Non-League and Academy football writer

Still in with a chance of winning this season’s Middlesex County Football League Premier Division title, Camden & Islington United started this league match against Stonewall FC (it was played at New River Sports Centre, in Haringey) in fifth place in the league. Stonewall FC started this match in seventh place in the league. This step 7 match was won 4-0, by the home side – Camden & Islington United. The opening stages of the match, were fairly quiet, in regard to chances created. The first chance of the game was created by Camden & Islington. With Jonny Ding receiving Akhim Brown’s pass on the left-hand side of the Stonewall penalty area, before curling an effort just over goalkeeper Dennis Aware’s goal.

As the first half of the match progressed, goalscoring chances became more frequent, with Camden & Islington being the more creative side. After Jonny Ding had headed an effort wide, from an Akhim Brown cross into the Stonewall penalty area, Chihab Benhebil would have an effort saved by Dennis Aware, from the right side of the away team’s penalty area. A couple of minutes later Chihab Benhebil would get to the ball inside of the Stonewall penalty area on the right-hand side, but his subsequent effort went over the goal. The home side were pushing for that first goal of the game, and they were getting closer to getting that goal. Following Josh Gruby’s long throw-in into the Stonewall penalty area, the ball came to Ben Protheroe, but his low effort was saved by Dennis Aware.

Ben Protheroe would have another goal attempt (a couple of minutes later), with him hitting an effort on the bounce, on goal, some 20 yards out, which was saved by Dennis Aware. Against the run of play in the game, Stonewall would go close to taking the lead twice, in quick succession. Shane McCullough would have a powerful effort from inside of the Camden & Islington penalty area, which was well pushed away by Ross Thursby, with Mike Sholly then hitting an effort just over the goal, from the edge of the penalty area. And just before Camden & Islington would take the lead in the game, just before half-time, Ben Protheroe would have an effort from inside of the Stonewall box (following a free-kick), which was saved by Dennis Aware. 

The opening goal of the game came from Chihab Benhebil, who would get onto Josh Gruby’s effort on the right side of the Stonewall penalty area, waiting for the ball to drop, before volleying the ball low, into the goal, 1-0. The pace of the game would pick up further, after the second half had started. Fernando Martins would have a headed effort from the right-hand side of the Camden & Islington box, saved by Thursby, before a good recovery save from Dennis Aware to gather the ball from the feet of the onrushing Akhim Brown (following a cross into the Stonewall box), would follow, at the opposite end of the pitch. Camden & Islington United were starting to the play the game with more urgency, and they were quicker in their passing and movement, at this stage of the second half.

After Nas Adams had a good volleyed effort on the Stonewall goal, following a well delivered free-kick into their box, which was tipped behind by Dennis Aware, the newly introduced Ryan Pickles, would go very close to making an instant impact on the match. The second top scorer in the league this season, Ryan Pickles would whip a brilliant corner kick into the Stonewall box, which Dennis Aware had to tip onto his right-hand post, to stop Camden & Islington doubling their lead. Then, a couple of minutes later, the influential Akhim Brown, would find Ryan Pickles in the centre of the Stonewall box, from his low cross. However, his good first time effort went just wide of Dennis Aware’s left-hand post.

Against the run of play, after Camden & Islington had lost the ball in defence, this allowed Shane McCullough to take the ball into their penalty area, before having an effort on goal which was well saved and then gathered by Ross Thursby. Shortly after Ryan Pickles had curled an effort onto the left-hand post of Dennis Aware’s goal, from a free-kick effort on the edge of their penalty area, Camden & Islington would double their lead in the game. It came from a well worked team move, which resulted in Ryan Pickles’ exquisite pass on the edge of the Stonewall box catching out their defence, as the ball ran through to Josh Gruby, who finished low into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, from the right side of the penalty area, 2-0.

Soon after having scored their second goal of the game, Camden & Islington would extend their lead further. Jeremias Roque-Visi’s low cross into the Stonewall penalty area to Chihab Benhebil (he was just inside of the penalty area), was finished with a first time effort, really well into the roof of the net, 3-0. After Shane McCullough had hit an overhead effort over the Camden & Islington goal from a corner kick, the home team got their fourth goal of the night. Ryan Pickles passed the ball to Josh Gruby on the left-hand side of the Stonewall box, from where Gruby found Chihab Benhebil, after shifting the ball across the penalty area, with the clinical centre-forward finishing well into the top right-hand corner of the goal, 4-0.

Very late on in the match, and after Nas Adams had a looping header which was just tipped over his crossbar by Dennis Aware, Ryan Pickles came close to making it 5-0. A tireless runner off the ball, he managed to get to a headed back pass, in behind the Stonewall defence, before taking the ball to the edge of their penalty area, and hitting an effort over the outrushing Dennis Aware, and over the goal. This was a deserved win for Camden & Islington United, a team who I thought were very good during the second half of the match, as they continue to impress in their debut season in this league.  

The influential Akhim Brown, Josh Gruby (he provided two assists and scored a goal) and the excellent performance in the second half from substitute Ryan Pickles, were all so important to Camden & Islington United winning the match on Wednesday. However, with a hat-trick of goals to his name, Chihab Benhebil was my player of the match. He was clinical in front of goal, and he took all three of his goals really well. For Stonewall, I thought that Dennis Aware was their best player during the match.