LANGFORD TAKE ALL THREE POINTS - PARK VIEW CLOSE TO A FANTASTIC COME BACK

Park View Football Club have come along way since 1991 when a group of friends and family came together to have a kick around at Chestnuts Park in Tottenham in every Sunday afternoon. 

NON-LEAGUE FOOTBALL RETURNS FOR THE 2018/19 SEASON 

This progressed into playing organised games against other teams from other parts of London. The team then moved to Down Lane Recreation ground on Park View Road (hence the club's name) which is only a short distance from their more famous neighbour's Tottenham Hotspur.
  

HISTORY MADE AT FORDE PARK AT PARK VIEW FC MAKE THEIR DEBUT AT STEP SIX OF THE NON-LEAGUE LADDER. 

The club, with it's routes firmly in the local Ghanaian community, continued to progress and were awarded the Football Association's Charter Standard in 2005. 

The first team have had a very successful period over the last three seasons winning the Amateur Football Combination Senior 2 North in 15/16 and then the Senior 1 in 16/17 before moving to the Spartan South Midlands League Division Two last season which they dominated winning 27 and drawing 5 of their 32 league games played and winning the title by 14 points from Aston Clinton with the Division Two cup also collected as well. 

The club currently has five teams with a ladies team alongside three college youth and junior teams. The club also has many community schemes working with local schools delivering free football coaching sessions which is a real positive for the Haringey area. 

Yesterday The Snipers, as they are nick-named, made the journey North to Bedfordshire to face Langford for their historic first game at step six of the non-league pyramid. The home side would know it was a tough game in prospect as Park View were on a sixteen game unbeaten run with their last defeat coming in the Middlesex Intermediate Cup against Laleham on Saturday 17th February 2018. 

Langford were relegated to Division One back in 2011 and have since finished 10th, 16th, 19th, 13th, 18th, 4th and 17th - For the 2018/19 campaign they have appointed Kylrn Brooks-Lynch as one of the assistant manager's to boss Martin Wells. Brooks-Lynch has worked with Fulham and West Ham United as a performance analyst as well as having nine years coaching experience. 

THE CURRENT PLAYING SURFACE AT FORDE PARK 

The officials at Forde Park always give you a warm welcome and nothing was different yesterday - to say the pitch needs some rain in the current heatwave is a little bit of an understatement - both teams had to play on a very dry hard undulating surface which would of been a world of difference from the 3G surface Park View play on at the New River Sports Centre on White Hart Lane. I'm sure it'll return to it's natural shade of green when we see some rain fall over the coming weeks and months. 

The start to the 2018/19 campaign couldn't of got any better for Langford as they went 1-0 up in the second minute when Luke Smith poked home from close range following a corner. They went 2-0 up on 12 minutes when when Smith got his second when he got the better of Bright Debrah following a quick break up field and was able to slot the ball home under goalkeeper Luis Silva.   

The match went from bad to worse for the visitors, who had played some good football and forced Ben Watson to make a brilliant save, as Langford went 3-0 via a Charlie Rome penalty kick. 

To their credit Park View continued to play well with Francis Williams (wearing number 5) holding the ball up well up front. They pulled a goal back just prior to half time when Prince Gyimah scored a great goal after some neat skill on the edge of the box. 

THE DRINK'S BREAK ALLOWED ONE OF THE CROWD TO HAVE A CHAT WITH PARK VIEW KEEPER LUIS SILVA 

The game was played in sweltering conditions with a blistering sun blazing down on the pitch throughout the 90 minutes so full credit to the officials for using the sensible option of having a drink's break in both periods of play. 

PRINCE GYIMAH'S SHOT LOOKS LIKE IT WAS OVER THE LINE (taken as a still from video footage)

The second half saw Langford with their backs to wall put under lots of pressure by Park View who scored a second goal when the impressive Gyimah volleyed the ball from the edge of the box following a free-kick. The ball crashed down from the cross bar and the assistant referee instantly indicated the ball had crossed the line - the stills I have taken from the video are a little inconclusive but it looks as though it was just over and the correct decision. 

Langford held on for the victory with 3-2 being the final score. Both sides can take lots of positives from a very entertaining game in front of an announced crowd of 38 people. 

Langford travel to Wodson Park on Wednesday evening in their next game with Park View on the road again to face Buckingham Town next weekend. 

TEAM LINE UPS

LANGFORD 
Ben Watson (GK), Connor Bridge, Jordon Steward, Dean Auburn, Mok Ali, Karl Dean, Ricardo Green (Jack Worbey), Lewis Croucher (James Todd), Luke Smith, Charlie Rome (Harry Poulton), Lewis Osborne.
Subs not used - James Tizzard, Ediz Greengrass. 

PARK VIEW 
Luis Silva (GK), Ibrahim Nuhus, Daniel Amihere, Bright Debrah, Francis Williams, Magnus Orelaja, Isaac Akoa Arthur, Kwame Arthur (Steve Opoku-Domfeh 15 mins), Kenneth Acquah (Michael Samol 25 mins/Michael Troy 81 mins), Fred Asante, Prince Gyimah. 
Sub not used - Januario Gomes. 

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS