Non-League and Academy football writer

Apollo London’s very first game in the Premier Division (step 7) of the Middlesex County Football League, took place on Saturday afternoon at Broadfields Sports Ground, against established Premier Division side Kodak (Harrow). Apollo London would win their first Premier Division fixture 1-0, in what was a closely contested and competitive game of football.

After both sides had started the game quite well, with it proving to be a competitive start to the game. After Apollo player Joshua Abudu had skilfully cut inside with the ball on to his left foot, from the right flank. He would hit a good effort on goal from 23 yards out, which was well tipped over his crossbar by Kodak goalkeeper Bassam Bakeir. Soon after that relatively early chance in the game, Apollo winger Filipe Caitano De Sousa Alcantara would travel forwards with the ball down the left flank, before passing the ball across to Apollo captain Armend Metaj, on the edge of the Kodak box. Armend Metaj’s resulting powerful effort only went just wide of the goal, however.

Before half-time and Apollo London were awarded a penalty. With Calum Chevannes having fouled Justin Ezeagu just inside of the away team’s penalty area. Up stepped Filipe Caitano De Sousa Alcantara, who kept his composure under pressure to calmly slot the ball in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0. Kodak would improve further during the early stages of the second half, as they looked to get back into the game. Kye Shelley-McPherson’s whipped free-kick effort (from the edge of the Apollo box) would have to be well parried by Apollo’s goalkeeper Athanasios Kapsokostas, early on in the second half.

As the game progressed, impressive Kodak substitute Gianni Marotta would get to Ronaldo Gashi’s floated free-kick in to the Apollo London penalty area. The tall defender’s powerful headed effort on goal was well kept out by Athanasios Kapsokostas, however. Apollo London would continue to stand strong though, and shortly after Reagan Williams had headed Gianni Marotta’s flick on following Kye Shelley-McPherson’s corner-kick delivery in to the Apollo London penalty area. Williams would head a good effort against the crossbar.

Late on in this closely contested game, Apollo London came close to making it 2-0. With Izet Domi looping a header just wide of the Kodak goal at their back post, after meeting a great and inviting cross in to the box. In the end however, this game would finish 1-0 to the Premier Division debutants, Apollo London. A historic day for last season’s Division One East champions, Apollo defended really well as a team, especially in the second half, after Kodak had started to create some good goalscoring chances. It was a very competitive game, however.

For my overall player of the match award on Saturday, there were a number of contenders. From Apollo London, I thought that Gezim Doda, Filipe Caitano De Sousa Alcantara and Anaya Cosmas Onuora were some of their players who had very good games. For Kodak (Harrow) I thought that Morgan Whittick was their player of the match. But, overall I’m going to name the match winner Filipe Caitano De Sousa Alcantara as my player of the match. He tracked back and worked really hard for his team down the left flank, and the consistent Apollo player also did some good work with the ball in the final third.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads: 

Apollo London:

(1) Athanasios Kapsokostas

(66) Anaya Cosmas Onuora

(10) Kostantinos Eleftheriadis

(28) Shayan Ghamarinezhad

(99) Joshua Abudu

(16) Filipe Caitano De Sousa Alcantara

(26) Enobong Idiong

(8) Gezim Doda 

(18) Armend Metaj (captain)

(21) Justin Ezeagu

(69) Daniel Ndoj

Substitutes:

(34) Izet Domi

(17) Youssuf El Jabouri

(9) Renato Todri 

(15) Fatjon Mataj

(81) Konstantinos Katsikas Triantafyllidis 

Kodak (Harrow): 

(1) Bassam Bakeir

(5) Timothy Godwins

(2) Calum Chevannes

(6) Brandon Brown (captain)

(16) Reagan Williams 

(3) Ronaldo Gashi

(10) Romario Godfrey-Brown 

(4) Kye Shelley-McPherson 

(11) Courtney Samuda

(7) Morgan Whittick 

(9) Mikkel James

Substitutes: 

(14) Gianni Marotta

(18) Jayden Grant 

(8) Archie Moy

(15) Emanuel Cirdei

(12) Joseph Godwins