Non-League and Academy football writer

In a midweek fixture in the Middlesex County Football League, Stonewall faced Camden & Islington United, at the West Ham Memorial Ground, in what promised to be a good game of football on Wednesday evening. Stonewall started this game in third place in the Premier Division standings, after 14 league matches played. Camden & Islington United started this game in eight place in the league table, after 15 league matches played. Camden & Islington United won this match 3-0.

Despite Camden & Islington United having managed a couple of goal attempts during the early stage of this game, Stonewall would go quite close to taking the lead on two occasions early on, and in quick succession. Firstly and following a clearance from a Stonewall corner-kick, the ball would roll towards John-Alex Bernal-Ortiz, on the edge of the away team’s penalty area. His powerful and well hit low effort would go just wide of Noah Blackmore’s right-hand post. Then, a couple of minutes later, Stonewall midfielder Loic Marcon’s powerful effort from distance, on the Camden & Islington goal, was well tipped over his crossbar by Noah Blackmore.

The game was being played at a good pace, with Camden & Islington continuing to see more of the ball, as the first half progressed. After Ryan Pickles had done well to dribble forward with the ball, into the Stonewall box, he would power an effort over their goal. Not long after that effort from Ryan Pickles, and Camden & Islington would come very close to taking the lead. Samuel Tommy’s good cross into the Stonewall penalty area, was met by Jack Urwin, whose diving header went narrowly wide of Dennis Aware’s goal.

Towards the latter stages of the first half, and shortly after Stonewall player Noah Ashton had got to the ball following a flick on down the left-hand side of the Camden & Islington box, the Stonewall forward would see his powerful effort be turned behind well at his near post, by Noah Blackmore. Despite going close themselves to taking the lead, Camden & Islington would go on to take the lead before half-time. Ryan Pickles would deliver the ball into the Stonewall box from a corner-kick, and with the Stonewall goalkeeper just unable to gather the ball, alert Camden & Islington player Gabriel Akuwudike would get to the ball, before finishing low into the goal from close range, 0-1.

After an uneventful start to the second half, Noah Ashton would see his dipping free-kick effort, from 25 yards out on the away side’s goal, be turned over by Noah Blackmore. Camden & Islington were really frustrating Stonewall, both in and out of possession of the ball. However, soon after Loic Marcon’s forward pass had found the run of Noah Ashton down the left-hand side of the Camden & Islington penalty area, his low whipped cross would go right across the face of the goal.

Late on in the game, Camden & Islington would effectively seal the win, by scoring their second goal of the game. Ryan Pickles was the goalscorer, and as he had already done this season, he scored directly from a corner-kick. As his excellent, whipped and dipping effort went into the top left-hand corner of the goal, over the goalkeeper, 0-2. And Camden & Islington added a very late third goal to their tally, during the final moments of the match. Gabriel Akuwudike would get his second goal of the game, after receiving the ball on the edge of the Stonewall box, before finishing into the bottom right-hand corner of their goal (his effort took a slight deflection off a defender), 0-3.

I thought that Camden & Islington United deserved their win tonight, as they returned to winning ways in the league. They played well, they kept their shape very well defensively, and they were clinical in front of goal. This was a good performance and an important win for the north London side. Stonewall had some good spells in the game, and they came close to scoring on a couple of occasions, but Camden & Islington were very well organised and effective with the ball, really frustrating the home side from playing their game to great effect.

I thought that Stonewall’s player of the match was Noah Ashton, on Wednesday. For my overall player of the match award, I’m going to award it to Camden & Islington defender Sam Skeggs, after a very strong and impressive performance from him in defence. However, influential player Gabriel Akuwudike, Ryan Pickles and Billy Doyle, were all contenders for this player of the match award.