EASTWAY OLYMPIA 0-2 BOUNDARY ESTATE

This week's match reporting effort comes courtesy of @TobyGrainger

Carlo Ancelotti once said "Football  is the most  important  of the  less important  things in  life" and, on a weekend that will be long remembered for reasons other than football, Boundary Estate travelled to the North Marshes to take on Eastway Olympia, looking to build on last week's resounding 5-1 victory.

Lining up in a rough 4-2-3-1 formation, Captain Jack Pegg emerged victorious from the toss and the Los Colchoneros (look it up) gradually settled in the game playing with the wind in fairly breezy conditions.

After a scrappy opening fifteen minutes Sam Kidby came closest to opening the scoring with a deft flicked header from a lovely Joe Burdon cross, the ball agonisingly kissing the crossbar before landing safely in the keepers arms.

Boundary did eventually get the goal their superiority deserved as defensive midfielder Grainger, on long (or more realistically, medium) throw duty in Stuart Cooper's continued absence, saw one of his chucks headed back to him on the right flank. His left footed cross-cum-shot (shot according to him, cross according to 90% of his teammates) evaded the Eastway keeper whose cry of 'KEEPERS…..oh shit' gave the goal a lovely Sunday league vibe.

The rest of the first 45 saw plenty of Boundary possession but passed mainly without incident; despite some slick interplay between Boundary’s new look attacking quartet of Ben Watson, Burdon, Anthony Bridger and Greg Hall.

Facing the wind in the second half, the Boundary back four knew they would be tested aerially. But, led by the magnificently bearded Pegg and the Mascherano to his Pique, Daniel Bowmar, they coped admirably with the expected aerial onslaught. The versatile Sam Kidby at right back (who may have well have nailed down this position as his own with an assured display) and new signing, Louis Collin, at left back dominated Eastway's wingers.

It gave the Boundary defensive midfield pivot of Double and Grainger the perfect platform to feed the ball to AMC Joe Burdon, Boundary’s chief creator on the day. One surge from Burdon, coupled with a Marseille roulette, drew comparisons with a young Zidane, whilst centre forward Hall was a constant menace, deserving a goal for his powerful all round display.

When Boundary’s second goal did arrive, it came via a sumptuous right footed finish from Substitute Nick Harvey, smashing home Hall’s precise layoff. From a fairly acute angle, Harvey took one touch before lashing the shot across the keeper’s body. It was a finish that will live long in the memory.

By this point Boundary had made all three allotted substitutions, with the aforementioned Harvey, Andrew Knapp and Connor Hardy adding fresh legs and boundless enthusiasm to replace the tireless running of Collin, Bridger and Watson, all of whom had impressed with good shifts.

Knapp and Hardy combined instantly down the left flank, the former bombing forward at every opportunity but a third goal just wouldn’t arrive.

There was still time for a superb tactical foul from Double (for which he somehow evaded a booking) as well as some classic Sunday league handbags after Burdon lashed out slightly at an Eastway defender.

Keeper Tom Bennett was calm throughout, dealing with any danger with his customary coolness, and making one world class save near the end to ensure Bowmar, Pegg, Kidby and co got the clean sheet their defensive performance warranted.

Overall it was an excellent Boundary display, with the two nil scoreline against decent opposition no more than they deserved for a solid and fluid performance. Carlo Ancelotti would have approved.

EAST LONDON 1-5 BOUNDARY ESTATE

Boundary Estate bounced back from their cup disappointment with what turned out to be a comfortable victory against bottom of the table East London in Hackney and Leyton Sunday Football League Division 4.

A mist had descended over Hackney Marshes - surely a hangover from Halloween - as Boundary travelled to the North Marsh for this away league fixture.

The mist brought with it a slippery surface and both sides struggled to win balls in the air due to poor visibility. It took some time for Boundary to settle but, once they acclimatised to the conditions, they showed their superiority.

Greg Double and Joe Burdon were sitting at the base of a midfield five, and East London struggled to cope with their short sharp passing interplay.

It was Ben 'the bullet' Watson who thunderously headed the away side into a deserved lead 15 minutes into the first half. Watto headed majestically past the opposition goalkeeper, after great work from Luke Benjamin and Carl Halewood down the left wing. 

It looked like Estate would take complete control of the game from that point on, but they conceded a free kick in the opposing half on 20 minutes, allowing East London to throw bodies forward.

Their long deep ball got lost in the mist, and somehow skidded off the head of club captain, Jack Pegg, and beyond the stranded 'keeper, Tom Bennett. The usually calm Pegg reacted to an East London player in the aftermath of the goal and his kick out was perhaps lucky to only warrant a yellow card.

Boundary dominated for the rest of the first half but were thwarted by some last ditch defending, and poor finishing, as they have for much of the season so far. The sides went down the tunnel for the half time break with the scores level.

The second half began in much of the same ilk, with Boundary dominating possession but failing to convert that dominance into goals. Benjamin had a decent early chance, but couldn't quite get the ball out of his feet and shot wide.

East London had been time wasting for much of the game since their equaliser and continued to do so throughout the second half. Boundary were committing players forward and, against a better side, may well have been susceptible on the break.

But they needn't have worried as more great work down the right by Benjamin led to a simple tap in from Watson again. East London crumbled thereafter, and shipped another three before the final whistle.

Another ball in from the right caused another bout of confusion in the box. This time the goalkeeper pretty much fell over himself before passing it into the path of Double who cooly slotted home to make it 3-1. Carl Halewood did his best to stop it from going in, but it definitely, definitely didn't hit him. Or his hand.

Boundary's fourth came from more Luke Benjamin inspired trauma down the right hand side. His cross found the 'keeper in no-man's land, and he pulled it back to Double who looked to dink a dangerous ball into the mixer. The definitely on target cross, which had not one jot of backspin on it, looked to be destined for the top corner before their defender slightly deflected it home. A Double for Double for sure.

And Max Benjamin made absolutely sure of the points with minutes to go. Ignoring calls from four separate players screaming at him to pass, he beat two men before sending a rocket of a shot past the keeper.

MOTM: Luke Benjamin - they tried but couldn't even foul the tricky right winger