Non-League and Academy football writer

I was at this Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture between London Tigers and Camden & Islington United, on Saturday afternoon at Spikes Bridge Park, in Southall. London Tigers started the game in 14th place in the league, with the away side (Camden & Islington United) starting the match in sixth place, and they went into this game in good recent form in the league. This step 7 game of non-League football was a good one, with Camden & Islington United deservedly winning the game 4-2. After some good and fast early passing during the opening stages of the match from Camden & Islington, the away team would soon start creating some good goalscoring chances. Following a good pass from Camden & Islington player Daniel Flynn, Karl Usher would control the ball on the edge of the London Tigers penalty area, taking the ball with his stride into the box, before hitting a good low effort on the goal, which was well saved by the outstretched London Tigers goalkeeper Godfred Dugbazah. Shortly after that chance, Camden & Islington player Ryan Pickles had received the ball on the edge of the London Tigers box, before hitting a low effort on goal, which was saved by Godfred Dugbazah.

Following the first effort of the game from London Tigers, with Adam Guennouni hitting a low effort wide of the Camden & Islington goal, the visiting team would start to move the ball around the pitch even quicker. A really good whipped cross from the left flank by Ryan Pickles to Daniel Flynn at the back post of the London Tigers goal would see Flynn’s powerful first time effort hit the crossbar. And just before that well worked chance, the same player had hit an effort wide of the London Tigers goal, on the bounce, from the edge of their penalty area. Shortly after Akbar Saeed had glanced a header wide of the Camden & Islington goal after meeting Nassim Keniza’s corner-kick, Camden & Islington would take the lead in the game. The opening goal of the game arrived after Dwayne Reid had passed the ball to Josh Gruby, who had surged forward with the ball, into the London Tigers penalty area. His initial effort was blocked by a defender, before the winger found the goal with his second effort, with the London Tigers goalkeeper unable to stop the ball from crossing the goal-line, 0-1.

Camden & Islington were definitely the better team during the first half of the game. Following a good effort from Dwayne Reid from the edge of the home team’s box, which had gone wide of the goal, the impressive away side doubled their lead in the game. Ryan Pickles had taken the ball forward from midfield, before playing a good through-ball pass in behind the London Tigers defence, which Karl Usuher had met. Usher would continue with the ball into the penalty area, before calmly finding the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-2. The pace and purpose of Camden & Islington’s passing, as well as their movement off the ball, was very impressive. A clever move which resulted in Jonny Ding passing the ball to Karl Usher, would result in the Camden & Islington forward finding Daniel Flynn on the right-hand side of the London Tigers box, and would see Flynn’s effort from close range being well kept out of the goal by Godfred Dugbazah. The first London Tigers effort on target would arrive a couple of minutes later, as Camden & Islington goalkeeper Liam King held a high effort on goal from the edge of the Camden & Islington penalty area, by Nassim Keniza.

Camden & Islington would finish the second half strongly. After Ben Protheroe had managed to get to a London Tigers clearance close to the edge of their penalty area, he would hit an effort over their goal, before then, a couple of minutes later hitting a powerful effort wide of the goal, from distance. A very good slaloming forward run from Ryan Pickles on the right flank, would result in him going past a couple of London Tigers players, before working his way into their penalty area, where his low effort was well saved by Godfred Dugbazah, before being cleared away. Just before the whistle for half-time had been sounded, Nassim Keniza had a free-kick effort on the Camden & Islington goal, which was saved by Liam King. The second half was started in great fashion from the away side, who were showing no signs of slowing down. Some good pressing from Ryan Pickles would result in him winning the ball off of Akbar Saeed on the right flank, close to the corner flag. He would then deliver a cross towards the back post of the London Tigers penalty area, from where Karl Usher was able to tap the ball into the goal, 0-3.

Camden & Islington had been controlling the flow of the game. Their fourth goal of the match would arrive soon after their third. Jonny Ding got the assist, as his pass to James Marshall on the left side of the London Tigers box, would result in him curling a good low effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-4. In the following minutes Ryan Pickles would have an effort from the left side of the London Tigers penalty area saved at his near post by Godfred Dugbazah, just before Josh Gruby hit a low effort from close range wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Camden & Islington continued to play some really good football, and they would create more goalscoring chances. After Jeremias Roque-Visi had a good and powerful effort from distance on the London Tigers goal, well pushed away by Godfred Dugbazah, some good work from Karl Usher inside the London Tigers penalty area would result in him hitting a low effort across the face of their goal. London Tigers would improve in the game, and they would get a goal through Stuart Locmray, after he had volleyed home Nassim Keniza’s corner kick delivery into the Camden & Islington box, from close range, 1-4.

After Aarif Baba Seidu had a headed effort on the Camden & Islington goal (following a corner kick) saved by Liam King, at the opposite end of the pitch Jeremias Roque-Visi had an effort from inside of the London Tigers box, well saved by the feet of Godfred Dugbazah. A long diagonal pass to London Tigers player Zahid Namigul on the left-hand side of the Camden & Islington box, would result in Zahid Namigul finding Stuart Locmray, who finished past Liam King and into his goal from close range, 2-4. It was a more even end to the game. Ahkim Brown would hit a good effort wide of the London Tigers goal, from the edge of their penalty area, before Camden & Islington substitute Nestor Bokuli came very close to being able to turn Adam Wurie’s cross into the London Tigers goal, in the centre of their penalty area. The final minutes of the match would see a chance each for both sides. Nassim Keniza had a low effort from the edge of the away team’s box, saved by Liam King, before Adam Wurie took the ball into the London Tigers box. However, his resulting effort was well gathered by Godfred Dugbazah. This was a really good game of football, with Camden & Islington United deservedly getting the three points on the day, although London Tigers did improve during the latter stages of the game.

Camden & Islington player Karl Usher scored a brace today, and he was my player of the match. He did some really good work in the forward areas of the pitch, and he was impressive in his all-round play. However, the influence of the very skilful Ryan Pickles, who provided two assists, and also the performances and importance of Daniel Flynn and Josh Gruby cannot be overstated. This was however, was a very impressive team performance from Camden & Islington United, and in the two games that I’ve seen them in this season, I have been very impressed by how they have played as a team. For London Tigers, I thought that their goalkeeper Godfred Dugbazah (he made a number of fine saves) was their player of the match.