Non-League and Academy football writer

Indian Gymkhana Club faced PFC Victoria London, in the Middlesex County Football League Premier Division, in what was promotion hopefuls, PFC Victoria London’s, final game of this season. Indian Gymkhana Club started this league match (the game was held at Brunel Sports Park, in Uxbridge), in tenth place in the league, with PFC Victoria London starting this match in first place in the league table. PFC Victoria London won the match 6-0, and in doing so they won promotion to step 6 of the non-League system, for next season. It was Indian Gymkhana Club, who had initially started the game better than PFC Victoria. And after an early headed effort had gone wide of the PFC Victoria goal, following an Indian Gymkhana Club free-kick into their penalty area, the home side came very close to taking the lead in the game.

Following Alexander Owuadey’s well delivered corner kick into the PFC Victoria box, the ball was met by Jatinder Liddar, whose headed effort came off the crossbar, before a teammate hit an effort over Milan Czerwonka’s goal, on the follow-up. Roman Virstiuk had PFC Victoria’s first goal attempt of the game, with the winger cutting inside with the ball from the right flank, before hitting an effort from the edge of the home team’s box, wide of their goal. PFC Victoria would soon find their rhythm in the game. Pawel Kowalkowski would lift an effort over the home side’s goal, on the turn from the edge of their penalty area, not long before PFC Victoria took the lead. An excellent cross from out on the left flank, by Jakub Matwiejszyn, would result in him finding Pawel Kowalkowski inside of the Indian Gymkhana Club penalty area. Kowalkowski’s clever, looping header went over the goalkeeper (Aashish Kharas) and into the goal, 0-1.

PFC Victoria had taken control of the game by this point in the first half, and it wouldn’t take them long to double their lead. Kamil Zielinski’s fine pass to Nataniel Zolnierek, in behind the home team’s defence, would allow the PFC Victoria player to find Pawel Kowalkowski, who tapped the ball home from close range, 0-2. Pawel Kowalkowski came close to scoring a hat-trick, soon after, but this time his low effort from inside of the Indian Gymkhana Club penalty area was saved by Aashish Kharas. PFC Victoria would finish the first half of the match well, and before half-time they managed to get their third goal of the game. With captain Jakub Malczuk hitting the ball across the Indian Gymkhana Club goal, from the left side of their box, to Kamil Zielinski, who tapped home from close range at the back post, 0-3.

PFC Victoria London would start the second half at the same pace that they had finished the first half at. A brilliantly worked team goal would soon arrive in the second half. Jakub Malczuk’s long diagonal pass to Pawel Kowalkowski, inside of the Indian Gymkhana Club box, would see Kowalkowski chest the ball down to Mateusz Kaczmarek, who would then finish into the goal, 0-4. And then, after an initial chance for the away side was closed down by the home team’s goalkeeper inside of his penalty area, the ball came to Kamil Zielinski on the right side of the penalty area, from where he finished well and low into the goal, 0-5.

PFC Victoria were dominant on the ball, and Indian Gymkhana Club were struggling to create any real chances. After a long pass was met by Pawel Kowalkowski, who would then take the ball into the Indian Gymkhana Club box, before lifting an effort just over the goal. A spectacular long distance free-kick effort from Adrian Stefanski, would follow, with it hitting goalkeeper Aashish Kharas’ crossbar. Chance after chance was created by the promotion hopefuls. After Kamil Zielinski had a powerful headed effort on goal, following a looping cross into the Indian Gymkhana Club penalty area, which was superbly kept out by Aashish Kharas, the goalkeeper would then make another save. After Mateusz Kaczmarek had latched onto Pawel Kowalkowski’s clever back-heeled pass, in behind the defence, with Kaczmarek’s effort from the edge of the Indian Gymkhana Club penalty area, being saved by Aashish Kharas. 

PFC Victoria’s sixth and final goal of the match, would arrive late on. With substitute Wiktor Dabrowski twisting and turning on the ball inside of the home side’s box, before finishing low into the goal, 0-6. And very late on in the match, Indian Gymkhana Club substitute Manuel Kingsley-Nyinah got to a lofted pass in behind the PFC Victoria defence, inside of their penalty area. However, his volleyed effort went wide of the goal. Many congratulations to PFC Victoria London, on winning promotion to step 6. They will have to wait a bit longer to see if they will win the league title, but the club will be absolutely delighted to have secured promotion. They are a really fine footballing side, who deserve to be playing higher up in non-League, and it will be interesting to see how they do next season, at step 6.

For Indian Gymkhana Club, I thought that Alexander Owuadey was their player of the match, in what was a disappointing game for the home side. However, for my overall player of the match, despite there being so many players that I could’ve chosen, it was Pawel Kowalkowski, and as well as scoring two goals, he impressed with his link-up play at times. However, I could’ve given this award to the whole team, as they were that good on the night.