Non-League and Academy football writer

I was in attendance at Berkeley Fields on Tuesday night, to report on this Combined Counties Football League Division One fixture, between Rising Ballers Kensington and Windsor & Eton. Rising Ballers Kensington started this league match in 22nd place in the league table, after 21 league matches played. The visiting side, Windsor & Eton, started this match in fourth place in the league standings, after 19 league matches played. This step 6 match was won 2-1 by Windsor & Eton. Windsor & Eton would start the game well, despite the difficult conditions on the pitch, because of the earlier rainfall. Early on in the match and after Oliver Graham had reached a lofted pass out on the left flank, the visiting team’s left winger would take the ball to the edge of the Rising Ballers penalty area. His resulting whipped effort on goal seemed to be destined for the right-hand corner of the goal, but for a fine save by the Rising Ballers goalkeeper, Kyle Defraine, to turn the ball around his left-hand post.

Soon after that early chance for the away team, Sean McDonnell, would play a pass into the feet of Pawel Kowalkowski, down the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, but Kowalkowski’s powerful effort on goal was held by Kyle Defraine. An early Rising Ballers counter with the ball would result in Tariq Abduelatief, just missing Andre Cummings’ ball across the face of the Windsor & Eton goal, from a couple of yards out. Then, a couple of minutes after that chance, Josh Serry Kamal would take the ball towards the edge of the Windsor & Eton penalty area, before seeing his deflected low effort on goal be gathered by their goalkeeper, Giordano Zabotti. And shortly after Bakai Manneh had hit an effort over the Rising Ballers goal, on the bounce and from distance, Windsor & Eton would take the lead in the 23rd minute of the game, through their top goalscorer this season, Pawel Kowalkowski.

Pawel Kowalkowski would get to Oliver Graham’s lofted ball into the home team’s penalty area, after a defender had been unable to clear the ball away. Kowalkowski would then skilfully twist and turn his way beyond a defender, before working the space to finish powerfully into the goal, 0-1. Shortly after Josh Serry Kamal had hit a powerful effort over Zabotti’s goal from the edge of the penalty area, Windsor & Eton would create a good chance to double their lead from before half-time. Ben Hutchings’ lofted ball would find Kowalkowski, in behind the Rising Ballers defence. The centre-forward would then show some good skill on the ball before hitting an effort against the goalkeeper’s left-hand post, from inside of the penalty area. Just before the end of the first half,  Kyle Defraine would gather Bakai Manneh’s free-kick effort on his goal from 30 yards out.

Rising Ballers would improve during the early stages of the second half. However, after Shayden Macdonald’s powerful effort on Zabotti’s goal, after taking the ball into the left-hand side of the penalty area, was gathered, the visitors would again go close to making it 2-0. As Callum Winchcombe’s headed effort from Bakai Manneh’s free-kick delivery into the Rising Ballers penalty area, went just wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. Then in the 73rd moment of the game and after Rising Ballers had grown back into the game, they would draw level. It was a well worked move from Rising Ballers, which ended with Josh Serry Kamal receiving a back-heeled pass just inside of the Windsor & Eton box, and his powerful low effort would find the centre of the goal, after the goalkeeper had just been unable to gather the ball, 1-1. The game had barely restarted (Windsor & Eton’s second goal came less than one minute later) when Windsor & Eton had regained their lead, however. Substitute Isaiah Chase-Kelly would go forward with the ball at pace down the right flank, catching Rising Ballers by surprise. He would then cross low for another substitute, in Ethan Darcy, who from inside of the penalty area would finish low into the goal with a good first time effort, 1-2.

After the game had restarted once again, Rising Ballers’ captain Oscar Walton would volley a good effort wide of Zabotti’s goal from close range, after meeting a free-kick into the box. Unfortunately for the home side, because of injury, they would have to play the remaining minutes of the game with ten men. And it was Windsor & Eton who finished the game the better of the two sides. Isaiah Chase-Kelly’s through-ball pass to Pawel Kowalkowski, would see the striker go through on goal, with only the outrushing goalkeeper, Kyle Defraine, to beat. However, Kowalkowski’s lofted effort over the goalkeeper (from the edge of the penalty area), went narrowly wide of the goal. A couple of minutes later and after Marcus Mealing had controlled a lofted ball on the left-hand side of the Rising Ballers penalty area, Mealing would bring the ball down, before seeing his low effort on goal be gathered well by Defraine.

Despite this not being Windsor & Eton’s very best performance of the season, they showed real professionalism as a team, to get all three points, showing why they are likely to be the team to beat in the league this season. Credit to Rising Ballers Kensington, who really did come back into the game during the second half, really making Windsor & Eton work hard for their win. For Rising Ballers, I thought that their captain (Oscar Walton) was their player of the match. However, Windsor & Eton captain and central defender, Ben Hutchings, was my player of the match on Tuesday. Their vocal captain defended decisively, and he would lead his defence well during the game. Special mentions must go to Pawel Kowalkowski, who scored that fine opening goal of the game, and who was unlucky not to add further to his outstanding goalscoring tally for the season. Also, I thought that Windsor & Eton substitute Isaiah Chase-Kelly, would make a good and important impact on the game during the second half, linking up well with Pawel Kowalkowski. In addition, in the middle of the pitch, Bakai Manneh and Ben Catt worked well together, linking up well with CAM, Jatinder Liddar.