Years 9 and 10 champions Actual Soccer with Mayor of Islington Barbara Smith

Thrills, spills and penalty shoot-outs

Feast of action as our top teams challange for tropies

A FEAST of football was served up at Market Road this week as the finals of two prestigious competitions reached a thrilling conclusion.
On Wednesday, footballers from across north London went head-to-head in the inaugural More Than Football tournament, organised by SPH Housing Association.
While on Friday, it was finals day for the 18 teams who had made it into the latter stages of the Islington Community Cup, seeing off the challenges of 15 other sides to make it there.
Taking the honours midweek were footballers from the Camden Somali Youth Centre in Kentish Town, whose A and B teams competed against each other in the final of the More Than Football Tournament.
The day offered seven teams of youths from Camden, Islington and Haringey the chance to talk about crime and drugs. And once the talking stopped, the Camsom A and B teams powered their way to the B-League final, which was settled 5-1 by goals from Ali Bile (two), Salah Salah, Abdulla Dabrom and Khalid Ronaldo with Ahmed Nur netting for the A team.
In the other final, Chalk Farm side Origin agonisingly missed out on the silverware, losing on penalties to Haringey Town.
Kafel Gyasi-Brown and Andrew Oh were on target for Origin as the two sides drew 2-2 to force a penalty shoot out.
But Town took the honours after keeping their cool to win 4-2 from the spot.
More closely fought football graced the Market Road pitches two days later as the Aquaterra Leisure and Access to Sports Project organised Islington Cup got underway.
Extra time and penalties settled the Years 7 and 8 final as Allstarz, who boasted a string of Camden and Islington District players, took on the Saints, an upcoming team dominated by pupils from St Aloysius College in Highgate.
Beni Ngwamah proved the hero in that final as the Saints player blasted home the winning penalty in a tense shoot-out.
Actual Soccer proved victorious just a few hours later in the Years 9 and 10 final, beating the Drum in a thrilling final watched by Islington Mayor Barbara Smith.
Helije Bungisa bagged a brace and Jordan Lawal a vital goal as Actual won 3-2 against the Drum, who hit back with goals from tournament leading scorer Luke Musgrave and Charlie Goldsmith. Godi Konga from Actual was named player of the tournament.