Non-League and Academy football writer

I was at this Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture between Cricklewood Wanderers and PFC Victoria London, on Tuesday night at Vale Farm. Cricklewood Wanderers started this league match in 12th place in the league standings, with PFC Victoria London currently the league leaders. However, this match would finish in a 2-2 draw. It was the home side who managed to create two early goalscoring chances, with Cricklewood Wanderers’ quick early passing game resulting in a good opening chance of the game. As Tim Crossland found Keyarn Cope-Chase on the right-hand side of the PFC Victoria box, from where the Cricklewood Wanderers midfielder hit a good and powerful effort on goal, which was well pushed behind by PFC Victoria goalkeeper Milan Czerwonka. From the resulting corner kick, Cricklewood Wanderers took the lead in the match. With the ball eventually rolling out to Tim Crossland, whose powerful first time side-footed effort on goal, would go into the top right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. PFC Victoria looked to respond, and after Adrian Stefanski had hit a decent effort from distance over the Cricklewood Wanderers goal, Oskar Dari would hit a low effort wide of their goal, from 20 yards out.

PFC Victoria London were looking to make that all important pass, and to find an opening in the Cricklewood Wanderers defence. The fast pace to the game continued, and PFC Victoria would get a levelling goal, after a pass from Oskar Dari was slipped into the feet Arkadiusz Wilk on the left side of the Cricklewood Wanderers box, with the forward hitting an unstoppable effort into the roof of the goal, 1-1. Not long after Jakub Matwiejszyn had hit an effort from distance on the Cricklewood Wanderers goal which was saved by Jayden Smith, PFC Victoria would go close to taking the lead in the game. After a corner kick was played short to Jakub Matwiejszyn close to the edge of the Cricklewood Wanderers penalty area, the PFC Victoria player hit a low effort on goal, which took a slight deflection on its way to the goal, but Jayden Smith did well to get down and make the save. PFC Victoria had definitely established themselves in the game, and they were enjoying more of the ball, but Cricklewood Wanderers were still creating some good goalscoring chances. And after Keyarn Cope-Chase had hit a powerful effort from the right side of the PFC Victoria box, wide of their goal, Cricklewood Wanderers came very close to regaining the lead. However, Ricardas Milasius, after receiving Oliver Costa’s on the left-hand side of the away side’s penalty area, would see his powerful effort pushed onto his near post by Milan Czerwonka.

PFC Victoria London would start the second half of the game well, impressing with their quick and short passing game. Following an effort from distance by Oskar Dari, which was gathered by Jayden Smith, Rafal Al Swaiti would then also have an effort from distance saved by Smith. And then a couple of minutes later, after Oliver Costa had gone on a good run with the ball down the left flank, before crossing to the near post of the PFC Victoria goal, he managed to find Ricardas Milasius, whose effort was well saved and closed down by Milan Czerwonka. Oskar Dari was getting on the ball even more for the away side, and from his whipped free-kick effort on the left flank, which hit the crossbar of the Cricklewood Wanderers goal, that fine effort would go down as the away team’s best of the second half, at this point in the game. Milan Czerwonka would do well to push away Oliver Costa’s powerful effort on goal, after he had traveled inside with the ball from the left flank, not long before PFC Victoria managed to win a penalty. Oskar Dari had done really well to press the Cricklewood Wanderers goalkeeper (Jayden Smith) and take the ball off him inside his penalty area, before then being brought down by Smith as he tried to score a goal, resulting in the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Up stepped Arkadiusz Wilk, who found the back of the goal, with a low and composed effort past the goalkeeper, 1-2.

PFC Victoria would look to get their all important third goal of the game, to get the points. And they came very close to confirming the victory, after captain Jakub Malczuk had won the ball in midfield, before finding Oskar Dari on the right flank, who would then find Arkadiusz Wilk at the near post, inside the Cricklewood Wanderers penalty area from his low cross. However, Wilk’s first time effort went over the goal, and he was disappointed that he couldn’t get his hat-trick goal. In less than a couple of minutes PFC Victoria had gone from all but sealing the win, to conceding an equalising goal. With some fine individual work from Cricklewood Wanderers player Terryl Harding-Nathan seeing him take the ball just inside the PFC Victoria box, from the right flank, before hitting a low effort on goal, which was just missed by Milan Czerwonka, who couldn’t make the save, as the ball went into bottom left corner of the goal, 2-2. However, PFC Victoria substitute Mateusz Kaczmarek’s clever lofted effort from some 25 yards out from the Cricklewood goal, not long after the game had been resumed, would go just over. The game would become more open during its latter stages, with Daniel Wasik hitting a decent effort on the turn from inside of the Cricklewood box, wide of their goal, before Cricklewood would go forward on the counter, and go very close to winning the game.

Cricklewood Wanderers player Ricardas Milasius would cross the ball into the away team’s box, with Denis Vesho connecting with the ball, and his good first time effort came off Milan Czerwonka’s left post, before being cleared. In the final moments of the game Jayden Smith would make a good stop from an effort inside of his penalty area, before then pushing behind a good chance for Oskar Dari on the left-hand side of the penalty area, with Dari being denied at the goalkeeper’s near post. I thought that PFC Victoria London were the better team during the match, particularly in the second half, when they played their passing game to good effect. They were unlucky not to win the match, but credit must go to Cricklewood Wanderers, who are a good side, and they got a good point from the game. The inventive Oskar Dari was my player of the match on Tuesday. The tricky and skilful, but also hardworking PFC Victoria London winger would provide the assist for the opening PFC Victoria goal of the game, before then winning their penalty in the second half. However, on another day he could’ve scored a couple of goals, and Oskar was unlucky not get on the scoresheet against Cricklewood Wanderers. He is a player who likes to get efforts away on goal, and he is positive in his all-round play. Also, Arkadiusz Wilk would impress, and he took both of his goals for PFC Victoria really well.

For Cricklewood Wanderers, I was impressed once again with their very skilful winger Oliver Costa, as well as centre-forward Ricardas Milasius and Keyarn Cope-Chase.