Non-League and Academy football writer

Stonewall FC faced Camden United on Friday night, at West Ham Memorial Ground, in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture. The home side, Stonewall, started this match in seventh place in the league, with the visiting team (Camden United), starting the game in 14th place in the league. This game was won 3-1 by Camden United, with the referee bringing the game to an end late on, because of an injury that was sustained by a Camden United player (in the 87th minute). However, there wasn’t much of the game left, when the referee brought the game to an end. Camden United would start the game with an outfield player (Said Tahir) in goal, but Reece Mercer would be substituted on, to take his place during the early stages of the game.

Camden United would start the match well, showing good energy and movement/work off the ball. Not long after Sore Adegbite had received Meron Abraham’s pass on the edge of the Stonewall penalty area, he would hit a low effort on goal, which was saved by Dennis Aware. It wasn’t long after that chance, when the north London club would take the lead in the game. A good move would result in Meron Abraham delivering a low cross to Dennis Aware’s near post, from the right flank, and it was there that Vinicius Santana finished into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1. A couple of minutes later, Stonewall player Danny Shaw had a free-kick effort on the Camden United goal (from 20 yards out), which was saved by Reece Mercer.

Camden United’s good pressing wasn’t allowing Stonewall to pass the ball around, as effectively as they would have liked to, during the early stages of the game. Camden United player Ali Mouslimani would have two efforts on goal (one from inside of the Stonewall box, and one from outside of the box) which were saved by Dennis Aware. From a corner that was delivered towards the back post of the Camden United goal (from Danny Shaw), to Callum Alexander, the Stonewall player would see his headed effort on goal saved and held by Reece Mercer. And then, a couple of minutes later, Stonewall player Pablo Ortiz managed to meet a free-kick delivery on the right-hand side of the Camden United box, but his resulting looping effort went wide of Reece Mercer’s right-hand post.

Camden United would finish the first half quite well, before they conceded an equalising goal. Meron Abraham would meet a low cross from Sore Adegbite, at Dennis Aware’s near post, but his flicked effort on goal was cleared away by a defender. However, late on in the first half, Stonewall scored an equalising goal. Some good closing down/pressing from Shane McCullough inside of Camden United’s penalty area, would result in him taking the ball off goalkeeper Reece Mercer. McCullough would then square the ball from the left-hand side of the penalty area, to Kolo Soyoye, who finished into the goal from close range, 1-1.

Stonewall started the second half of the match well, and after Angus White had hit an effort wide of the Camden United goal, from distance, the influential Kolo Soyoye would show some good skill on the ball, before passing the ball to Shane McCullough on the edge of the Camden United penalty area, but McCullough’s low effort was deflected wide, off a defender. However, despite Stonewall starting the second half well, Camden United would soon regain the lead. The impressive Vinicius Santana’s fine through-ball pass found Meron Abraham on the right-hand side of the Stonewall box, and the skilful Camden United forward would finish the ball well, into the bottom left-hand corner of the outrushing Dennis Aware’s goal, 1-2.

As the game progressed, both sides looked to add to their goalscoring tally. Following Angus White’s low effort on the Camden United goal, which was held by Reece Mercer, Kolo Soyoye would then hit an effort wide from the edge of the away team’s box, on the turn. Two efforts in quick succession following some good skill to take the ball to the edge of the Stonewall box (on both occasions) from Julio Fresneda would see both efforts go just over Dennis Aware’s goal. Then at the opposite end of the pitch, Camden United defender Ryan Higgins did well to block Shane McCullough’s effort from inside of the penalty area.

A very good passing move from Camden United would result in Julio Fresneda passing the ball to Meron Abraham, who then found the influential Sol Alidor-Hamilton inside of the Stonewall penalty area, but his effort was well closed down and saved by Dennis Aware. From a free-kick effort on the edge of the Stonewall box from Julio Fresneda, the Camden United midfielder tried to catch Dennis Aware by surprise, with an effort towards his near post, but his effort went over. Stonewall would go close to scoring another equaliser, but Fernando Martins had an effort from inside of the away team’s box, which was cleared off the Camden United goal-line by a defender.

Following Vinicius Santana’s run to the right-hand side of the Stonewall penalty area, he would have an effort on goal which was saved by Dennis Aware. Then in the late stages of the match, Camden United were awarded a free-kick some 20 yards out from the Stonewall goal. Camden United substitute Ali Abdalla took a long run up, before hitting a superb effort with dip, into the top right-hand corner of the goal, 3-1. The referee brought the game to an end, not long after that goal, after the injury to one of the Camden United players.

Camden United showed real determination, skill and hard work, to win 3-1 against a team much higher up in the league standings than them, in Stonewall. They impressed and worked well as a team, from the solid defending and good organisational skills of their central-defenders Ryan Higgins and Lucas Giles, to the good work in the forward areas of the pitch, from Sore Adegbite, Meron Abraham, and also deeper on the pitch were the impressive Sol Alidor-Hamilton and Ali Mouslimani. Camden United right-back – Vinicius Santana, was a player who put in a really good performance for the away side, on Friday night. His work at both ends of the pitch (he scored a goal and provided an assist) made him a key player for the away team on the night, and he made a really good impression on the game.

For my player of the match award, it was a very difficult decision between Vinicius Santana, Meron Abraham and Camden United’s central midfield – Julio Fresneda. However, personally speaking, Julio Fresneda was my player of the match, for his creativity and skill on the ball, that he showed in midfield. With his clever and skilful twists and turns on the ball, Julio Fresneda linked the play really well, and he also used the ball really well in the final third, going on some fine forward runs with the ball. He really helped Camden United to get control of the midfield. However, for Stonewall, I thought that their goalscorer Kolo Soyoye, was their player of the match.