Non-League and Academy football writer

On Saturday afternoon at Harrow Weald Recreation Ground, Kodak (Harrow) Reserves faced Townmead, in a Russell Grant Division 2 fixture. With the end of the 2024/25 season fast approaching, this was Kodak (Harrow) Reserves’ penultimate league fixture of this season (they started this game in fifth place in the league standings). For Townmead, this was their final league fixture of the 2024/25 season, and they started this match in third place in the table after 13 matches played, and they were still in with a real chance of achieving an important second place finish. This step 9 fixture was won 3-2 by Townmead.

The early stages of this game were quite even. However, a chance would arrive very early on in this game, as the result of a long throw-in in to the centre of the Kodak penalty area, by Jack O’Neill. Townmead’s captain, Dougie Hillman would then get to the ball, before turning quickly and hitting a low effort which hit the outside of Flezbern Souza’s right-hand post. Kodak did manage to respond quite well to that early chance for Townmead. After Jayden Grant’s lofted pass had been flicked on by James Turland, in to the path of Kye Shelley-McPherson, down the left-hand side of the Townmead box, the forward’s powerful effort to the centre of the goal, was well pushed away by Sandro Da Silva.

A couple of minutes after that chance for Kye Shelley-McPherson, Kodak player Enzo Costa Jalo’s ball across from the left flank, was met by James Turland at the near post of Sandro Da Silva’s goal. But, Turland’s effort from close range lacked a bit of pace, as the ball was gathered by the goalkeeper. Around five minutes later, and the visiting side would take the lead in this contest. Thomas Mansi’s deep, diagonal free-kick delivery from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, was met by Matthew Taylor, in the centre of the Kodak box, and his powerful header would find the right-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.

Kodak did manage to show a good response to going 1-0 down. Shortly after Enzo Costa Jalo had travelled inside with the ball from the left flank, from the edge of the Townmead penalty area his low curling effort on goal was pushed away by Da Silva. And then soon after that chance for the home side, Kye Shelley-McPherson would work the ball forward to the byline, before then crossing the ball to James Turland, at the near post of the Townmead goal. Turland’s effort took a slight deflection off a defender, hitting the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, before he was able to gather the ball. The final effort of this well contested first half of football, would see Reece Woolmore’s high effort on the Kodak goal, from distance, be gathered by Souza.

After a fairly uneventful start to the second half of the match, Townmead would double their advantage. As Jack O’Neill’s long and well delivered throw-in to the centre of the Kodak box, was met and then controlled by Asah Freeman, who turned quickly under pressure, before finishing powerfully on the half-volley, in to the centre of the goal, 0-2. Kodak did manage to get a goal back almost immediately after the restart. With Ralford Thorpe getting to a flick on, before taking the ball down the left-hand side of the Townmead box, and then finishing powerfully beyond Da Silva, who was just unable to gather his low effort on goal, 1-2.

By this point in the second half, Kodak were really pushing for an equaliser. Following Ralford Thorpe’s low cross, across to Kye Shelley-McPherson just inside of the Townmead box, the Kodak forward would hit a low effort on goal, which was pushed behind for a corner-kick by Da Silva. But, Kodak did manage to draw level, soon after. The influential Ralford Thorpe managed to get to Kaine Joseph’s good through-ball pass, in behind the Townmead defence, and on the left-hand side of their penalty area. Despite being met by the outrushing goalkeeper, Ralford Thorpe was able to get past him before finishing low in to the open goal, from close range, 2-2.

Townmead needed a point from this game to secure a top two finish. However, they managed to get back in to the game well following that fine spell in the match from Kodak. Townmead’s top goalscorer this season, Cody Howes, would show some good experience after being substituted on, during the latter stages of this game. And it was Cody Howes, who got a late winner for Townmead. As after a free-kick had been awarded to the away side, between 20 and 25 yards out from goal, towards the left-hand side of the pitch and from a difficult angle, Howes would cleverly curl an effort over the Kodak wall, and in to the top left-hand corner of the goal, 2-3. It was a goal worthy of winning any game, and it was also a goal which meant a lot to all involved with Townmead, who managed to see out the remaining minutes of this well contested game, to secure a top two finish in the league.

This was a real contest right from the start, and although Townmead, who managed the game well at important moments, had let a two goal lead slip to a talented Kodak (Harrow) Reserves side, a moment of quality from Cody Howes, would see them get all three points, in the end. For Kodak (Harrow) Reserves, I thought that their player of the match was Ralford Thorpe, who got a brace of goals on the day. Kye Shelley-McPherson was another player who put in a notable performance for the home side, on Saturday. 

My overall player of the match was Townmead player Jack O’Neill, who as well as providing an assist, following a good long throw-in in to the Kodak penalty area, he put in a really strong performance in the defensive areas of the pitch. O’Neill was very vocal and tenacious throughout. Also, special mentions to Townmead players Matthew Taylor and Gordon Halligan, for their respective performances, in what was a real team performance from Townmead.