A dream European debut for Lewes FC on Tuesday evening confirmed their advancement to the knockout stages of the Fenix Trophy 23-24. FC Oslo finish bottom of the group after losing both group matches.
Lewes were all over the visitors in the first half with wingers Deon Moore and Kalvin Lumbombo-Kalala threatening the FC Oslo backline time and time again. Lumbombo-Kalala even hit the crossbar from 20 yards out before putting the Rooks ahead in the 16th minute. A neat cross from Moore put the ball on a platter for his teammate to tap the ball in. FC Oslo looked bereft and struggled to find a foothold in the match.
Driscoll switched to a midfield pivot at half time and brought on Ron Reyes and Tomas Belay. The tactical switch seemed to have worked as it made the game more even. FC Oslo gained a bit more control of proceedings, but Lumbombo-Kalala remained a constant threat. As the game petered out, FC Oslo turned more desperate but failed to register any shots on target in the second half.
Lewes FC’s European debut turned out to be a dream affair for Tony Russell’s men and the fans. It was certainly surprising how Oslo FC failed to put up with a challenge. Regardless, Driscoll’s men bow out of the Fenix Trophy with two losses on the trot. Lewes FC will take positives from this game and will look to rival its neighbours Brighton and Hove Albion’s European exploits.
