Non-League and Academy football writer

It was another busy Saturday in the Middlesex County Football League, during the weekend just gone. In the Premier Division of the Middlesex League, seven matches took place. On the show pitch at Hackney Marshes, two goals from Camden & Islington United (their goals were scored by Ryan Pickles and Jonny Ding) saw the home side lead 2-0 until around the 85th minute mark of that game. However, Kensington Dragons came back and scored two late goals, with the game finishing in a 2-2 draw. At Vale Farm, Eagles Land Cricklewood won 2-0 at home to Shepherds Bush, in what was another important league win for them, as Eagles Land Cricklewood move up to second place in the table, after 21 matches played. For Eagles Land Cricklewood, Emiliano Dosti and Endri Proko got their goals.

Title contenders Hayes & Hillingdon won 1-0 at home to Camden United, on Saturday, and over at Harrow Weald Recreation Ground, Kodak (Harrow) recorded a 4-2 win over Hilltop Reserves. Endrit Feka (he scored two goals on the day), Ayoola Adu-Olotin, and Kamran Ali, got Kodak’s goals, against Hilltop Reserves. League leaders SL Benfica, also won on Saturday. Ricky Nelson’s side won 5-1 at home to London Tigers. Goals from Sofian Hammouda and Hocine Krouchi helped Soccer Stars Fennecs to a 2-1 home league win over Larkspur Rovers, in east London. Also in east London on Saturday, title challengers Stonewall lost 4-2 to a very inform Pitshanger Dynamo, who continue to move up the Premier Division table. A brace from Sergio Carro, and goals from Tiernan Fitzgerald, and Hussein Manea, helped Pitshanger to another important league victory.

In the Division One East & Central of the Middlesex League, title challengers LBS Lions would draw 2-2 to Stonewall Reserves. However, FC Marylebone’s 3-1 away win over Soccer Stars Fennecs Ascenders, at Paddington Recreation Ground, means that Marylebone are now top of that division, on goal difference. Also in the Division One East & Central, goals from Omar Zaki, Lorenzo Vicari, and Joseph Daaboul, helped Westminster & Kensington to a 3-1 home win over Apollo London. In Division One South & West, AFC Southall recorded a 3-1 home win over Ickenham, and Hayes Town won 3-2 away to Brentham, at Brentham Club. And in the same division, Ruislip Town won 2-1 away to Feltham FC, with league leaders Sporting Duet Academy winning 3-1 at home to SL Benfica B, to extend their lead at the top of the league table to five points.

A youthful Eagles Land Cricklewood XI lost 7-1 to Celtic (1995) in a Division One North & West fixture, on Saturday. And in the same division, FH Whistlers (they are now in second place in the table) won 6-4 against Brookhouse, courtesy of goals from Jordan Ashong (Jordan scored a hat-trick), Matthew Cordell, and Harry Hutnell (Harry got two goals against Brookhouse). Hillside AFC would draw 2-2 against Wood Lane, and Bessingby Park Rangers would win 5-1 away to Portobello, in the same division, on Saturday.

There were two games taking place in The Russell Grant Division 2, on Saturday afternoon. FC Sunbury won 2-1 away to Kensington Dragons Blues, and London Saracens won 3-0 against Townmead, at step 9 of the Middlesex League. To the respective cup competitions now, and in The Eddy Mee Division Two Challenge Cup (quarter-final tie), Kodak (Harrow) Reserves won 2-0 against Wiseman West. Step 9 side Eastcote British Legion would lose on penalties (the game finished 2-2 after 90 minutes) against CB Hounslow & Abbots Senior Reserves, in the semi-finals of the Middlesex County FA Junior Cup. And finally, in a quarter-final tie of the Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, Indian Gymkhana Club beat Jolof Sports 3-2, on Saturday. Next Saturday (February 22nd), although I still haven’t decided which league game I’ll be covering next Saturday, my highlighted Middlesex League game of the week, is a Premier Division fixture between Soccer Stars Fennecs and Camden & Islington United, at Terence McMillan Stadium.