Non-League and Academy football writer

Cricklewood Wanderers faced Kodak (Harrow) at Wembley’s Vale Farm ground on Tuesday night, in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture. Cricklewood Wanderers started this match in 12th place in the league, with Kodak (Harrow) starting the match in seventh place in the league standings. This step 7 match of non-League football finished 2-1 to Kodak (Harrow). During the early stages of the match Cricklewood Wanderers player Oliver Costa hit an effort from around 20 yards out, over the Kodak goal. And then shortly after that chance for the home side, Oliver Costa would find teammate Terryl Harding-Nathan on the edge of the Kodak penalty area, but Harding-Nathan’s effort, which was taken early, was saved by Kodak goalkeeper Warren McCreeth. It had been quite an even start to the match, but Kodak were starting to get on the ball in good areas of the pitch. Following Zachary Goddard’s low first time effort from 20 yards out from the home team’s goal, which went wide, Kodak would win a penalty soon after. Amir Hadi twisted and turned with the ball at his feet as he entered the right-hand side of the Cricklewood Wanderers penalty area, before being fouled by a defender. Up stepped Ralford Thorpe, who clinically found the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, from the resulting penalty kick, 0-1.

A good Cricklewood Wanderers move would end with Ricardas Milasius receiving the ball on the right-hand side of the Kodak penalty area, before Warren McCreeth saved his powerful low effort on goal with his feet. Then, a couple of minutes later, Amir Hadi, who had started the game well for the away team, would go on a good run with the ball from the right flank to the edge of the Cricklewood Wanderers penalty area. However, his resulting powerful low effort on goal was saved and held by goalkeeper Jayden Smith. Kodak goalkeeper Warren McCreeth would have to make another save soon after, this time to push behind Stanley Willis’ effort on the turn from inside the centre of the Kodak penalty area, following a free-kick delivery. A brilliant lofted pass from the impressive Kareem Campbell, would help to create Kodak’s next chance of the match. Campbell’s lofted pass to Amir Hadi on the left side of the Cricklewood Wanderers penalty area, saw Hadi head the ball down to captain Zachary Goddard, but his first time effort from close range ended up going just wide of Jayden Smith’s goal.

Cricklewood Wanderers would finish the first half strongly. Ricardas Milasius would hit an early effort from the left-hand side of the Kodak penalty area wide of their goal, after receiving a pass, before Oliver Costa came close to drawing the home side level. Costa had managed to get to the ball inside the centre of the Kodak box following a clearance from a cross. However, his effort on the turn was well saved by McCreeth. McCreeth would then do well to gather the ball from the feet of Ricardas Milasius after he had found himself through on goal inside the Kodak penalty area. Just before the end of the first half, Amir Hadi had a free-kick effort from 30 yards out, saved by Jayden Smith. Cricklewood Wanderers would start the second half in great fashion, after getting an equalising goal early on through Ricardas Milasius. The Cricklewood Wanderers forward would get manage to get on the ball following a defensive error from the away side on the edge of their penalty area. Ricardas Milasius would round Warren McCreeth before slotting the ball into the back of the empty goal, 1-1.

Some good work from Oliver Costa on the ball, would see him carry it forward up the pitch at pace, from midfield. The skilful Cricklewood Wanderers player would continue forward with the ball to the edge of the Kodak penalty area, before hitting a low effort wide of the goal. At the other end of the pitch, around five minutes later, Amir Hadi managed to get a bit of fortune after Cricklewood’s clearance ended up bouncing into his feet inside their penalty area, but his looping effort over Jayden Smith, went narrowly over his goal. Warren McCreeth would then clear Denis Vesho’s free-kick effort on his goal, away with his feet, before doing well to save and then gather Ricardas Milasius’ powerful effort on his goal from inside the penalty area. Kodak would respond well to the amount of chances that the home side were creating. Some good skill from Kodak player Ralford Thorpe would result in him taking the ball into the Cricklewood Wanderers penalty area, before seeing his low effort on goal saved by the feet of Jayden Smith.

As the game came towards an end, Kodak started to test Cricklewood Wanderers even more. After Amir Hadi had passed the ball to Kareem Campbell on the edge of the Cricklewood penalty area, the player who had impressed throughout the match would surge forward into the box, taking the ball beyond Cricklewood Wanderers’ captain Antwane Sabag, before finishing low into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-2. Kodak (Harrow) would look to see out the rest of the game, and after a Cricklewood Wanderers corner kick had resulted in goalkeeper Warren McCreeth having to make a save, Kodak would go forward with the ball. Amir Hadi went on a good forward run, before giving the ball to Ralford Thorpe on the left side of the Cricklewood penalty area, but after some good skill on the ball Thorpe’s effort on goal was saved at his near post by Jayden Smith, before Terryl Harding-Nathan hit an effort wide at the opposite end of the pitch, a couple of moments later. On the balance of play I thought that Kodak (Harrow) deserved to get all three points from the game, against a Cricklewood Wanderers side who did have some good moments/stages in the game.

For me Kodak (Harrow) midfielder Kareem Campbell was my player of the match. The scorer of the winning goal of the game capped off a fine individual performance with that all important goal, and his passing and inventiveness on the ball was impressive. However, forward Amir Hadi had a really fine game, setting up both of Kodak’s goals, and he was unlucky not to get a goal of his own. Ralford Thorpe was another player who was impressive throughout for the away team, as well as goalkeeper Warren McCreeth, in what was a good team performance from a good team, in Kodak (Harrow). For Cricklewood Wanderers, I thought that their goalscorer Ricardas Milasius was their most influential player during the match.