Non-League and Academy football writer

In the final of this seasons’ (2025/26) Islington Midweek Football League Presidents Cup, Division Two’s second place side, Hackney Galacticos, faced Division Three champions, Bloomsbury, at Market Road on Wednesday evening. Hackney Galacticos would win what was a good game of football, 2-1, to lift this seasons’ Presidents Cup.

I thought that during the early stages of Wednesday’s cup final, that Hackney Galacticos started the game quite strongly. After Kearon Caynes (in the tenth minute of the game) had curled a decent effort over the Bloomsbury goal, after getting to the ball on the right-hand side of their penalty area, Ethan Leighton would test the Bloomsbury goalkeeper soon after. With his powerful low effort from over 20 yards out on goal, being well gathered by the Bloomsbury goalkeeper.

Still relatively early on in this cup final, and Hackney Galacticos would take the lead. Riyad Rahman-Uddin’s excellent, whipped cross from out on the right flank, would find Ethan Leighton at the back post and inside the Bloomsbury penalty area, from where his deft side-footed volley went into the goal and across the goalkeeper, 1-0. A youthful Bloomsbury side did respond well to going 1-0 down, and they would finish the first half positively. And late on in the first half, their number four would get to a flick on at the back post of the Galacticos’ goal, following a corner-kick delivery, as his looping header went just over.

Bloomsbury would, a couple of minutes after seeing their number seven’s curling free-kick effort (from right on the edge of the Galacticos’ penalty area) deflect narrowly wide of the goal, they would then draw level in stunning fashion. As following the resulting corner-kick, the Bloomsbury number 94 would power an excellent effort into the top right-hand corner of the goal, from 25 yards out, 1-1.

This was a good start to the second half from Bloomsbury, but at a difficult moment in the game, Hackney Galacticos would show real character as a team. A good team move from the Division Two side, saw Yaseen Patel’s through-ball pass find the run of Kearon Caynes, down the left-hand side of the Bloomsbury box. Under pressure from two recovering Bloomsbury defenders, the Galacticos forward would do well to square the ball for Huzaifah Hafesji, in the centre of the box. His powerful, low first time effort on goal was excellently matched and pushed away by the Bloomsbury goalkeeper, however.

Soon after that fine save by the Bloomsbury goalkeeper, Galacticos’ number nine, Kearon Caynes, would turn well with the ball beyond a Bloomsbury player, before seeing his powerful low effort on goal (from 20 yards out) be well kept out by the goalkeeper. Next, and in this fast paced game, Bloomsbury would come close to taking the lead. As after receiving the ball on the edge of the Galacticos’ box, their number 21 would skilfully work the space before seeing his powerful effort to the centre of the goal, be well tipped over his crossbar by Jhoel Muñoz. Then soon after, and after a lofted free-kick delivery from deep, the ball was partially cleared to Riyad Rahman-Uddin, on the edge of the Bloomsbury box. With defenders in front of the Bloomsbury goalkeeper, Riyad Rahman-Uddin would see his quickly taken and accurate side-footed effort find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 2-1.

Bloomsbury’s impressive goalkeeper would be sent off, having been shown a straight red card by the referee, soon after that goal for Hackney Galacticos, having rushed out of his goal and penalty area, and fouled the onrushing Kearon Caynes, who was pretty much through on goal. Following the sending off of the Bloomsbury goalkeeper, a teammate would have to take his place in goal. The next chance of the cup final, saw Sami Tala Kalaa latch onto a short back-pass towards the Bloomsbury goalkeeper, as he curled the ball beyond the outrushing goalkeeper (from distance), which went narrowly wide, across goal.

Some good vision and then a well weighted through-ball pass from midfield by Ethan Leighton, would find the run of Sami Tala Kalaa, in behind the Bloomsbury defence. But, from the edge of the penalty area, his powerful effort was well saved by the outrushing goalkeeper. Despite the Galacticos pushing for a late third goal, it was Bloomsbury who came very close, in the last couple of minutes of the game, to taking this game to penalties. With some excellent work, pace and skill from a Bloomsbury forward down the left flank, seeing him take the ball inside of the Galacticos’ penalty area, before squaring the ball for number 19, who couldn’t quite finish from relatively close range.

This was a very enjoyable and competitive cup final, which overall I thought that Hackney Galacticos deserved to win. Both sides played their game well as a team, but the Galacticos created more chances, and they were that bit more clinical, to win this prestigious cup, in Islington. Special mentions to the very good Riyad Rahman-Uddin (he played a big part in this win), Kearon Caynes, and the commanding Sultan Adebari on their notable performances for the winning team. The industrious Ethan Leighton, who started this game out on the left flank where he scored the opening goal of the game, would later drop into central-midfield, where he continued to make a good impression on the game. He therefore won my player of the match award from this cup final. Many congratulations to Hackney Galacticos, on winning this seasons’ Presidents Cup.