Non-League and Academy football writer

Camden United faced Jolof Sports FC, on Wednesday night at Market Road Pitches, in Islington, in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture. Camden United started this match in 14th place in the league, with Jolof Sports starting the match in 13th place in the league standings. This excellent league fixture was one which had many twists and turns, with the final score ending in a 4-4 draw. Camden United started the match well, and they would take an early lead through Emmanuel Yeboah. After Ross Derham had dribbled forward with the ball from the right flank and into the away team’s penalty area, he would then square the ball for Emmanuel Yeboah, inside the centre of the penalty area, from where he finished low into the goal, despite the best efforts of the goalkeeper, 1-0.

Soon after taking the lead in the game, Camden United player Emmanuel Yeboah almost got his second goal of the game, and his effort from inside of the Jolof Sports penalty area, was only stopped by a great sliding challenge from Abib Diop. It didn’t take very long before Jolof Sports had started to play their game to good effect. After Papa Alassane Ndiaye had a low effort on the Camden United goal (from the edge of the penalty area), which was saved by Bilal Ourida, Max Lee would loop an effort over the Camden United goal, from the edge of their penalty area. Jolof Sports were now the better team in the game, by this stage of the first half.

The away side were creating a number of goalscoring chances. Following Sidrit Grezda’s effort on the Camden United goal, which was well blocked by Ryan Higgins, Leon Colvin would also have an effort on the home team’s goal, from inside of their penalty area. However, Bilal Ourida would push behind his effort on goal, behind for a corner kick. And it was from this corner kick which the club from east London would get an equalising goal from. A well delivered corner kick found its way to Abib Diop, in the centre of the penalty area, and the Jolof Sports captain was able to finish low into the goal, 1-1. Jolof Sports went in search of their second goal of the game, as they continued to create chances.

After Papa Alassane Ndiaye had headed a difficult chance wide of the Camden United goal, from inside of their penalty area, Camden United would then go forward with the ball at the opposite end of the pitch. However, not long after Julio Fresneda had hit an effort just over the Jolof Sports goal, from the edge of their penalty area, the visiting side would take the lead in the game. A long and impressive forward pass from the Jolof Sports goalkeeper (Zakaria Kechekar) would bounce over the Camden United defence, allowing Papa Alassane Ndiaye to get to the ball on the edge of their penalty area. The impressive forward would lob Bilal Ourida, with the ball then bouncing into the goal, 1-2.

Against the run of play, a good Camden United passing move would see a nice step over on the ball from Sol Alidor-Hamilton, on the right flank, before he made a good forward pass to Ross Derham, who would then find Raymond Adegsoré Adegbite on the left side of the penalty area. However, the Camden United player’s effort was pushed behind by Zakaria Kechekar. Jolof Sports would, in the resulting minutes, up their intensity in the match, even more. And following a push on a Jolof Sports player inside of the Camden United box, the referee would point to the penalty spot, after consulting the linesman, who was closest to him. Up stepped Papa Alassane Ndiaye, who calmly powered a fine effort into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, despite Bilal Ourida managing to get a hand to the ball, 1-3.

 Papa Alassane Ndiaye was already looking for his hat-trick, and he would come close to getting a hat-trick of goals during the first half, after getting to a nice pass in behind the Camden United defence, on the edge of their penalty area. However, his fine curling effort came off the goalkeeper’s left hand post. Camden United did the finish the first half of this eventful game, well, however. With Raymond Adegsoré Adegbite and Emmanuel Yeboah both hitting efforts wide of the Jolof Sports goal, just before half-time. Camden United would start the second half in a similar fashion to how they had started the first half of the game. As Meron Abraham had an effort on the Jolof Sports goal which was blocked, before Julio Fresneda had a low effort on goal (from 20 yards out), which was saved by Zakaria Kechekar.

Papa Alassane Ndiaye had taken his two goals during the first half, really well. However, the Jolof Sports forward would score an outstanding hat-trick goal during the early stages of the second half, which stunned Camden United. After getting to the ball on the left flank, Papa Alassane Ndiaye would look up at the goal from distance, before sending an audacious and perfect chipped effort, with pace on the ball, over the head of Bilal Ourida, who was only slightly off his goal-line, and into the goal, 1-4. Camden United would show real resilience and team spirit after Jolof Sports’ fourth goal of the match, when it looked as if there was to be no way back into the game for them.

Soon after Jolof Sports had got their fourth goal of the game, Camden United managed to get a goal back, in the game. After Meron Abraham had a headed effort on goal, which was pushed away by Zakaria Kechekar, the ball came up to Abdo Khadir inside of the penalty area, and he was able to head the ball into the goal, 2-4. And then following an effort from the edge of the Camden United penalty area (it was a difficult chance) from Papa Alassane Ndiaye, which went wide of their goal, the home side would go on to get their third goal of the game. After Ross Derham’s effort from inside of the visiting team’s box had been well blocked, the ball came to Meron Abraham, who finished low into the goal, 3-4.

This thrilling game of football wasn’t done yet. This fast paced and end to end game, continued to see goalscoring chances being created, at both ends of the pitch, during the latter stages of the game. Shortly after Abdo Khadir had an effort from the edge of the Jolof Sports box, which was saved by Zakaria Kechekar, Max Lee would then curl a free-kick effort over, from the edge of the Camden United box, at the opposite end of the pitch. As the game approached its final moments, Camden United really pushed for that all important equalising goal. And soon after Julio Fresneda had a good free-kick effort on the Jolof Sports goal, which had been well pushed away by Zakaria Kechekar, Camden United were awarded a very late penalty, following a trip on Nusret Ejupi inside of the Jolof Sports box, which was greatly contested by the Jolof Sports players.

Camden United’s Julio Fresneda stepped up to send the goalkeeper the wrong way, from the penalty spot, to make it 4-4, in second half additional time. This was a tremendous game of step 7 non-League football, between two sides who gave their all, and who showed great passion throughout the entirety of the match. Jolof Sports will be very disappointed that they had let a three goal lead slip, but huge credit to Camden United, whose resilience and performance as a team, was very impressive during the second half of the match. Papa Alassane Ndiaye was my player of the match on Wednesday. The Jolof Sports forward made a great impression on the match, scoring three really well taken goals, linking the play well at times and also impressing with his movement off the ball. He was excellent against Camden United.

For Camden United, I thought that their central midfielder Julio Fresneda really epitomised the real spirit, effort and skill that Camden United showed during the second half, and I thought that he was Camden United’s best/most influential player against Jolof Sports. He would of course score two goals, as well.