Beerschot. It was an absolute disaster to be honest, they were down within two minutes and at half-time they trailed 5-1. Liberato Cacace got himself a full game as he continues to edge his way into the picture there but without a win since the first game of the campaign that whole thing about having an ex-A-League coach to help transition him into European footy might not fly much longer because while Kevin Muscat does still have a job the rumours in the Belgian papers are suggesting that he may not for much longer.

HLB.be: “Muscat will (for the time being) stay on as a coach at STVV. Muscat will not be fired. This decision has just been officially confirmed to us. No further comment has been added other than the following sentence: ‘Players and coach enjoy a day off today’. Still, it looks like the Australian has used up a lot of credit. A defeat against Standard on Sunday at Stayen could well be the proverbial last straw.”

Cacace picked up a late yellow card in that game, btw...

Up Next: STVV vs Standard Liege on Monday at 6.15am (NZT)

Joel Stevens & Francis De Vries – IFK Värnamo (Swedish Ettan Södra)

Normally it’s Joel Stevens with the attacking highlights but nah here’s Francis de Vries serving up the goodness from the penalty spot. If you thought that was a tad unusual, so was this game... because Värnamo lost. Just their second loss in 18 games. They conceded from a cut-back move inside five minutes with FDV getting beaten at the by-line before Dylan Kosik Sulaiman tapped in. Then a few wasteful Varny passages later Kosik Sulaiman doubled that lead after 58 minutes with a sharp finish on the turn.

Värnamo would eventually pull one back as FDV put his penalty safely down the middle after 80 minutes (their top scorer had been subbed off at that point and De Vries was the fella trusted to step up to the spot) but there’d be no special comeback. Joel Stevens was an unused sub, only the second game he’s failed to feature in this season. Still got a ten point lead at the top so it remains a matter of closing it out over these final six games.

On the other side of the division, IFK Berga were dealt a 5-1 loss at home to Vasalund. Ninety minutes for Jesse Edge but Matt Conroy was nowhere to be seen – he hasn’t played at all for a month so guessing there’s an injury involved there. The loss was expected against the first placed team in the North but it’s really now looking very unlikely that Berga can avoid relegation. They’re 13 points away from safety with only six games left to play.

Up Next: Assyriska Turabdin vs Värnamo at 2am on Sunday (NZT)

Nik Tzanev – AFC Wimbledon (English League One)

Noice. But there wasn’t a cup game for Tzanev to play this week though so he had to be content watching from the bench as the Dons lost 1-0 to Shrewsbury who scored with their only shot on target in the 90th minute. Damn.

Up Next: Midweek footy on Wednesday at 7am away to Hull City (NZT)

Steven Old – East Kilbride (Scottish Lowland Football League)

Two headed goals, both from Kyle Wilkie corner kicks inside the first twenty minutes, and Oldie had East Kilbride off to a glamorous start on their way to beating Gretna 6-1. This was the second game of the season for the fellas – they’ve since also won 3-0 against Gala Fairydean Rovers with Oldie playing the first half, giving them a perfect nine points to get things underway with in the Lowlands. So that’s nice.

Up Next: Berwick Rangers vs East Kilbride, Sunday at 3am (NZT)

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