The Alec Smith Premier Division Cup
Semi Final

Larkspur Rovers  3    Camden & Islington  3

Saturday, 05 April 2025
 

In the semi-finals of this season's Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, Larkspur Rovers faced Camden & Islington United, at Lord Halsbury Playing Fields, on Saturday afternoon. Larkspur Rovers are currently in 15th place in the Middlesex County Football League Premier Division table, after 20 matches played. Inform Camden & Islington United are currently in second place in the Premier Division standings, after 25 matches played. This very important cup tie was won on penalties by Larkspur Rovers (5-4) after the game had finished 3-3 in regulation time. During the opening stages of the game Camden & Islington player Josh Gruby would find the forward run of Ryan Pickles, down the left-hand side of the Larkspur Rovers penalty area, courtesy of a well weighted pass. Ryan Pickles would then powerfully hit an effort across the face of the goal, which ended up going wide of the goalkeeper's left-hand post. A couple of minutes later and at the opposite end of the pitch Larkspur player Rhys Breed would work the space to get an effort away on Ross Thursby's goal. His effort from 20 yards out was held by Thursby.

Larkspur Rovers started to grow in to the game more, as it progressed. And the home side would take the lead still quite early on in the game, after Kene Okonkwo had managed to get to a loose ball following a partial clearance close to the edge of the Camden & Islington box. On the bounce, Kene Okonkwo's resulting powerful effort would excellently find the top right-hand corner of the goal, in unstoppable fashion, 1-0. However, Camden & Islington would respond really well to going 1-0 down, though. And after Ryan Pickles had taken the ball off of a Larkspur defender on the right-hand side of the pitch, he would play a good through-ball pass towards the run of Karl Usher, who continued into the penalty area (he was closely followed by a Larkspur defender), before powerfully finishing into the top left-hand corner of the goal, 1-1. A couple of minutes later and Josh Gruby would loop a cross from the left flank, into the Larkspur penalty area, from where Karl Usher was able to get to the ball. However, Usher's powerful low effort was well saved with his feet by Larkspur's goalkeeper, Kayal Patel.

Larkspur's goalscorer, Kene Okonkwo, would hit a free-kick effort (from the edge of the Camden & Islington box) narrowly over Ross Thursby's goal, shortly after Larkspur player Kafi Afrah had been sin-binned by the referee. Camden & Islington would finish the first half strongly, and after Miguel Matos had found Dwayne Reid at the back post of the Larkspur goal, with a good lofted pass, Reid's first time effort from close range, was gathered by Kayal Patel. But, just before the end of the first half Camden & Islington would take the lead. As the hardworking and alert Ryan Pickles had managed to get to long pass, getting to the bouncing ball on the edge of the Larkspur penalty area, and in behind their defence. Ryan Pickles would then take the ball into Larkspur's penalty area and around their goalkeeper, before finishing low into the goal, 1-2.

Early on in the second half and following some good work from Josh Gruby on the left-hand side of the Larkspur box, the Camden & Islington player would cross the ball to Jonny Ding at the back post, whose volleyed effort went wide of the goal. Larkspur would then go on to enjoy a good spell in this well contested cup tie. Following on from Ryan Durrant's corner-kick delivery which would eventually bounce to Okera Lewis inside the centre of the visitor's box, Lewis would head an effort over, and then soon after, Kene Okonkwo would curl an excellent free-kick effort on goal. From the edge of the away team's penalty area, his fine effort would go off the inside of the goalkeeper's left-hand post, before the ball was then cleared away. However, the impressive Kene Okonkwo, would draw Larkspur level soon after, from a free-kick which had been awarded inside the final third, and out on the right-hand side of the pitch. He would curl an excellent effort on goal, which would loop over Ross Thursby, before going into the goal off his right-hand post, 2-2.

Larkspur were looking to play the ball long, as they had done throughout the game, as well as getting crosses into the visitor's penalty area. And shortly after the impressive Okera Lewis had done really well to clear the ball, after Karl Usher had met a cross inside of the Larkspur box, Larkspur would score their third goal of the game. Rhys Breed would get the goal, after meeting a well delivered cross from the right-hand side of the pitch, to the back post of Ross Thursby's goal, before side-footing the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, on the volley, 3-2. Camden & Islington would have to dig deep once again, and they came very close to scoring an equaliser, around five minutes later. As Josh Gruby's low effort on the Larkspur goal, from the edge of their penalty area, was parried by Kayal Patel, who then bravely saved two efforts from close range, on the follow-up.

Camden & Islington did manage to draw level, relatively late on in the second half, however. As following a push on Josh Gruby, following a long throw-in in to the centre of the Larkspur box, the referee would point to the penalty spot. Ryan Pickles' resulting effort from the penalty spot would clinically find the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 3-3. Just before the referee had sounded his whistle for the end of normal time, Ross Thursby would manage to keep out Darwaish Alamyar's low effort on his goal, from the edge of the penalty area. On to penalties. And after both sides had scored their first four penalties, each, Camden & Islington player Ricardo Matos was unlucky with his effort from the penalty spot, with Kayal Patel doing really well to save his low effort to his right. And now Rob Minter had the chance to send Larkspur Rovers in to the final of The Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, and he would do exactly that, with his well taken finish finding the bottom right-hand corner of the goal.

Congratulations to Larkspur Rovers on reaching the final, and commiserations to Camden & Islington on being so unfortunate to lose on penalties, in what was a really well contested game of football. The pitch did undoubtedly make it very difficult for Camden & Islington to play their passing game to great effect. However, yes, Larkspur Rovers were direct with the ball, but, it worked, and they made things difficult for Camden & Islington at key moments in this big game. Larkspur Rovers will face Indian Gymkhana Club in the final of this season's Alec Smith Premier Division Cup, late on in May. Larkspur Rovers midfielder Kene Okonkwo put in a really fine performance on Saturday, and with two really well taken goals, he was my player of the match. However, honourable mentions must also go to Okera Lewis, Toren Scott, and Kayal Patel, who were just some of the other Larkspur players who I thought had really good games. For Camden & Islington, and despite competition from Ryan Pickles and Josh Gruby, I though that centre-forward Karl Usher was their player of the match, for the way in which he led the line on the day.

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