Non-League and Academy football writer

In a second round tie of this season’s Middlesex FA Premier Cup, step 6 side Brook House faced step 7 side Camden United, on Tuesday evening at Farm Park. Brook House are currently in fifth place in the Combined Counties Football League Division One standings, after 15 league matches played. Camden United are currently in fifth place in the Middlesex County Football League Premier Division, after ten league matches played. Camden United beat London Samurai Rovers in the previous round of this competition, with London Samurai playing their football in the same league as Brook House. This cup tie was won 7-0 by the holders of this competition, Brook House.

Brook House would start this cup tie well, and at a good intensity. Brook House’s first chance of the game arrived courtesy of a flick on to Ben Bell on the edge of the Camden United box. Ben Bell would then take the ball just inside of the Camden box, with his resulting low effort on goal being well turned behind by the away team’s goalkeeper, Ciaran White. In the 16th minute of the tie, Brook House would take the lead.

Some excellent work from their captain, Trey Pender-Brown, would result in him winning the ball off a Camden United player on the left flank, before driving forwards with the ball, and then playing a short pass to Ben Bell on the edge of the Camden box. The forward’s resulting lofted pass would find the run of Trey Pender-Brown, in behind the Camden defence. From there Brook House’s top goalscorer this season, would lob the ball over Ciaran White, who he was one v one with inside of the penalty area, as the ball dipped into the goal, 1-0.

Shortly after Camden United player Ferhat Canlier had hit an effort on the half-volley on the Brook House goal (from some 25 yards out), with his effort being held by goalkeeper Adam Childs, Brook House would go on to make it 2-0. They had managed to get a couple of more efforts away on goal prior to their second goal the tie. However, for their second goal of the game, Brook House player Reece Keary would receive the ball between 20 and 25 yards out from the Camden goal, before hitting a low and powerful effort on Ciaran White’s goal, which bobbled  quite unfortunately over the outstretched goalkeeper, and into the bottom left-hand corner of his goal, 2-0.

Before half-time, and for their third goal in an excellent 22 minute spell, Greg Wright’s free-kick was played short to a teammate on the left-hand side of the Camden box, after a Camden player had slipped. The ball was then received by Reece Keary, who would finish low into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 3-0. Despite such a clinical first half performance from Brook House, their intensity wouldn’t drop during the early stages of the second half. Early on in the second half and for Brook House’s fourth goal of the game, a quick forward move with the ball would lead to Reece Keary receiving the ball on the edge of the Camden box. His low effort was tipped onto the goalkeeper’s right-hand post by Ciaran White, with the alert Trey Pender-Brown finishing into the goal on the follow-up, from close range, 4-0.

Brook House were continuing to play their football really well and effectively. In the 54th minute of the game, Brook House would further extend their lead. A great pass  across from Ben Bell, from the right-hand side of the pitch, was met by Reece Keary on the edge of the Camden box, and with the goalkeeper just unable to clear the ball away, it was from there that the impressive Brook House player would curl the ball into the goal to get his hat-trick, 5-0. Brook House had effectively already booked their place in the quarter-finals by now, but they were determined to keep their pace up in this game, and to add to their tally of goals.

For goal number six, Brook House substitute Jenyu Balogun would take the ball into the away team’s penalty area at pace, after they had lost the ball in the final third. Jenyu Balogun would then finish low and powerfully into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 6-0. Despite it being a very one sided game of football, with this very good Brook House side playing superbly well throughout, Camden United did manage to create some more goalscoring chances during the latter stages of the game. Either side of Brook House’s seventh goal of the game, Henry Clark and Camden United substitute Rhys Hajro both had decent efforts on goal which were kept out by the Brook House goalkeeper.

For Brook House’s final goal of the game, Brook House substitute Courie Coley would get to a lofted ball ahead of the Camden goalkeeper inside of his box. He would then head a powerful and brave effort into the goal, 7-0. This was a superbly dominant performance from Brook House, from start to finish, with every player involved in this game, playing their part to help their team to progress into the next round of the competition. For Camden United, I thought that Endrit Feka was their player of the match, but for my overall player of the match award, it was a difficult decision. Brook House were highly effective in all areas of the pitch, and as well as making it very difficult for Camden United to create chances, they were so very clinical with the ball in the final third.

Despite competition from Reece Keary (he scored a hat-trick of goals), Greg Wright, and Ben Bell, as well as a number of other Brook House players, my player of the match award goes to Trey Pender-Brown. In forward areas of the pitch, he was very good and he took both of his goals in clinical fashion. However, the very inform Brook House player’s work rate and all-round play was also very impressive, during his time on the pitch. Brook House face PFC Victoria London (away), in the quarter-finals stage of this prestigious competition.