Saturday 20 January 2024 – Ladywell Arena
Attendance: 124
Lewisham Borough CFC – 2
D. Thompson (22), B. Zepo (80)
K Sports – 1
S. Ikudehinbu (25)
A magical 35-yard freekick from Bryan Zepo helped us to secure our first victory of 2024, as we returned to winning ways against K Sports.
Having been held to a frustrating draw against Canterbury City the previous weekend, this felt like a must-win game as we looked to rebuild our momentum from earlier in the season. Despite the chilly temperatures, it was another big turnout from the home fans, boosted by visiting supporters from Dulwich Hamlet and Peckham Menace after their games were postponed, as well as a surprise trombone in the stands…
We found the breakthrough through Darrell Thompson mid-way through the first half – picking the ball up just inside the opposition box, before cutting onto his left foot and finishing smartly into the far corner. A fifth goal in all competitions for Darrell took him level as our second-highest scorer this campaign, alongside Freddie Horlock and Zac Ajose.
Our lead was short-lived however, with K Sports finding an equaliser through Segun Ikudehinbu minutes later and the two sides went into the break all square. We pushed on in the second half looking to regain the advantage, but couldn’t quite find the fluidity in our play that has seen us average more than two goals a game in the first half of the season.
As the minutes ticked on, the prospect of another frustrating home draw began to look more and more likely. But when we won a freekick 35 yards out from goal with 10 minutes to play, Zepo stepped up and thundered a powerful drive over the wall and past the keeper, sending the home crowd and bench into a combined state of elation and disbelief at what they had just witnessed.
While this may have been an unfamiliar sight to passengers on the train to Hayes rumbling past as the ball hit the back of the net, we’re becoming more and more used to these moments of Zepo match-winning magic – and yet he never ceases to amaze us…
You can watch Bryan’s freekick in all its glory on our Twitter. Our next game sees us take on league leaders AFC Whyteleafe in a Division One Cup group stage match on Wednesday 24 January (19:45) at the Ladywell Arena.