Non-League and Academy football writer

Camden & Islington United faced Jolof Sports, on the show pitch at Hackney Marshes on Saturday afternoon, in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture. Camden & Islington United started this match in seventh place in the Premier Division table, after 13 league matches played. Unbeaten in the league so far this season (after 11 league matches played), Jolof Sports started this game in second place in the league table. This step 7 match was won 5-2 by Camden & Islington United, who thoroughly deserved to win on the day. Starting the game with the better intensity, Nick Wigmore’s Camden & Islington side would see more of the ball early on, working it into some good spaces. However, Jolof Sports would have the first two goal attempts of the game, with both Mohamed Roundi and then Hamden Ashimi-Abdulrasheed, hitting efforts over the home team’s goal, from outside of their penalty area.

Camden & Islington’s good start would result in them taking a relatively early lead in the match. With the impressive Karl Usher getting to a rebound inside of the Jolof Sports penalty area, and the Camden & Islington forward would finish clinically, from the right-hand side of the penalty area, into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Soon after that opening goal of the game, Camden & Islington would double their lead soon after, with Karl Usher getting his second goal of the match. After Ryan Pickles had reached a good lofted pass out to the left flank, the highly skilful forward would drive forward with the ball, before crossing low to the centre of the Jolof Sports penalty area, from where Karl Usher would finish emphatically into the top right-hand corner of the goal, 2-0.

Camden & Islington were playing some very good free flowing football, and their energy levels on the pitch were also very good at this stage of the match. Following a good run to the left-hand side of the Jolof Sports box by Karl Usher, the Camden & Islington forward’s resulting powerful effort on goal was saved by the goalkeeper. A couple of minutes later, a well worked passing move from the home side would result in Josh Gruby hitting an effort over, from the edge of the Jolof Sports penalty area. Ryan Pickles would create the next goalscoring chance of the game, late on in the first half. After winning the ball, Ryan Pickles would take the ball forward down the left-hand side of the Jolof Sports penalty area, before having a low effort on goal which was well saved and closed down by the goalkeeper. The final chance of the first half was created by Jolof Sports, with Kaine Flemy receiving a lay off inside the centre of the Camden & Islington penalty area, but his low effort on goal was saved by the feet of the goalkeeper.

Camden & Islington would start the second half superbly well. Following a great through-ball pass from Josh Gruby, to find the run of Karl Usher inside of the away team’s penalty area, Usher would see his low effort saved and closed down well by the goalkeeper, with a Jolof Sports defender on hand to then clear the ball away. And then a couple of minutes after that chance, following some fine skill on the ball from Ryan Pickles, the forward would find Ansu Njai, who then passed the ball to Karl Usher on the right-hand side of the Jolof Sports penalty area, but his low effort was saved by the goalkeeper. The chances kept on coming for Camden & Islington, and after Ryan Pickles had a low effort (once again this chance came from an impressive team move) from the left-hand side of the away team’s box, which was saved, straight afterwards Clement Jeans would see his low effort from the edge of the box, gathered by the goalkeeper.

A free-kick which had been awarded to Camden & Islington, some 25 yards out from goal, would be taken by Ryan Pickles, as the second half progressed. The talented forward’s excellent whipped effort would hit the goalkeeper’s crossbar, as Camden & Islington continued to go so close to getting that important third goal of the game. That somewhat decisive third goal of the match would come just a couple of minutes later, for the home side. It came from a superb and intricate passing move, which saw Ryan Pickles get to a nice lofted pass to the left-hand side of the penalty area, and the forward would then cross low to the middle of the goal, with the ball (under pressure from Karl Usher) going into the goal off a Jolof Sports defender, 3-0.

Ryan Pickles’ awareness on the pitch and vision for a forward pass was always evident, and one such decisive forward pass (soon after the game has started again) would see him expertly find the run of Karl Usher, who was now through on goal, inside of the away side’s box. However, Usher’s low effort was well kept out by the goalkeeper. From the resulting corner-kick, Ryan Pickles would pick out Charles Jeans, whose volleyed effort on goal was saved. And then arrived two goals in quick succession, for Camden & Islington, late on in the game. The home side’s fourth goal of the game came from the very impressive Ryan Pickles, who would skilfully take the ball into the Jolof Sports penalty area, before cutting inside with the ball onto his left foot and finishing low and powerfully into the goal, 4-0. Straight after that goal, a well delivered low pass from a quickly taken free-kick out on the right-flank, would find the run of Ryan Pickles, inside of the away team’s penalty area. Ryan Pickles would then finish low into the goal, past the goalkeeper, 5-0.

Danny Brissett’s Jolof Sports side would finish the game strongly, scoring two very late goals. Their first goal of the afternoon came from the penalty spot, after Gherardo Lucchesini had been fouled by a Camden & Islington defender. Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo would clinically find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal from the penalty spot, to score his tenth league goal of the season, 5-1. And then in the final moments of the game, Jolof Sports player Gherardo Lucchesini would receive the ball on the edge of the Camden & Islington penalty area, before delightfully lofting the ball over the goalkeeper and into the top right-hand corner of the goal, 5-2. This was a very good performance from Camden & Islington, to become the first Premier Division side to beat Jolof Sports this season, and they won this game in real style, playing their passing game to great effect from the start, as well as defending solidly for much of the game.

Camden & Islington’s highly skilful number 52, Ryan Pickles, was my player of the match today. Not only did he do some great work with the ball in the final third of the pitch, scoring two very good goals (he also got an assist) but his movement off the ball was so impressive throughout the game. Both Karl Usher and Josh Gruby were also excellent in their all-round game, and very influential in how they impacted the game, but then it was just a really good and well organised team performance from Camden & Islington, on the day. Jolof Sports’ excellent unbeaten run may be over, but Danny Brissett’s side will be looking to return to winning ways when they face Stonewall next Saturday afternoon.