Non-League and Academy football writer

My weekly round-up of the Middlesex County Football League returns, and I’m pleased to announce that I’ll also be doing a weekly round-up of the Sunday league going forward, as well. However, starting with the Premier Division, and Eagles Land Cricklewood and Camden United would play out an entertaining 3-3 draw on Wednesday evening at Vale Farm, in what was the only midweek Premier Division fixture. Harrow United recorded a 4-1 away win over Indian Gymkhana Club on Saturday, to record their seventh league win of this season. And, at West Ham Memorial Ground, the Jolof Sports and Wood Lane match would finish in a 3-3 draw. For Wood Lane, their goals on the day came from Yusuf Khalaf (he now has nine league goals for this season), Mohamed-Amin Astan, and Christian Nsumbu.

Staying with the league’s Premier Division, and Kensington Dragons recorded a big 1-0 win over Camden & Islington United, at home, and Larkspur Rovers beat Hilltop Reserves, 3-1. At Club Des Sports, LBS Lions won 1-0 against Stonewall, and at Gunnersbury Park Sports Hub, two title contenders in Sporting Duet Academy and Hayes & Hillingdon, would play out a competitive 2-2 draw. On the scoresheet for Hayes & Hillingdon once again, was the very inform Liam Walford, who now has 27 goals for this season.

In Division One East of the Middlesex County League, four goals for Errikos Biniaku (the top goalscorer in this division, so far this season), helped Apollo London to a 4-3 home win over FC Wood Green. At Hackney Marshes, Hackney Wick Reserves beat Bloomsbury 2-0, and there was a 3-2 home win for Westminster & Kensington over Edgware & Kingsbury Reserves. In the same division, the score of the LBS Lions Reserves and Stonewall Reserves game, was 2-0 to Stonewall Reserves.

In Division One West, AFC Southall were awarded the points for their scheduled fixture with CB Hounslow & Abbots A, on Saturday. Wiseman West would record a good 3-2 away win over Barnes in the same division, and although Explorers won 9-0 at home to Feltham on Saturday, the biggest win in that division and indeed the league, for a number of years, was Ickenham’s 26-0 win over Uxbridge Athletic. A quite incredible win for Ickenham, 13 of their goals were scored by the league’s current top goalscorer, Nathan Devshi. However, that was not the highest scoring win in Middlesex League history.

In Division One Central, two title contenders in that step 8 division, in Bessingby Park Rangers and Harrow Bhoys, would play out a 5-5 draw. In the same division, Celtic (1995) beat Brentham 3-1, away, and another real title contender in FH Whistlers, won 3-0 away to Ruislip Rangers, to really boost their chances of winning the title. FH Whistlers now lead second place side Ruislip Rangers in the table, by eight points.

In the Jeff Nardin & Combination Division, there was a good win for Feltham Town, who beat Kensington Dragons Blues 3-1, at Springwest. Likewise, there was a good win for AFC Heathrow, who won 6-2 away to FH Whistlers Originals, on Saturday, in the same division. And, the Old Isleworthians Reserves and CB Hounslow & Abbots 3rds game would finish in a 2-2 draw, with OHM Sports beating The Isleworth 3-1, away.

In the semi-finals of this season’s AFA Minor Cup, Russell Grant Division 2 side, Old Isleworthians, lost 4-1 away to SAL side River Green. However, well done to Old Isleworthians on a really good run in that amateur cup competition. In the third round of The National Christians Trophy, Middlesex League side Holy Rood, lost 4-3 to Raynes Park United. And in the semi-finals of this season’s Jim Rogers President’s Division One Cup, Townmead booked their place in April’s final at Honeycroft, with a 2-0 win over FC Marylebone. In the semi-finals of The Eddy Mee Division Two Challenge Cup, RF Elite beat (away) Hounslow Lions 4-1, at Cranford Community College, with Kodak (Harrow) Reserves winning the other semi-final tie, 4-1, at home to FC Sunbury. That sets up an interesting cup final later on this month, at Uxbridge FC. 

That brings to an end my weekly round-up of the Middlesex County Football League. But, for this week, my highlighted game of the week featuring at least one team from the Middlesex League, is The Alec Smith Premier Division Cup semi-final tie between two very good Premier Division sides, in London Fennecs and Eagles Land Cricklewood, at the Terence McMillan Stadium, next Saturday afternoon.