Premier Division

Eagles Land Cricklewood  4    Stonewall  1

Saturday, 07 December 2024

 

My match on Saturday afternoon was a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture, between Eagles Land Cricklewood and Stonewall, on the 3G pitch at Vale Farm (this game was switched to the 3G pitch because of the rain). Eagles Land Cricklewood started this match in seventh place in the league table, after 13 league matches played. The visiting side on Saturday, Stonewall, started this match in third place in the league table, after nine league matches played. Eagles Land Cricklewood would win this well contested step 7 match, 4-1. Stonewall would start this game well, in difficult windy conditions. After Callum Alexander had whipped an effort narrowly wide of the home team's goal (Alexander's effort had taken a slight deflection off a defender) from the edge of their penalty area, Stonewall would then go close once again, to taking the lead. This time the chance came from a good passing move from the visitors, as the ball was worked across to the feet of Matt Smith inside of the Eagles Land penalty area. However, defender Anton Watson-Andrews would do well to block Smith's effort.

Following a low effort from Coltrane Morley-Williams (from the edge of the home team's penalty area) which went wide of the Eagles Land goal, the home side would then manage their first goal attempt of the game, soon after. With Anton Watson-Andrews doing well to get to the ball on the right-hand side of the pitch, before going forward with the ball and then looping an effort over the Stonewall goal. Stonewall captain Jay Lemonius had started this game well, particularly in the final third. After Lemonius had got to the ball inside of the Eagles Land penalty area (following a corner-kick) at the back post, he would have a powerful effort on goal saved by the goalkeeper, Alexander Corriette, before the ball was then cleared away. However, a couple of moments later, a long throw-in into the Eagles Land penalty area, was met in the air by Jay Lemonius, and he would nod the ball just wide from close range.

After a good start from Stonewall, Eagles Land Cricklewood were by this point in the first half, playing their football more confidently on the ball. An effort on the turn from the skilful Klevis Zyko (from 25 yards out) would go wide of the Stonewall goal,  before Kristo Beshiku would get to the ball, in a bit of space, soon after. The home side's top goalscorer this season would continue forward with the ball at pace, before hitting an effort over the goal. A vital clearance from Beola Coker, to clear the ball ahead of Jay Lemonius inside of the Eagles Land box, would follow. However, soon after a clever short free-kick routine would see Ashkan Abbasi find Terryl Harding-Nathan, on the left-hand side of the Stonewall box, with him side-footing an effort over the goal, Stonewall would then take the lead in the game. The impressive Jay Lemonius would get to a long throw-in (from the right flank), on the right-hand side of the Eagles Land penalty area, before taking the ball skilfully around a defender with a deft touch, before then finding the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.

By this late stage of the first half, the game had really come to life. Some really fine skill from Cam McEwan to progress the ball forward through the middle of the pitch and then out to the right-hand side of the Eagles Land box, would see McEwan brought down and fouled, with a penalty being awarded to Stonewall. McEwan would take the resulting penalty, but his effort to the goalkeeper's left, was well saved and then gathered by goalkeeper Alexander Corriette. In what was quite a dramatic end to the first half, not long after that penalty had been awarded to the away side, the home side woud then be awarded a penalty of their own, after Terryl Harding-Nathan had been brought down inside of the Stonewall penalty area. The confident Ashkan Abbasi would confidently step up to find the top right-hand corner of the goal, despite Stonewall goalkeeper Dennis Aware managing to get a hand to the ball, 1-1.

Having finished the first half in some style, Eagles Land Cricklewood would look to start the first half well, and they were now even more aggressive in their play. And soon after Kristo Beshiku had a headed effort from inside of the Stonewall box, be gathered by Dennis Aware, the home side would take the lead in the game for the first time. With the clever and influential Klevis Zyko picking the ball up in midfield before taking the ball forward, out to the right flank, at pace. Zyko would then deliver the ball towards the near post, where the alert Kristo Beshiku was, to finish deftly beyond the goalkeeper, 2-1. Stonewall had little time to respond to the home side taking the lead, before they found themselves 3-1 down, soon after. This time an Eagles Land Cricklewood corner-kick was delivered to the back post, where Ashkan Abbasi was. And the defender's looping header across the goal was nodded home by centre-forward Shaun Alfred, 3-1.

Eagles Land Cricklewood were now playing their football to great effect, creating a number of good goalscoring chances. Shortly after Kristo Beshiku had a glancing header saved by Dennis Aware, Eagles Land Cricklewood would get their fourth goal of the game. As after Anton Watson-Andrews had got to a clearance (following a corner-kick) right on the edge of the Stonewall penalty area, he would power a low effort into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, despite the goalkeeper's best efforts, 4-1. The remainder of the match was dominated by the home side. After Klevis Zyko's good run and pass had found substitute Oleksandr Martyniuk, on the left-hand side of the Stonewall box, Martyniuk would hit a low effort narrowly wide of the goalkeeper's left-hand post. A couple of minutes later Kristo Beshiku did really well to round the Stonewall goalkeeper with the ball, down the right-hand side of his penalty area, before then hitting a low effort just across his goal.

Eagles Land Cricklewood substitute Jacob Faradoye had been making a good impression on the game since being brought on. Very late on in the game and after getting to the ball following a short pass to the Stonewall goalkeeper, Jacob Faradoye would take the ball into the box, and after his first effort was saved well by Dennis Aware, his second effort was then blocked by a defender. This was a good game of football, and one in which Eagles Land Cricklewood showed real character in, as a team, to really change the game against a very good and experienced Stonewall team. Stonewall started this game well, and I thought that they played some really good football for much of the first half. However, that crucial penalty save from Alexander Corriette late on in the first half, would really spur Eagles Land Cricklewood on, and I thought that they played really well (they improved greatly during the second half) as a team from that moment on.

Eagles Land Cricklewood defender Ashkan Abbasi was my player of the match on Saturday. A good organiser and leader from defence, who defended aggressively and decisively, Ashkan Abbasi would also score a goal and provide an assist in this match. However, there were a number of contenders for my player of the match award on Saturday, with Anton Watson-Andrews and Klevis Zyko, just some of the other players who had really strong games. For Stonewall, I thought that Jay Lemonius was their player of the match. 

This match report was written by Lennon, who writes on non-League and grassroots football on his blog - nonleagueandacademyfootballwriter.co.uk