Non-League and Academy football writer

I was in attendance at The New River Sports Centre on Wednesday night, to report on a north London derby match, between Camden United and Camden & Islington United, in the Middlesex County Football League Premier Division. Camden United started this game in 12th place in the league, with Camden & Islington United starting the game in seventh place in the league. It was the away side, Camden & Islington United, who won this match 4-0, on a cold evening in north London. Not long after the game had got started, Camden & Islington created the first real goalscoring chance of the match. After Adam Wurie had passed the ball to Ben Protheroe inside the centre of the Camden United penalty area, with the Camden United goalkeeper Reece Mercer out of his goal. However, Ben Protheroe’s effort was well blocked behind by a defender. Following on from that chance, after some good pressing from Ryan Pickles, the creative Camden & Islington player managed to take the ball off of Camden United goalkeeper Reece Mercer, but his resulting effort from inside the penalty area went wide of the goal. Camden & Islington had impressed during the early stages of the game, and they were seeing more of the ball.

After Camden United player Wassim Guerinai had hit a low effort from the edge of the Camden & Islington box, wide of their goal, Camden & Islington created another decent chance from which to take the lead from. This time Josh Gruby had found Adam Wurie close to the left-hand side of the Camden United penalty area. He would eventually give the ball back to Josh Gruby inside the box, before having a low effort on goal, blocked behind by a defender, for a corner kick. Camden United had been defending well at this stage of the game, but after a goal-kick from Camden & Islington goalkeeper Liam King had found Ryan Pickles on the left-hand side of the Camden United box, the skilful Ryan Pickles worked his way around a defender, and then the goalkeeper, before having a couple of efforts blocked, with the last one being blocked behind by a defender, for a corner kick. Camden & Islington defender Connor McQuillan would send a powerful headed effort over Reece Mercer’s goal, after connecting with Dwayne Reid’s corner kick into the Camden United box, not long before the away side took a deserved lead in the match.

Camden & Islington’s opening goal of the game arrived following some great pressing/chasing down of the ball from Ryan Pickles, and he would take the ball off of Camden United goalkeeper Reece Mercer, before he could clear it. From there Ryan Pickles managed to give the ball to Ben Protheroe, who powerfully finished into the roof of the goal, 0-1. Ryan Pickles was proving to be very tricky to defend against, and soon after creating the opening goal of the game, he would surge forward with the ball down the right-hand side of the home team’s box, before seeing his powerful effort well pushed over the crossbar by Reece Mercer. And just before half-time, Ryan Pickles managed to get on the ball inside the Camden United penalty area, but this time after attempting to take the ball around goalkeeper Reece Mercer, the goalkeeper gathered the ball from his feet. Camden & Islington started the second half in brilliant fashion, scoring two goals in fairly quick succession. Their second goal of the game came about after Ryan Pickles had pressed/chased after the ball well, and he took the ball off of Camden United defender Lucas Giles, before entering the penalty area and finishing low into the goal, past Reece Mercer, 0-2.

Then shortly after doubling their lead, Camden & Islington extended their lead further. Ryan Pickles had passed the ball to Ben Protheroe, the Camden & Islington forward then skilfully rounded his way past a defender before eventually finding himself through on goal inside the Camden United penalty area. From there Protheroe would send an exquisite lofted effort over the outrushing Reece Mercer, and into the goal, 0-3. Camden & Islington were in full control of the game, and they were looking to extend their lead even further. After Ryan Pickles had knocked the ball past a Camden United defender, he would take the ball into the penalty area at pace, before hitting his resulting effort over the goal. A couple of minutes after that chance Camden & Islington substitute Nestor Bokuli received the ball with his back to goal inside the Camden United box, before turning and hitting a low effort on goal, which was well saved by Reece Mercer. However, the game was pretty much won soon after, when Camden & Islington scored their third goal of the second half. After Ryan Pickles had received Karl Usher’s ball in behind the Camden United defence, he entered their penalty area, before calmly finding the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-4.

Ryan Pickles was looking for his hat-trick goal, and he would manage two goal attempts in quick succession, late on in the game. The first effort came about after he had taken the ball down the right-hand side of the home team’s box, before having a good effort well kept out of the goal by Reece Mercer. Then, a couple of minutes later he would hit a powerful free-kick effort from the edge of the Camden United box, wide of their goal. Camden United did finish the game quite well, and after Abdo Khadir had headed wide of the Camden & Islington goal, after meeting a cross inside their penalty area, Omar Sufi would volley an effort from inside of the Camden & Islington penalty area, wide of the goal, following a corner kick delivery into the box. This was a good game of football, between a Camden United side who didn’t really get going on the day, and a Camden & Islington side who played some really good and effective football. Camden & Islington United’s number ten (Ryan Pickles) was my player of the match on Wednesday, with him getting a brace of goals and assists. Ryan Pickles was skilful and very inventive with the ball, and the second highest scorer in the league this season, would put in a great all-round performance, both with and without the ball. Also, Ben Protheroe (he scored a wonderful goal), and commanding Camden & Islington defender Connor McQuillan were to name only some of a number of others, who impressed me.

I would like to thank both Camden United and Camden & Islington, for their help on the day with team-sheets. They are both very friendly clubs.