Extra Time Photos 5 – Kevin Amankwaah and Nathaniel Oseni
Salisbury FC > News > Extra Time Photos 5 – Kevin Amankwaah and Nathaniel Oseni
In this episode of Extra Time, we feature Kevin Amankwaah and Nathaniel Oseni.
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Defenders don’t usually get much limelight, especially compared to those in front of them whose prime job is to hit the net, but it was less than a month into the season before the experienced Kevin Amankwaah opened his account at Thatcham Town in the FA Cup. It was the icing on the cake, and also a goal which more or less settled a 3-2 win in the last quarter of an hour.
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Unsurprising, the unbridled joy was to follow….
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…. and follow, to such an extent that you would have been forgiven for thinking it was a career first!
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Defenders hunt in packs, and his team-mate Nathaniel Oseni had to wait until October to register his first goal (against Harrow Borough, who knew him well, as he had been signed from them only in August 2019). Although not often getting on the scoresheet, he has a definite presence, and formed an effective partnership with on-loan Tom Leak during the latter’s prolonged loan spell. Here Nathaniel threatens the Met Police goal in September.
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He also did his job, quietly and efficiently, at Portland United in the next round of the Cup, when the Sydenhams Wessex side made life difficult in a narrow Whites’ win. His role in keeping a clean sheet untied United and allowed the Whites to make progress.
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Here Nathaniel tries his luck, to no avail, against Hartley Wintney at the end of September…..
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….but has success at home to Harrow, where maybe it was a bit special for him to score against old employers in a 3-1 win. His goal that day regained the lead after the scores were level at half time, and may have been a turning point in the match.
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After having been held at home by Dorchester in the FA Trophy on 26 October, the Whites triumphed in the replay three days later with Nathaniel getting another goal, his second in 10 days, to help his side to a comfortable 3-0 win. Sorry Nathaniel, we didn’t get a picture of your goal at Dorchester, but here’s a consolation image from later in the season! This one was taken, also against Dorchester, in the 5-0 league romp!
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So lots of goals against Dorchester, but none in the stalemate at Farnborough in November, with both Kevin……
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….and Nathaniel doing their bit to keep out the opposition.
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A rare bit of excitement at Farnborough (although of possibly the wrong kind) saw a flare up in the second half after Dan Fitchett appeared to suffer from a headbutt which, had the officials noticed, would surely have reduced the home side to ten men. For some reason, Nathaniel found himself the subject of Farnborough’s attentions!
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Although Kevin had been utilised in a central position alongside Natahaniel for much of the season, he was deployed at right back at Hayes & Yeading in November but even though he’s not the youngest squad member managed to get forward as a wing back during a narrow 1-0 defeat.
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Revenge for the November defeat came in the FA Trophy against them by the odd goal in seven a week later. Lots of goals in this one, but none for Kevin, although that was not for the lack of trying!
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The plastic surface at Walton Casuals saw the Whites go down 2-1 for a second successive defeat in two seasons at the Xcel Sports Hub, and Nathaniel, like others on that occasion, had a hard time against the experienced, and very awkward Rene Howe, who had proved to be a handful whilst playing for Kings Langley in the previous season and was no less so on 30 November!
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All Salisbury goals are very welcome, and it was Kevin’s late strike against Blackfield & Langley which earned his side a point in a dour encounter with the Watersiders.
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Into December, and, in spite of its being the season of goodwill, there was not a lot of that in evidence as Salisbury turned round a Marvin Brooks opener to annoy their visitors, and particularly Manager Tom Killick, with goals from Bay Downing and a winner late on from Shaquille Hippolyte-Patrick.
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The first three points of the Xmas period was turned into six with a good 3-1 win at home to Wimborne Town, and although Kevin didn’t score a goal, he scored a bottle for a belated Christmas Dinner after being named Man of the Match.
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Both defenders played a big part in the Whites’ tight 3-2 win over high-flying Chesham in January……
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…with Nathaniel seeing off the dangerous Karl Oliyde.
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After the highs of winning there followed the lows of defeats, with neither Kevin nor Nathaniel being able to do a lot to prevent Chelmsford beating the Whites in the Trophy……
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…….and then going down 2-0 to Swindon Supermarine at home in the league.
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Not sure which defeat hurt the most, but Nathaniel and Tom probably felt it equally.
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To some extent it was back on track with a 2-2 draw at home to Tiverton, who are always tough opponents. Here it seems that as well as Nathaniel, strikers and midfielders are all trying to break the deadlock.
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Not too far for Nathaniel to travel to get to the Met Police game on 8 February, but a win there still seems a long way off for the Whites. This time they went down 3-2 in a frantic finish.
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Kevin gets in a header against Hendon, and another clean sheet gives the Whites a season double over the Greens on 22 February.
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…and Nathaniel played his part too in a 2-0 win.
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The last word on the two defenders falls to Kevin, although he could only watch as Tom Leak grabbed a late winner in the 2-1 over Merthyr Town in what was to prove to be the last that Whites’ supporters saw of their team at the Ray Mac.
All images are reproduced by kind permission of our photographers, Michael Berkeley and Roger Elliott and are copyright, so they should not be reproduced. Please seek agreement should you wish to do so, by contacting our Press Officer Alec Hayter on [email protected] or on 07884 477168 when any requests can be forwarded. The Club would like to thank Michael and Roger for the images, Alec for some of the words, and Ian Pearson for his website expertise, as part of the effort to alleviate football withdrawal symptoms! Roll on next kick off!
