Premier Division

Kodak (Harrow)  0    Stonewall  5

Saturday, 31 August 2024
 

I was in attendance for Kodak (Harrow) FC's home Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture with Stonewall FC, on Saturday afternoon at the Harrow Weald Recreation Ground. Kodak had only played one league match going into Saturday's fixture, and they had lost that game 1-0 to Larkspur Rovers. Stonewall had won both of their opening league fixtures, with their most recent win seeing them win 3-2 at home to SL Benfica, last Saturday. This game was won 5-0 by Stonewall, as they continued their 100% start to the season. Kodak would create the first real chance of the match, as Kodak's centre-forward, Ayub Albadri, had travelled inside from the right flank, before taking the ball to the edge of the Stonewall penalty area. However, his low effort went wide of goalkeeper Dennis Aware's goal. Shortly after that chance, Kodak would go onto create another goalscoring chance. As Morgan Whittick took the ball into the Stonewall box, from the right flank. Before squaring the ball to Able Kpogho, in the centre of the box, but he was unable to connect with the ball properly on this occasion, as Aware gathered his low effort on goal.

Kodak had been the more creative side during the opening stages of the first half. However, Stonewall were still seeing a fair amount of the ball. After Ayub Albadri had passed the ball across to Able Kpogho at the near post of the Stonewall goal, the Kodak winger would hit an effort over, via a deflection off a defender. And then shortly after that chance, at the opposite end of the pitch, Stonewall's captain Jay Lemonius, would get to the ball under pressure on the right-hand side of the Kodak penalty area. However, his resulting effort went over Warren McCreeth's goal. However, not long at all after Able Kpogho had got to the ball on the edge of the Stonewall box and hit a low effort wide of their goal, Stonewall would take the lead in the match. A free-kick which had been awarded to the visiting side on the left flank, was delivered into the Kodak penalty area by Mike Sholly, whose ball came off the head off a Kodak defender and came to Charley Hobbs. In a bit of space, Hobbs would nod the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.

Just before half-time Morgan Whittick created a really good chance inside of the Stonewall penalty area, but Kodak were unable to finish. Early on in the second half, Kodak created a fine chance. As Romario Godfrey-Brown had gone forward with the ball down the left flank, before delivering a good, low cross to the back post, to a teammate, but Dennis Aware saved his effort well, at his near post. With  the ball going behind for a corner-kick. However, it was from a corner-kick around ten minutes later, not long after Thari Taleb (I thought that he had a good game) had been sent off for Kodak, after the referee had shown him his second yellow card, that Stonewall would double their lead from. With Mike Sholly's well delivered corner-kick to the centre of the Kodak penalty area, being powerfully headed home by Coltrane Morley, 0-2.

Stonewall were capitalising on having more players on the pitch than Kodak, at this point in the match. After Yusuf Isiaq had won the ball off a Kodak defender, the skilful Stonewall winger would take the ball forward, to the left-hand side of the Kodak box. However, his resulting low effort bobbled up off the pitch, as McCreeth ended up doing well to push it around his right-hand post, and behind for a corner-kick. This game became even more difficult for Kodak, after substitute Joseph Longman was sent to the sin-bin by the referee. However, shortly after Kodak were temporarily playing with nine players on the pitch, Stonewall midfielder Mike Sholly was shown his second yellow card of the game by the referee, following a challenge on a Kodak player. Despite this, Stonewall would finish the game strongly and they were very clinical from the chances that they had created.

After Yusuf Isiaq had managed to get to the ball near the edge of the Kodak penalty area, he went forward with the ball down the right-hand side of the penalty area. His resulting low effort was parried by McCreeth, but substitute Matt Smith was on hand to finish into the roof of the goal from a couple of yards out, 0-3. And then a couple of minutes after play had resumed, a lofted forward ball had found Matt Smith down the right-hand side of the Kodak penalty area. From there the centre-forward would clinically finish into the bottom left-hand corner of the Kodak goal, 0-4. And then in what was the final chance of the match, Stonewall would counter forward with the ball through the middle of the pitch, with Kodak having put a lot of players forward, up the pitch. Matt Smith's through-ball pass found Yusuf Isiaq, who was now through on goal inside of the Kodak penalty area, before skilfully rounding McCreeth, and finishing low, into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-5.

This was a very clinical performance from Stonewall, as they managed the game well, right from the start of this match. Sajad Mohammed's Kodak side were however, the better team (in my opinion) during the first half, but they were unable to put away their chances. Although I thought that Mike Sholly, Matt Smith and decisive central defender, George Volis, were all contenders for player of the match, I've decided to pick Yusuf Isiaq, for this award. With a goal, an assist and a fine all-round performance from Yusuf Isiaq on the left flank, the Stonewall winger was my player of the match on Saturday afternoon. He would grow into the game, and during the second half (Yusuf Isiaq worked hard throughout the match) with the numerical advantage for Stonewall, as well as Stonewall's clever play on the counter during the second half, Yusuf Isiaq was so important and influential during the second half. As he helped to make sure that they won this game in style. Also, Kodak will definitely bounce back from this defeat, as it still so early on in the season. And Stonewall will be looking to continue their excellent start to the 2024/25 season, over the next couple of games.

This match report was written by Lennon, who writes on his blog - nonleagueandacademyfootballwriter.co.uk