Non-League and Academy football writer

On Saturday morning Ireland/Irish Embassy faced England Junction Elite, at Prince George’s Playing Fields, in a London Diplomatic Football Summer League fixture. Ireland started this match in third place in the standings, after four matched played. England Junction Elite started this fixture one point and one place behind Ireland, in the table, after four matches played. This game would finish 2-1 to Ireland, in what was an important and hard fought win for them.

Ireland would take an early lead in this match, on a very warm day in London. Ireland’s captain Hauge would get to a lofted forward pass down the right-hand side of the England Junction Elite penalty area. Casper Hauge was met by the England goalkeeper, who tried to close down his angles. However, Casper Hauge would cleverly lob the goalkeeper from a very difficult angle, finding the left-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

After a fairly even start to the game, England Junction Elite would start to create some goalscoring chances, and after their number 8’s powerful free-kick effort from the edge of the Ireland box, had gone narrowly wide of Kane Hall-Patterson’s left-hand post, England then came very close to taking the lead. As England’s number 99 cut inside with the ball from the right-hand side of the pitch, to the edge of the Ireland penalty area. His resulting deflected effort was heading for the top left-hand corner of Hall-Patterson’s goal, but for a really good save from the goalkeeper, to push the ball behind.

Both sides would have good spells in the first half of this contest, but it was England  Junction Elite who finished the first half the stronger of the two sides. After the referee had deemed an Ireland defender to have handled the ball inside of his penalty area, on the stroke of half-time England were awarded a penalty, which was finished in to the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, by number 8, 1-1.

Ireland substitute Darren Emmerson would work hard to get to the ball on the edge of the England box, before then curling an effort over their goal, during the opening minutes of the second half. Yet, it was England Junction Elite who had started the second half the better of the two sides. They were really pushing to take the lead in this game, but, some time after their number 7 had laid the ball off to a teammate on the edge of the Ireland box, with his powerful low effort going just wide of the goal, Ireland would regain the lead, and it was against the run of play.

For Ireland’s second goal of the game, it was Casper Hauge once again, who would score another really fine goal. This time and after Ireland had won possession in the final third, Casper Hauge would receive the ball just inside of the England penalty area, on the right-hand side of their box. Under a bit of pressure, his resulting effort had real pace on it, and it unstoppably found the top left-hand corner of the goal, 2-1.

England Junction Elite would have to try and draw level again, in the remaining minutes, against a very defensively well organised Ireland side. From the edge of the Ireland box, England’s number 18 would whip an effort just wide of Hall-Patterson’s goal. A couple of minutes later a free-kick some 20 yards out from goal was awarded to England, and their number 9’s effort had to be pushed away by Hall-Patterson. England continued to push for an equaliser during the latter stages of the game.

England Junction Elite did manage to create one more really good chance, in the final minutes of the game. A lofted forward pass was cushioned down to number 16,  inside of the Ireland penalty area, but, his resulting low effort from close range would go narrowly wide of Hall-Patterson’s goal. Shortly after that fine chance, Ireland would counter forward with the ball. Cian Hession would play a pass across from the left flank, towards Harry Gibson, who was now through on goal and inside of the England box. However, his low effort was saved by the goalkeeper. 

John McDaid and Ryan Scully’s Ireland side showed some really good character, in difficult conditions, to win this game, and against a good England Junction Elite side. Still in the title race following this win today, Ireland’s final match is on July 12th. For England Junction Elite, who were frustrated by a very well organised  Ireland defence, I thought that their number 99, 9 and 2 were their best players on the day. 

Ireland’s Kane Hall-Patterson, Colm O’Brien and Glenn Horman (both players defended so well in the heart of defence), were all contenders for my player of the match award. However, Casper Hauge’s quality in the final third and his two excellently taken goals, meant that he was my player of the match on Saturday.