Non-League and Academy football writer

Eagles Land Cricklewood’s first Premier Division fixture of the Middlesex County Football League season, was at home to a Harrow United side who had won two games, drawn one and lost one, so far this season. Played at Brunel University Sports Complex on Thursday evening, it was Harrow United who would win this match 6-1, with all of the goals being scored in the second half.

The first real effort on target of this game arrived around the 20th minute mark. After Harrow United forward Raphael Garrett had received a short forward pass down the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, from where he would get a low, powerful effort on goal. However, Eagles Land Cricklewood’s goalkeeper Finlay Benson Ardoui would parry the ball away well. Around ten minutes later in what had so far been a fairly uneventful start to the game, Terryl Harding-Nathan would turn with the ball before trying to find the goal from 34 yards out. The Eagles Land Cricklewood forward’s ambitious and well hit effort would go narrowly wide of the Harrow United goal. Eagles Land Cricklewood did create a couple of additional decent chances before half-time, but they were unable to really test Harrow United’s goalkeeper, Pranay Khetia.

Early on in the second half and Harrow United would take the lead, following a set-piece which had been awarded out on the left flank, some 35 yards out from goal. Raphael Garrett’s excellent whipped delivery into the centre of the Eagles Land Cricklewood box would be well glanced home into the goal by Shaan Popat, 0-1. And then soon afterwards Harrow United would make it 2-0. Kojo Agyeman would press the Eagles Land Cricklewood goalkeeper well inside his penalty area, managing to block his pass out. Kojo Agyeman would then calmly slot the ball into the empty goal from five yards out, 0-2.

Harrow United’s third goal of the game in a short amount of time, would arrive following a good lofted forward pass from Kojo Agyeman, forward to Raphael Garrett, who had skilfully spun past the outrushing goalkeeper and from 20 or so yards out would finish low into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, despite the best efforts of a defender on the goal-line, 0-3. Then a couple of minutes later and after Oseghale Okpebholo Ray had been sin-binned following the awarding of a free-kick out on the left flank and approximately 25 yards out. Raphael Garrett’s powerful effort would take a deflection off the home team’s wall, before going into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-4.

This game had certainly developed into an eventful game, during the second half. And straight after play had resumed following that fourth Harrow United goal of the game, Eagles Land Cricklewood would score their first goal of the evening. With a good run and cross from out on the right flank by Londin Latifi, into the Harrow United box, being volleyed home from close range by Mourad Jarraz, 1-4. Harrow United had played really well during this second half however, and they would continue to create more goalscoring chances before the end of this game.

Shortly after the impressive Raphael Garrett had got to a ball over the top, in behind the Eagles Land Cricklewood defence, the Harrow United player would from the edge of the penalty area, hit a low effort on goal. As the outrushing Finlay Benson Ardoui had done well to turn the ball behind for a corner-kick. And then from Kojo Agyeman’s well delivered floated corner-kick, the ball would fall for Shaan Popat. His initial effort from a couple of yards out was well kept out by the goalkeeper, but on the follow-up Shaan Popat would finish low into the goal, 1-5. And with just about enough time, Shaan Popat would get his hat-trick goal before the final whistle. Showing good awareness to head the ball home from close range inside the penalty area, following Max Tolliday’s good free-kick effort from 25 yards out, which had taken a deflection off the wall, 1-6.

After a relatively uneventful and fairly even first half, Harrow United started the second half of this game in superb fashion. Going on to get four quick goals one after each other, to establish a commanding lead as Harrow United went on to win this game in style. An impressive performance from Harrow United player Shaan Popat, sees the midfielder who scored a hat-trick during the second half, be named as my player of the match on Thursday. He was outstanding during the second half of this game.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

Eagles Land Cricklewood:

(1) Finlay Benson Ardoui

(11) Ignacio Pavez Vazquez

(21) Nikoll Sulejmani

(5) Abdullah Shahid

(6) Alan Zuqolli

(2) Beola Kinty Coker (captain)

(10) Hussien Farhat 

(8) Fidel Walker 

(14) Londin Latifi

(9) Terryl Harding-Nathan

(7) Kristo Beshiku

(13) Sidrit Sinanaj

(22) Oseghale Okpebholo Ray

(19) Milton Xavier Fernandes 

(15) Mourad Jarraz

(17) Jacob Bolaji Faradoye 

Harrow United:

(1) Pranay Khetia

(27) Casey Augustine 

(19) Noah Houslin

(5) Luke Peace 

(14) Jaiden Govind 

(6) Zach Goddard (captain)

(8) Gevik Grigorian

(10) Kyan Mentesh

(16) Raphael Garrett

(28) Shaan Popat

(24) Max Tolliday

Substitutes:

(17) Iftikhar Hussaini

(12) Ricardo Welsh-Huggins 

(3) Harry Doherty 

(20) Mohamed Bouallagui

(26) Kojo Agyeman