Non-League and Academy football writer

In the Middlesex County Football League, on Saturday the 1st of February, there were five fixtures that took place on Saturday, in the Premier Division. At New River Sports Centre, Camden United recorded a really impressive 9-1 home league win over Shepherds Bush. For Camden United, Harold Ake scored four goals against Shepherds Bush, with Camden United’s top goalscorer this season, Kairo Theophane getting a hat-trick of goals. Timothy Godwins and Khaled Madey got the other goals for the north London club. At Northolt High School, league title challengers Hayes & Hillingdon, lost only their second league match of this season, as they lost 2-1 at home to another title challenger, in Jolof Sports, in what was a great win for Danny Brissett’s side.

Another title challenger, in SL Benfica, also lost on Saturday. With Benfica losing 3-1 away to Hillop Reserves, in what was a really big result for the home side. And over at Indian Gymkhana Sports Club, the away team, Pitshanger Dynamo, would continue their great recent run of form, with an important 3-2 win against Indian Gymkhana Club. Pitshanger are now out of the relegation zone. And the final Premier Division fixture taking place on Saturday, saw some very late drama, as Stonewall won 2-1 with what was the last kick of the game, against Larkspur Rovers. Jay Lemonius and Cameron McEwan got Stonewall’s goals, at the London Marathon Community Track.

Now to the Division One East & Central. In the following section of this piece, an almost weekly feature, this time sees a round-up of Alexandra Knights’ home league fixture with FC Marylebone (at Edmonton County School), in the Division One East & Central. Alexandra Knights would start this game in a 4-4-2 central formation, against FC Marylebone, who would start this match really well, and in complete control of the game. Alexandra Knights would have to really defend well during those opening 20 minutes of the game, with Marylebone managing around two efforts on the home team’s goal, before a penalty was awarded to Marylebone, following a hand ball inside of the home team’s penalty area. However, the penalty was missed. Alexandra Knights would however, grow into the game during the remaining 25 minutes of the first half.

After having grown into the game, Alexandra Knights started to have a bit more possession, and a couple of more efforts on goal/goalscoring opportunities. However, just before half-time, a quickly taken FC Marylebone corner-kick, would catch the home team by surprise. With the ball being played out to the edge of the box, where an FC Marylebone player controlled the ball, before taking it past an Alexandra Knights player and then slotting the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goalkeeper’s goal, 0-1. For the opening stages of the second half, Alexandra Knights tried to start the second half with more energy, but FC Marylebone managed to match it, creating a couple of good goalscoring chances, which they came quite close to scoring from.

Alexandra Knights were awarded a free-kick on the edge (on the left-hand side of the pitch) of the Marylebone box, around 15 minutes into the second half. Triratana Sanguanbun stepped up to take the free-kick, before the goalkeeper had punched away his effort on goal, with Leonardo Almeida, on his debut, getting to the ball in the centre of the box, and then heading an effort on goal, which the goalkeeper was unable to gather, as it went into the goal, 1-1. For the next 15 to 20 minutes, FC Marylebone would respond to the equalising goal, really well. And the visiting team would move the ball around the pitch with real purpose, and accuracy, going on to create a couple of good chances. Not long after Alexandra Knights had made some substitutions, FC Marylebone were awarded a free-kick, right on the edge of the home team’s penalty area. And an FC Marylebone player would do really well to whip an effort into the left-hand corner of the goalkeeper’s goal, 1-2.

Alexandra Knights would make another tactical substitution soon after FC Marylebone had regained the lead, with the home side moving to a 4-2-3-1 formation. Very late on in this match, a long ball forward, from Alexandra Knights player Matteo Sbarzella, would result in Filippo Gin getting to the ball in a forward area. He would then take the ball past one player, before then going past another player, and then cutting inside with the ball (on the left-hand side of the away team’s box), with his resulting effort on goal being parried by the goalkeeper. The ball then came to Abdallah Abdulrahman Abdallah, on the right hand side of the penalty area. His powerful effort on goal would hit the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Romario Asenso would then get to the ball inside the centre of the box, before going down under pressure, and that was to be the final chance of the game.

The division’s second place side, FC Marylebone, were in control of this game for the majority of play, but Alexandra Knights (they were missing five regular starters for this game) competed well despite not having as much possession of the ball, or as many good efforts on goal. However, another improved Alexandra Knights performance, saw them go so close to scoring a very late equalising goal, in the final moments of this game. This was a crucial win for FC Marylebone, however, who are now two points behind the league leaders, LBS Lions, after they lost their fixture (2-1 to Apollo London) on Saturday. The title race in the Division One East & Central, is proving to be a fascinating one, between LBS Lions, and FC Marylebone.

Also in the Division One East & Central, Soccer Stars Fennecs Ascenders recorded a good 3-2 away win over FC Wood Green. And, Mustapha Ghardiane scored his sixth goal of this season for Stonewall Reserves, in their 1-0 home win over Hackney Wick Reserves. And at Paddington Recreation Ground, Westminster & Kensington lost 5-0 to Camden & Islington United Reserves. At Feltham Rugby Club (in Division One South & West), Feltham FC recorded a very important 2-0 win (Aaron Flower got both goals for Feltham) over Harrow United, on Saturday afternoon. And the only other game taking place in that division on Saturday, saw Hayes Town win 2-1 away to SL Benfica B.

In the Division One North & West, Bloomsbury won 5-0 away to Celtic (1995). And at London Tigers Sports Complex, courtesy of goals from Yusuf Khalaf, Jay Hines, and Haddi Rayan (Haddi scored two goals), Wood Lane once again recorded a big win, this time winning 4-1 at home to FH Whistlers. At step 9 of the Middlesex League, in The Russell Grant Division Two, there were two league matches taking place on Saturday. London Saracens won 2-0 at home to Kensington Dragons Blues, and Townmead won 4-0 away to Southall Athletic. The respective cup games/results involving Middlesex League clubs on Saturday, are as follows. A brace of goals from Ryan Pickles, saw Camden & Islington United progress to the semi-finals of the Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, with a 2-0 home win over Soccer Stars Fennecs. After a 0-0 draw in 90 minutes of football, between Eagles Land Cricklewood and London Tigers, in the other quarter-final tie in that competition, London Tigers would progress to the semi-finals of the competition, winning on penalties.

In the only Jim Rogers President’s Division One Cup-tie (quarter-final tie), the home side on Saturday (AFC Southall) won on penalties, with the scores at 4-4 with CB Hounslow & Abbots A, after 90 minutes. Next Saturday (February the 8th), my game to watch, of the Middlesex League, for next Saturday, is The Jim Roger President’s Division One Cup-tie quarter-final tie, between Apollo London and Wood Lane. That will be a really good game of football.