Non-League and Academy football writer

With all of the Middlesex Football League action taking place on Saturday, from the Premier Division there were six matches that went ahead. However, the Shepherds Bush versus Stonewall, and Pitshanger Dynamo versus Kensington Dragons matches, were called off owing to the heavy rain over the past week. On Saturday afternoon at Hackney Marshes, two real footballing sides, in Camden & Islington United and Soccer Stars Fennecs would draw 2-2, in what was their first ever meeting in the Premier Division of the Middlesex League. Josh Gruby and Ryan Pickles got the goals for Camden & Islington United, who were leading 2-1 until very late on in the match, when Soccer Stars Fennecs’ captain Youcef Mezaoui, got a very late leveller.

Hilltop Reserves would draw 4-4 with London Tigers, in a high scoring Premier Division game at Club Des Sports, and over at the Indian Gymkhana Sports Club, Indian Gymkhana Club got their second win of the season, beating Camden United 3-1. Over in east London, Jolof Sports were looking like they were going to extend their tremendous winning run in all competitions, but for league leaders Hayes & Hillingdon to score two late goals at the West Ham Memorial Ground, to draw that league game 3-3. Talented Hayes & Hillingdon player Charlie Casey scored a hat-trick for the visiting side on Saturday. At the Harrow Weald Recreation Ground, the home side Kodak (Harrow) lost 6-2 to league runners-up, SL Benfica. Among the goalscorers for SL Benfica was Thiago De Souza De Brito, who with his two goals, is now the leading goal scorer in the league, with seven goals already this season.

Liam Walford came off the bench for Larkspur Rovers to help the home side get a point (he scored two goals) against Eagles Land Cricklewood, with that game finishing 2-2. At step 8 of the Middlesex League, (in the Division One East & Central) Hackney Wick Reserves won 3-2 away to Alexandra Knights, at Edmonton County School. And in Finchley, Apollo London won 4-1 at home to Soccer Stars Fennecs Ascenders. Camden & Islington United Reserves played their home league fixture with FC Marylebone at Regents Park, but it was the visiting side who won this game 3-0. Jevonte Deabreau (he continues his excellent start to the season), Romario Edwards, and Mohammed Maki got FC Marylebone’s goals.

LBS Lions made it two league wins from two, with an emphatic 6-2 away league victory over FC Wood Green, in the East & Central division. Matteo Toti and Dominick Mondesir both got braces for LBS Lions in that game. In the South & West Division, AFC Southall recorded an impressive 7-2 league win over Ruislip Town, with Jovan Bains and Hassan Mahmood among the goals for the home side (they both got braces). In the same step 8 division, Hayes Town won 5-3 away to CB Hounslow & Abbots A. And over at the Brunel University Sports Complex, Ickenham won 2-1 at home to Brentham.

Feltham FC returned to winning ways with a 4-3 away win over SL Benfica B, thanks to goals from Oskar Liszka, Dante Gibson, and an own goal. And the final game that was taking place in the South & West Division, was between Sporting Duet Academy and Harrow United, at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub. Sporting Duet Academy won this game 4-1. In the Division One North & West, and Harrow Bhoys continued their excellent start to the season, with a very impressive 7-1 away league win over Bessingby Park Rangers. Rhys Murphy got a hat-trick of goals in that big win for the visitors over at the London Marathon Playing Field.

Bloomsbury FC’s start to life at step 8 of the Middlesex League continues to get better, with them making it four wins from four in the North & West Division, with a 3-1 home win over Celtic on Saturday. FH Whistlers won 4-1 at home to Hillside AFC, with Portobello FC winning 4-2 at home to Brent United in the same division. And finally from step 8 of the Middlesex League, Wood Lane won 6-2 at home to Eagles Land Cricklewood XI. Nur Abdulrahman, Raihan Afzal, Mohamed-Amin Astan, Khaled Omar, and a brace of goals from Yusuf Khalaf, helped Wood Lane to win this league game in style.