League Play-Off

Copford Park
Spectators: 35 (Terracing: 27, Seating: 8, VIP seats: 0) Naji Al Wazan started the match with the kick off in front of an excited audience. Adem Al Arbash took care of the ball after a well-directed shot from Basem Al Khames, even though the ball almost passed him on his left side. Kamal Al Khaleds short, quick shot in the 7thth minute got Adem Al Arbash to make great effort and bar the ball away from getting in. After having played for 10 minutes, Basem Al Khames managed to get in a good position for a shot on goal. Copford's supporters crossed their fingers, but Basem Al Khames was, after a quick turn that froze the defenders, out of balance and shot the ball just to the right of the goal. In the 11th match minute, Wood Green was awarded a freekick, the ball was picked up by Saif Al Ramzi to maneuver through the defense. After a rather tough play, Wood Green's Ebrahem Shrean got a free kick in the 15th minute. Aws Al Homaithe, 16 minutes into the match, dribbled the ball up the side of the field and decided to take a long shot at the goal. Unfortunately, the ball was poorly hit and landed closer to the corner than to the goal. In the 23rd minute the ball was on its way in behind Copford's goalkeeper Hashem Al Sharah, but with the help of a sacrificing defense, he could catch the ball at the crossbar. In the 25th minute, Naji Al Wazan got an opportunity to score, but he didn't get a solid hit on the ball and ended up kicking it wide of the goal. Maitham Al Jalahma struck a weak shot in the 27th minute. Hashem Al Sharah didn't even have to move as the ball rolled over the line well wide of the goal. A wasted opportunity for Wood Green. Maitham Al Jalahma fired away a screaming shot towards the goal in the 30th minute, but the shot went just over the crossbar without Hashem Al Sharah having to interfere. After some fancy dribbling in the 36th minute, Naji Al Wazan managed to get in a good position for a shot. Wood Green's supporters rose to their feet, but Naji Al Wazan was a bit off balance and shot the ball just wide of the left post. Hashem Al Sharah breathed a sigh of relief and went to take the goal kick. Wood Green's Adem Al Arbash played magnificently when he managed to stop the ball from hitting the goal, after a sharp shot by Basem Al Khames in the 40th minute of play. Basem Al Khames received a nice pass in the box and took a hard shot in the 42nd minute. Adem Al Arbash tensed up and prepared to dive, but the shot went over the goal with him having to interfere. 44 minutes into the game, Naji Al Wazan cracked a shot to the right of the goalkeeper, 0-1. Hashem Al Sharah was not in position, and could only watch the ball fly in. Basem Al Khames sent away a hard shot on goal in the 48th minute, but the ball went just over the crossbar and out. A very good chance. Luck had favoured the away team in the first, and they walked off with a 0-1 lead.

The players of the home team were most fresh-looking when they entered the field to play the second half. Basem Al Khames was the one to do the kick off. 52 minutes into the match, Wood Green's goal looked a bit too open when Kamal Al Khaled came free, but Adem Al Arbash reached the ball before it rolled over the goal line. Adem Al Arbash made a wonderful reflex save on a shot from Basem Al Khames in the 60th minute of play. 73 minutes into the match, Basem Al Khames notched a goal, 1-1, to the right of Wood Green's Adem Al Arbash. Adem Al Arbash was clearly disgusted with the effort of the defense and let the defenders know about it. After 76 minutes of play, Copford's Kamal Al Khaled made it 2-1 when he simply outclassed the defender marking him and hit a curling shot into the right side of the net. Adem Al Arbash was left in no man's land by his defense there! The audience held their breath when Aws Al Homaithe in the 83rd minute of the game managed to trick the opponents defenses and fired away a shot outside the goal on the Adem Al Arbash's left hand side. Ebrahem Shrean hit a great freekick 85 minutes into the match. In the 87th minute of the match Aws Al Homaithe shot from a long distance. The ball could have gone into the goal to the right of the goalkeeper, but Adem Al Arbash showed his good shape when he easily got hold of the ball. If Morad Dashti had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 89th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. Saif Al Ramzi's late challenge caught a Copford's player on the shin and left him crawling around in pain. The referee blew his whistle and produced the yellow card. Saif Al Ramzi helped the player get up and apologised. The supporters of Copford booed when Wood Green was adjudged a doubtful freekick after 90 match minutes in a wonderful position. Saif Al Ramzi didn't get a good kick on the ball. If Naji Al Wazan had kept his shot down it would have been a goal in the 97th minute. The ball went over the crossbar and out instead. For all the effort they put into the match, the Wood Green players left disappointed. They had fought hard, but couldn't break down the home team's defense. The match ended in a win for Copford.