Non-League and Academy football writer

With all the action from the Middlesex County Football League being on Saturday (there were no midweek fixtures during last week), I will of course go through all of the league results, at step 7 and step 8, from last week. In the first round of the Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, Jolof Sports won 4-2 against Camden United, at the West Ham Memorial Ground, as they continued their outstanding start to the season. Soccer Stars Fennecs also progressed to round two of the Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, with the newly promoted side winning 3-1 against Stonewall, at the Paddington Recreation Ground. 

In the final Alec Smith Premier Division Cup game that took place on Saturday, Camden & Islington United won a thrilling game with Hilltop Reserves, 6-3, at Hackney Marshes. Ryan Pickles (he got a brace), Ansumana Njai, Chihab Benhebil and Josh Gruby, got the goals for the home side, as they advanced to the next round of the cup. In the Premier Division of the Middlesex League, league leaders Hayes & Hillingdon extended their lead at the top of the league table, with a 1-0 home win over London Tigers, at Northwood FC. Joe Shepherd got the only goal of that game. Over at the Linford Christie Stadium, and Ricky Nelson’s SL Benfica side won 4-0 away to Kensington Dragons. Braces from Thiago De Souza De Brito (he now has four goals in four league appearances) and Rafael Barbosa Dos Santos, helped SL Benfica to get the win.

At the Harrow Weald Recreation Ground, Kodak (Harrow) and Indian Gymkhana Club played out a goalless draw. Also, in west London (this time at Lord Halsbury Playing Fields) Shepherds Bush got their first league victory of the season, winning 3-0 away to Larkspur Rovers. Aaron Morgan, Aiden Swaby, and Shawnikki Clement-Peter, got the goals for the visitors. And in the final game in the Premier Division on Saturday, Eagles Land Cricklewood recorded another big league win, this time winning 6-0 away to the defending league champions, Pitshanger Dynamo, at the Brentham Club. Braces from Alan Demiri and Oleksandr Martyniuk, and goals from Enes Shehu and Klevis Zyko, made it four wins from six league games for Eagles Land Cricklewood.

At step 8 of the Middlesex League, and in the Division One (East & Central) Hackney Wick Reserves and Apollo London’s league fixture over in east London, finished 2-2. LBS Lions won their opening league fixture of the season (in the same division), 1-0 to FC Marylebone. Matteo Toti got the winning goal of that game. In the Division One (South & West), at Brunel University Sports Complex, AFC Southall would draw 3-3 with West London Athletic. Also, in the same division. Over at Pole Hill Open Spaces, and CB Hounslow & Abbots A lost 4-3 at home to Harrow United. Feltham would win their opening league fixture of this season, 3-1 to Hayes Town. Andrew Juett scored a hat-trick in that win for Feltham.

The final two games that took place in the South & West division, saw SL Benfica B draw 0-0 with Brentham, and then at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub, Sporting Duet Academy won 2-0 at home to Ickenham, in what was a fine win for the home side. In the Division One (North & West) Bessingby Park Rangers surely recorded one of the biggest wins in grassroots/non-League football so far this season, as they won 14-0 at home to Eagles Land Cricklewood XI, at London Marathon Playing Field. Among the goals for the home side was Joe Ringer, who scored five goals (he is already on six goals for the season). 

Harrow Bhoys won their opening league game of the season in the North & West Division, 2-1 away to FH Whistlers. Jake Boggins and Liam O’Brien got the goals for the away side. Brook House Reserves won their first league game of the season, winning 4-3 away to Hillside AFC, in Southall. And Bloomsbury FC made it two wins from two, when they won 3-1 away to newly promoted side Portobello FC, on Saturday afternoon. The final game from the North & West Division saw former London Saturday Junior Cup winners Wood Lane, win 3-1 at home to Brent United, at the London Tigers Sports Complex.