Non-League and Academy football writer

Camden United faced Stonewall on Wednesday evening at the New River Stadium, in what was both side’s penultimate Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture of this season. Still in with a chance of finishing second, Camden United started this match in third place in the league table, after 30 matches played. Stonewall started this game in eighth place in the league table, after 30 league matches played. It was Stonewall who would win this eventful game on Wednesday, 5-4.

Stonewall would take the lead quite early on in this contest. Jay Lemonius’ pass to Mustapha Ghardiane would result in the Stonewall forward playing a good through-ball pass towards the run of Logan Sritharan. One versus one with the outrushing Camden United goalkeeper and inside of the penalty area, Logan Sritharan’s low effort was well saved by Warren McCreeth. However, the ball would then roll out to Callum Alexander on the edge of the box, and his brilliantly chipped effort would go over a recovering defender on the goal-line and into the goal, 0-1.

Soon after Stonewall had taken the lead, Jay Lemonius would head an effort narrowly over from Seb Morally’s long throw-in into the Camden United box. However, after quite a slow start, Leon Louis’s Camden United side would start to pick up the pace. After Endrit Feka’s cross towards the back post of the Stonewall goal had been met by Matheus Santana, Stonewall goalkeeper Dennis Aware would make a good reflex save from his powerful header on goal. Then a couple of minutes later, Mohammed Hassan would latch onto the ball after meeting Ferhat Canlier’s good lofted pass to the left-hand side of the Stonewall box. The Camden United winger would then hit a great effort on the half-volley, which clipped the crossbar on its way over.

Soon after that chance for Mohammed Hassan, following a headed back pass from a Stonewall defender, Matheus Santana would get to the ball before taking it just inside of the penalty area, where he rounded the goalkeeper before finishing low into the goal, 1-1. Ferhat Canlier’s audacious lofted effort from 45 yards out on goal, would dip just over Dennis Aware’s crossbar, with Camden United finishing the first half strongly. And just before half-time the home team managed to take the lead for the first time in the game. The skilful Mohammed Hassan would hold a defender off well with the ball, before turning and powering a good, low effort (from 22 yards out) into the bottom left-hand corner of the Stonewall goal, 1-2.

Stonewall would show real signs of improvement during the opening stages of the second half, from how they had finished the first half. Eric Najib’s side would soon draw level in this entertaining contest. With Kola Soyoye’s low pass across from the right-hand side of the pitch, seeing the ball roll to Jay Lemonius inside the centre of the Camden United box. With his back to goal when he had received the ball, Jay Lemonius would turn well with the ball beyond a defender, before finishing low and clinically into the goal, 2-2.

The game continued to pick up pace. And a couple of moments after Duisburg Tyche’s powerful, whipped free-kick effort from over 30 yards out on goal, had been spectacularly tipped behind, off his crossbar by Warren McCreeth, Stonewall would retake the lead. With substitute Coltrane Morley-Williams doing well to use the pace on the well delivered corner-kick into the Camden box, by just guiding his header into the top right-hand corner of the goal. And Stonewall would quickly get another goal, after Jay Lemonius had received Coltrane Morley-Williams’ forward pass down the left-hand side of the Camden box, before finishing low into goal, after some good skill, under pressure inside the box, 2-4.

Camden United would respond almost immediately to conceding that fourth goal of the game, by getting their third of the evening. Following a good move, the ball was played across to Mohammed Hassan, who from the edge of the Stonewall box, would whip a fine effort beyond Dennis Aware and into the goal, 3-4. Camden United continued to push for a leveller, and after Mohammed Hassan had won a free-kick on the edge of the Stonewall penalty area, Henry Clark would whip a clever effort around the Stonewall wall, and into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 4-4.

Relatively late on in this excellent and very competitive game of football, Stonewall would score what turned out to be the winning goal, despite Camden United having gone close to making it 5-4 on a couple of occasions before. For their winning goal, highly influential substitute, the experienced Coltrane Morley-Williams would get to the ball following a forward pass to find his run down the left-hand side of the Camden United box. And he would then finish low and confidently across the goalkeeper and into the goal, 4-5.

In what was a really good and competitive game of football, which saw both sides create a great number of chances throughout the game, it was Stonewall who did enough to win the game. I must say that going forward, it was a good performance from both sides, with Stonewall just being that bit more clinical on the day, as they look to finish the season strongly. My Camden United player of the match was Mohammed Hassan, and he was also a contender for my overall player of the match award, along with Jay Lemonius and Coltrane Morley-Williams. But, in the end, I’m going to award it to Coltrane Morley-Williams, who after making a great impression off the bench, would score two good goals, and provide an important assist.