Non-League and Academy football writer

Midweek fixtures in the Middlesex County Football League, are as follows: In the Premier Division, Shepherds Bush and Hayes & Hillingdon were involved in a thrilling 3-3 draw at Harefield United FC, and Kensington Dragons won 5-1 at home to Kodak (Harrow), on Thursday. Also during midweek, in the Division One North & West of the Middlesex League, Celtic (1995) won 2-0 away to Brookhouse. Now to Saturday, and starting with the Premier Division, and Indian Gymkhana Club would draw 1-1 with Stonewall on Saturday. Jay Lemonius got Stonewall’s only goal on the day. In east London, Jolof Sports won 5-2 against Shepherds Bush, and in west London, Kodak (Harrow) won 1-0 against London Tigers. Also in west London, Pitshanger Dynamo lost 5-2 at home to Hilltop Reserves.

Goals from Egidio Mahmoud, who scored a brace, and Che Regis, helped the leaders of the Premier Division (SL Benfica) to a 3-2 home win over Eagles Land Cricklewood, on Saturday. The final match taking place in the Premier Division, was between Soccer Stars Fennecs and Hayes & Hillingdon, at Terence McMillan Stadium. Soccer Stars Fennecs won that match 2-0, courtesy of goals from Mouadh Kermani and Uthman Tellia. In the Division One East & Central, Apollo London won 3-0 against Alexandra Knights, in a north London derby match. This game started with Apollo London on the front foot, and although Alexandra Knights player Ryan Richard Shay had headed a Filippo Gin cross wide of the home team’s goal, early on, in what was the first real chance of the game, Apollo London would go close to taking the lead on a number of occasions, soon after. In fact were it not for some excellent decision making and important saves from the Alexandra Knights goalkeeper, Keenan Yates, then Apollo London could’ve been ahead by a lot of goals, during the early stages of the game.

Eventually, and following a penalty which had been awarded to Apollo London, the home side would take the lead, 1-0. However, Alexandra Knights would go on to create three very good chances during the remainder of the half, but, the visiting side were unable to score from them. The game was a bit more balanced during the early stages of the second half, with both sides managing a couple of efforts on each other’s goal. Apollo London would (in the 73rd minute of the game) double their lead. Following a pass across midfield from an Alexandra Knights player, an Apollo London player would get to the ball, before passing it forward to a teammate, in midfield. A fine through-ball pass would follow, with the pass finding the run of a forward, in behind of the away side’s defence. And from the edge of the penalty area, he would cleverly lift the ball over the outrushing goalkeeper and into the goal, 2-0. 

Alexandra Knights would switch to a 4-2-4 formation, after Apollo London had scored their second goal of the afternoon. This would lead to the visitors creating some more good chances, as their play was a lot more direct, but they were unable to finish from those chances, from inside of the Apollo London box. Very late on in the match and Apollo London would get their third goal of the game. The ball was passed forward to midfield, and then some clever, quick and short passing would lead to the ball being worked out to the right-hand side of the visitor’s penalty area. The ball was then played across to the centre of the box, from where it was powerfully finished into the left-hand side of the goal, 3-0. Next Saturday Apollo London have an important cup final to look forward to, and Alexandra Knights will face FC Marylebone (away) in the league. The Alexandra Knights player of the match on Saturday, was their goalkeeper, Keenan Yates.

At Hackney Marshes, there was a big win for LBS Lions, in regard to the Division One East & Central title race. A hat-trick of goals from Arthur Lutyens, and goals from Giorgio Landolfi and Antonio Magalhaes Deccache, helped LBS Lions to a 5-2 away win over Camden & Islington United Reserves. And, second placed FC Marylebone’s 4-3 away defeat to Westminster & Kensington (on Saturday), means that LBS Lions lead at the top of the table by six points, with one game remaining for them. 

Also in the Division One East & Central, and a goal from Sebastian Morally helped Stonewall Reserves to a 1-0 away win over Soccer Stars Ascenders. In the Division One South & West, Feltham FC lost 4-2 at home to AFC Southall. In the same division of the Middlesex League, Ickenham FC were unable to field against Ruislip Town, yesterday, meaning that Ruislip were awarded the win. Also, SL Benfica B lost 3-1 at home to CB Hounslow & Abbots A. In the Division One North & West, Wood Lane won 5-4 away to Bessingby Park Rangers, in what was a great game of football at London Marathon Playing Field. A goal from Mohamed-Amin Astan, a hat-trick of goals from Ramy Bouhiaoui, and a goal from Yusuf Khalaf, helped Wood Lane to this very important win.

Also in the Division One North & West, Harrow Bhoys would draw 2-2 with Bloomsbury, and Celtic (1995) would win 3-2 at home to Brent United. And finally, after the game had finished 3-3 in regulation time, Larkspur Rovers won 5-4 on penalties against Camden & Islington United, to book their place in the final of this season’s Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, with Hayes & Hillingdon losing 3-0 on Sunday (against Hertford Heath), in the semi-finals of the Anagram Records Trophy. Next Saturday (the 12th of April) my game of the week, featuring a team from the Middlesex League, is between Soccer Stars Fennecs Ascenders and LBS Lions. LBS Lions could well clinch the Division One East & Central title on the day, at Paddington Recreation Ground.