Non-League and Academy football writer

Camden United faced Hilltop Reserves at the New River Stadium on Saturday afternoon, in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture. Camden United would start this match in fourth place in the Premier Division standings, after 12 league matches played. Hilltop Reserves started this game in 17th place in the table, after six league matches played. It was Camden United who won this match, 5-0. 

Camden United would take the lead very early on in Saturday’s match, in the opening minutes. Kayden Mandangu-Makangu would get to the ball on the left flank and in Hilltop’s final third. The Camden defender would take the ball forward for a little while, before whipping a low cross towards the back post of Hilltop goalkeeper Marko Cancar’s goal. From there a Camden United teammate would get to the ball, quickly laying it off for Tomasz Siemienczuk to finish low into the goal from close range, 1-0.

Despite Camden having started the game in fine fashion, Hilltop Reserves came close to making an immediate response. Hilltop forward Ernest Kyere would receive a short pass in midfield, before turning really beyond a Camden player and then going forward with the ball for a short distance, as he then passed the ball out to Romario Samuel Yanker-Asenso on the right-hand side of the pitch. The Hilltop player would then take the ball into the Camden box (down the right-hand side of the penalty area) at pace, before seeing his resulting effort across goal be excellently tipped onto his right-hand post by Camden United’s goalkeeper, Bilal Ourida.

Despite Hilltop Reserves having reacted well to going 1-0 down to Camden United, they would concede another goal to the home side, after they had started to play their passing game well. For Camden’s second goal of the game, Hilltop lost possession of the ball on Camden’s left-hand side of the pitch. The ball was then quickly played across the floor to Tomasz Siemienczuk, on the left-hand side of the Hilltop box. After the Camden forward had skilfully worked the space, under pressure inside of the box, he would then play the ball across goal to Endrit Feka at the back post. And in similar fashion to their first goal, it was this time Endrit Feka who would finish low into the goal from close range, 2-0.

The remainder of the first half was fairly uneventful in terms of chances created, with the exception of some efforts from distance. The first chance of the second half was created by Camden, with substitute Harrison Bacon getting to a free-kick lay off, before hitting a powerful effort from distance, towards the Hilltop goal. His effort was however, bravely blocked by Hilltop player Abbas Osman, inside of the penalty area.

Camden United had started the second half in dominant fashion, improving even further from their performance during the first half. Following a good, curling pass from out on the left-hand side of the pitch, across to Endrit Feka, the Camden winger would run forwards with the ball after getting in behind Hilltop’s defence. And after taking the ball the short distance to the right-hand side of the away team’s penalty area, his lofted effort over the outrushing Marko Cancar, would go narrowly over the Hilltop goalkeeper’s crossbar.

As a result of their excellent start to the second half, Camden United would soon extend their lead over Hilltop. For their third goal of the game, the influential Rinor Plepolli would pick the ball up around 25 yards out from the Hilltop goal, before hitting a powerful effort which had good movement on it. Despite Marko Cancar being able to partially parry the ball, it would loop over him before bouncing into the goal, 3-0.

Leon Louis’s Camden United side were looking to add to their goal tally for the afternoon. And they would soon get their fourth goal of the game, in what was proving to be a very clinical performance from them against Hilltop Reserves. For their fourth goal, a lofted pass from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, was met by a Camden player at the back post inside of the busy Hilltop penalty area. After cushioning a header down for Andi Feka, he would finish low into the goal from close range, 4-0.

Ernest Kyere was sent off for Hilltop late on in this game, before Camden United went on to add a fifth goal to their tally during the final stages of the game. After play had been recycled following a Camden corner-kick, Endrit Feka would play a short pass across to his brother, Andi Feka, on the edge of the Hilltop penalty area. After turning well on the ball, Andi Feka would clinically find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 5-0. This was a very clinical and impressive team performance from Camden United against a youthful Hilltop Reserves side. Defensively Camden were very solid, but they managed the game effectively, as well as finishing off their chances, to continue their fine recent league form.

For Hilltop Reserves, I thought that on the left-hand side of central defence, that Darren Cheok Hin Chow was their best player on the day. For my overall player of the match award, I could have chosen a number of players from the Camden United side, with Rinor Plepolli, Tomasz Siemienczuk, Endrit Feka and Kieran Ali just some of the contenders for this award. However, personally, my player of the match award goes to Andi Feka, who as well as putting in a strong defensive performance, he got two goals on the day. Finally, look out for a post-match interview that I did with Camden United manager Leon Louis, which will be out soon.