Non-League and Academy football writer

At Regents Park on Saturday afternoon, Camden & Islington United Reserves faced Stonewall Reserves in a Middlesex County Football League Division One East & Central fixture. This was the second time in the space of a week that both sides had faced each other, with Stonewall Reserves winning the previous fixture 3-1, at West Ham Memorial Ground. Camden & Islington United Reserves started this match in sixth place in the table, after 14 matches played. Stonewall Reserves started this match in seventh place in the Division One East & Central standings, after 13 matches played. This step 8 match was won 1-0 by Camden & Islington United Reserves. Camden & Islington would start this match at a slightly better intensity than Stonewall, going on to create the first two goalscoring chances of the game. Firstly, Lucas Jackson’s cross into the Stonewall box, from the right flank, was met by Jon Makici on the volley. However, his volleyed effort on goal was gathered by the Stonewall goalkeeper, Dennis Aware. A couple of minutes later, Camden & Islington player Tom Stewart-Green, would hit a decent effort (on the bounce) over the Stonewall goal, from 30 yards out.

Stonewall player Alexander Bushe would then hit an effort over the home team’s goal, from distance, before Stonewall player Aiden Hale managed to create a decent chance. As his lofted ball across from the left flank, would find Kieran Dobbs, on the edge of the Camden & Islington penalty area. His resulting effort on the half-volley, was however, well gathered by Matthew Angell, in the Camden & Islington goal. Camden & Islington were pressing really well, and shortly after the impressive Samuel Tommy had managed to latch on to a long lofted forward pass on the edge of the Stonewall box, his powerful volleyed effort would go wide of Dennis Aware’s near post. And then at the opposite end of the pitch, Camden & Islington defender Charlie Hughes, would win the ball really well, on the edge of the Camden & Islington box, to stop Fernando Martins’ good through-ball pass from reaching a teammate. 

This was proving to be quite a cagey game of football, with Camden & Islington just looking a little bit more likely to score the opening goal of the game. Just before half-time Mustapha Ghardiane’s clever flicked pass would find Kieran Dobbs on the left-hand side of the Camden & Islington box, with Kieran Dobbs’ resulting powerful effort, going across the face of Matthew Angell’s goal. Quite early on in the second half of this match the home side would take the lead. Some good pressing from Samuel Tommy, would see the Camden & Islington player get to the ball down the left-hand side of the Stonewall box, after it had bobbled past a defender. From there Samuel Tommy would clinically find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal courtesy of a fine finish, 1-0.  

There was quite a long spell in the second half where there were hardly any goalscoring chances being created. But, after that quiet spell in the game, Alex Harris’ Stonewall Reserves side, would manage three goal attempts in quick succession. As after Stonewall defender Robert Barr had flicked on a long throw-in to the Camden & Islington box, to Alexander Bushe, his volleyed effort on the turn, went wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. And then a couple of minutes later, and after Kieran Dobbs had skilfully worked his way into the home team’s penalty area, he saw his low effort on goal be gathered by Matthew Angell, at his near post. One minute later, Kieran Dobbs would hit a decent effort over Angell’s goal, from distance, before Lucas Jackson’s whipped free-kick effort from distance, went wide of the Stonewall goal, at the opposite end of the pitch. 

After Dennis Aware had gathered Kieron Craine’s low effort on his goal, from the edge of the penalty area, Stonewall Reserves would really go for it, as they looked to equalise late on. Having committed more players forward, Stonewall were really trying to get the ball into the penalty area, as much as they could. Aiden Hale’s fine cross into the Camden & Islington penalty area, was headed wide of Matthew Angell’s left-hand post, by Mustapha Ghardiane, at the back post. During the final moments of the game, Camden & Islington player Santiago Musalem-Pinto’s effort under pressure, from the right-hand side of the Stonewall box, would go wide of Dennis Aware’s near post, before the referee had sounded his whistle for full-time. This was a game which was played on a difficult pitch, with both teams defending well throughout, but it was that fine finish from Samuel Tommy, which would ultimately win the game for Luca Malagigi’s Camden & Islington side. However, credit to Camden & Islington United Reserves, who also defended really solidly throughout this match, in a game that didn’t see many real goalscoring chances, overall.

For my player of the match award, I’ve decided to award it to the match winner, Samuel Tommy. Even though he was substituted off after his goal, he did some fine work with the ball in the forward areas of the pitch, especially during the first half, and he pressed the Stonewall defence well throughout. Other contenders were the Camden & Islington defenders, with Charlie Hughes putting in a strong defensive performance for the home side, Stonewall’s impressive central-defender Robert Barr, John-Patrick Sainsbury at right-back, and also Will Palmer, in central midfield.