NLCFC vs Camden Athletic

MAL  LEAGUE (NLCFC AWAY)

 

North London Crickets vs Camden Athletic

 

4-4-2 from left to right after keeper:

 

  1. Richard Hall

  2. Salman Ali

  3. Cass Nicholson

  4. Patrick Mills

  5. Luke Buffery

  6. Fernando Almeida

  7. Craig Gaffney

  8. Steve Ohagan

  9. Andy Hale

    10. Guy Nicholson

    11. Ben Wakeford

 

NLCFC 8 Camden Athletic 2, (G. Nicholson 5, 10, Hale 15, C.Nicholson 25, Ohagan 35, 90, Gaffney 65, Wakeford 75) , (Athletic goals 55,60).

 Andy Van Hale Report

A bright autumn day on the astroturf of Market Road saw The Crickets face the wooden spoon favourites Camden Athletic.  A comfortable win was expected and the 8-2 victory didn't disappoint the vocal NLC support. It took Guy Nicholson a mere 20 minutes to double his season tally with 2 finishes from the poacher's handbook.  The first rounding the keeper after a defensive blunder, the second slotting neatly after a trademark O'Hagan through pass.  The Crickets were rampant and it was no surprise when Andy Hale headed home the third from a Craig corner.  It had taken Steve O'Hagan 4 matches to get on the scoresheet but his 1st of the season, and the Crickets 4th, was well worth the wait.  His dipping, away swinger from all of 30 yards gave the Camden keeper no chance and became a contender for goal of the season.  Two minutes before the break the icing on another fine Cass Nicholson performance saw him poke home another corner.  Half time: 5-0.  With their feet off the pedal and a commendable second half effort from Athletic, The Crickets found themselves 5-2 after an hour.  But Ben Wakeford, hungry to remain Club top scorer, "made safe" a Hale shot bound for the bottom corner. After earlier hitting both posts, Craig slotted home the goal he deserved and O'Hagan made it 8-2 clipping home from a tight angle.

  Supplementary Victor Report

NLCFC took full advantage of this opportunity to improve their goal difference against the leagues whipping boys. Athletic, without a point this season, started slowly. A lack of communication between keeper and central defender allowed the alert Guy Nicholson to open the scoring by nicking the ball from between the two and finishing coolly. Minutes later Nicholson was again first to the loose ball, this time choosing to lob the stranded keeper from 25 yards and effectively end the contest.

NLCFC’s superior strength and technique showed all over the park with the back line of Ali, Mills, C.Nicholson and Buffery looking as impenetrable as they have done all season. After another firmly headed goal from midfield dynamo Andy Hale it was Cass Nicholson’s turn to take a bow for the defenders as he too scored from a corner. The first-half rout was completed by Ohagan, who scored the goal of the game. Receiving the ball from the left the midfield playmaker allowed it to pass across his body before unleashing a fierce drive into the right top corner.

The second half was treated as a training session by the NLCFCs which allowed Athletics to score a couple of soft goals, but Midfield engine Craig Gaffney soon restored order with a well taken goal. Wakeford maintained his status as top scorer with a rather unecessary tap-in from 1 yard a few minutes later, but the coup de grass was applied by man of the match Ohagan who scored from the left just before the final whistle.

The Crickets will have a sterner task next week when they travel to Hackney to play league leaders Music Choice.