Non-League and Academy football writer

At West Ham Memorial Ground on Thursday evening, Jolof Sports faced Harrow United in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture. Jolof Sports started this fixture in 14th place after 27 league matches played, with Harrow United, in their debut season at this level, starting the game in tenth place in the league standings, after 29 league matches played. Harrow United would win an entertaining game of football, 6-3.

A youthful Harrow United side would start this game positively, and it was the west London club who would create a good early chance during the early stages of the game. As Derenik Grigorian’s clever short pass was met by the good run of Kyan Mentesh, down the left-hand side of the Jolof Sports penalty area. Kyan Mentesh would see two low efforts on goal and in quick succession, be well stopped by goalkeeper Papa Ndiaye. Yet shortly after those chances for Harrow United, they went on to take an early lead. For their opening goal of the game, Harrow United player Derenik Grigorian would receive a short pass across from the left flank, to the edge of the home team’s penalty area. His well hit, whipped resulting effort would find the right-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.

Soon after scoring their first goal of the game, Harrow United would add a second. Having made a good run in behind the Jolof Sports defence, Rio Agyeman would run onto a good through-ball pass, in behind the home team’s defence, before taking the ball just inside the penalty area, where one versus one with the goalkeeper he would finish low into the goal, off his left-hand post, 0-2. And a relentless and hardworking Harrow United side would then go on to make it 3-0, still early on in the game. Derenik Grigorian’s lovely clipped forward pass would find the onrushing Kyan Mentesh, who had done well to get in behind the Jolof Sports defence. Once he had entered the penalty area, Kyan Mentesh would finish low and clinically into the goal, 0-3.

Harrow United would continue to play some good and high intensity football as the first half progressed. But, Jolof Sports would start to grow into the game more. Shortly after Mohamed Bouallagui had made a great and hugely important last ditch challenge on a Jolof Sports player on the edge of the Harrow United box, Favour Orihu would turn well with the ball down the right-hand side of the penalty area, soon after. His powerful resulting effort would be well saved by Laksh Bhandari at his near post.

A couple of minutes after Jolof Sports player Balla Ngom had made a goal-saving block from Derenik Grigorian’s effort (following some fine skill from the Harrow United player) inside of the Jolof Sports box, Jolof Sports managed to get a goal back in the game. After Favour Orihu had stepped away skilfully from a defender down the left-hand side of the Harrow United box, he would finish powerfully into the goal, across the goalkeeper, 1-3. Jolof Sports had certainly improved during the latter stages of the first half, but were it not for an important fingertip save from Papa Ndiaye to tip over Iftikhar Hussaini’s lofted effort from distance, then the east London side could would gone into the break 4-1 down.

Jolof Sports continued to show signs of improvement during the opening stages of the second half. And in a highly eventful spell of goals in the game, moments after Harrow United had gone close to scoring from a corner-kick, Jolof Sports would score their second goal of the game. Balla Ngom would run onto the ball in behind the Harrow United defence, having met a good pass across the floor. After going into the penalty area, he would finish low into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 2-3. Harrow United did manage to react well, and they would soon reestablish their two goal cushion. As Derenik Grigorian’s floated free-kick delivery from out on the left flank, was met on the volley by Lucas Barratt, at the back post of the Jolof Sports goal, as he powered the ball into the goal from close range, 2-4.

Straight after that Harrow United goal, Jolof Sports managed to get their third goal of the game. Omosheni Oshodi-Atinmo would receive the ball out on the right-hand side of the pitch, before skilfully drifting inside with the ball and playing a well weighted pass into the path of Mouhamed Sall, who finished low into the goal from close range, inside of the Harrow United box, 3-4. And there was pretty much no time in between Jolof Sports’ third and Harrow United’s fifth goals of the game, with Rio Agyeman finishing from close range inside the Jolof Sports penalty area, 3-5.

Jolof Sports goalkeeper, Papa Ndiaye, would be shown a straight red card during the latter stages of Thursday’s game, for making a save with his hands outside of his penalty area. And Harrow United would capitalise by adding a sixth goal to their tally late on. It was a hat-trick goal from Rio Agyeman, who would skilfully skip past a defender on the edge of the Jolof Sports penalty area, before entering the box and then curling the ball high into the goal, 3-6. I thought that this youthful Harrow United side deserved their win against an experienced Jolof Sports side, who fought back well into the game from being 3-0 down.

Harrow United impressed me with their tempo, and with how they moved the ball around the pitch, during this game. For Jolof Sports, I thought that their standout player of the match was Serigne Samb, with Rio Agyeman winning my overall player of the match award, despite competition from Derenik Grigorian.