Non-League and Academy football writer

Despite some postponements, because of the recent rainy weather, there were still plenty of games taking place in the Middlesex County Football League, during the Saturday just gone. In the Premier Division of the Middlesex League, second placed Eagles Land Cricklewood recorded another victory, with a 5-1 home win over Kensington Dragons, on Saturday afternoon. Their goals came from Kristo Beshiku, who got a hat-trick, Beola Coker, and Ashkan Abbasi. Also, Hilltop Reserves won 5-1 away to London Tigers (at London Tigers Sports Complex), and goals from Arif Bala and Timothy Godwins, helped Camden United (they have since moved up to third place in the league standings) to a 2-1 away win over an inform Pitshanger Dynamo side. And at the Terence McMillan Stadium, the away side, Camden & Islington United, won 1-0 against Soccer Stars Fennecs. Jonathon Ding got the winning goal of that game.

In the only game taking place in the Division One East & Central (step 8), Camden & Islington United Reserves’ home league fixture with Hackney Wick Reserves, ended in a 0-0 draw. In the Division One (South & West), title challengers Harrow United won 6-2 at home to Brentham, in what was an important win for them. And in the only game taking place in the Division One North & West, Bloomsbury won 4-2 against FH Whistlers. Now to the respective cup competitions involving clubs from the Middlesex League, and in the quarter-finals of the AFA Challenge Cup, Apollo London won 9-0 against Amateur Football Combination side, Cretania. The final Middlesex League side in the London FA Saturday Junior Cup (FC Marylebone) were knocked out by a very good AMG Ballerz side, from the Kent County League, in a quarter-final tie at Paddington Recreation Ground.

Middlesex Premier Division sides Hayes & Hillingdon and Shepherds Bush, will meet in the 2024/25 season’s Middlesex County FA Intermediate Cup final. Shepherds Bush beat step 9 side Townmead, 2-0 in their semi-final tie, and Hayes & Hillingdon won 3-0 against Indian Gymkhana Club. In the quarter-finals of The Jim Rogers President’s Division One Cup, Ruislip Town recorded an impressive 2-1 win over LBS Lions, and Harrow Bhoys won 4-2 away to Brent United, to progress into the semi-finals of the competition. And finally, Eastcote British Legion will be playing in the final of this season’s Eddy Mee Division Two Challenge Cup, after winning on penalties against FC Sunbury, after that semi-final tie finished 2-2 after 90 minutes.

Next Saturday, my highlighted game of the week is a quarter-final tie of the Anagram Records Trophy, as Middlesex League side Jolof Sports welcome Hertford Heath to the West Ham Memorial Ground, in what should be a really good game of cup football.