Ashford Town defeated

Isthmian League – South Central Division

Thursday 18 April 2024

Hanworth Villa 4

• Ben Geraghty (33′)
• Kyen Nicholas (45’+4)
• Sam Merson (86′)
• Rayan Djouadj (90’+3)

Ashford Town 1

• Scott Day (50′)

Match review

After drawing our last two games we were determined to build on that and try and get all three point against an Ashford side we were lucky to overcome when we last met.

This was our third attempt to get the game on following torrential rain on the two previous ocassions.

Worryingly as the game kicks off there’s a small amount of rain on the bitter wind blowing across Rectory Meadow but thankfully it’s nothing like the downpour we’ve become accustomed to over recent weeks. Despite the smaller than usual crowd the atmosphere had a great buzz about it.

How we lined up

Kick off

Attendance 107

Nothing much of anything happened as the game began with both teams feeling their way into the match. On nine minutes an Ashford player went down, as the minutes passed by it became obvious that this was a little more serious than a knock. A stretcher was called for and Connor Young was carried from the field of play to the applause from both sets of supporters. He was taken to hospital for X-Rays and MRI. We wish him well.

On the 14th minute Richards made his second run of the game into the box, this time he got a shot away but a deflection saw it lose any power it had and the ball drifted wide of the goal. Aston Nunn had a long range effort which whizzed on the outside of the post.

The game ebbed and flowed – we had a series of set pieces that didn’t quite come off and it looked (to me at least) that we were in for a similar situation as we faced against Chipstead recently, where we bossed the game but couldn’t break the deadlock.

Goal 33′ Ben Geraghty – Hanworth Villa 1 v 0 Ashford Town

On 33 minutes Ben Geraghty took the ball in his stride following a long cross-field pass from Collins and with a shimmy cut inside the defender to get a shot away in the box which evaded the Ashford keeper.

About 10 minutes later Ben got in again but this time the shot bent away from the goal.

Goal 45’+4 Kyen Nicholas – Hanworth Villa 2 v 0 Ashford Town

Crawford broke up a Ashford attack deep in our half, turned and hit a long ball over the top which Nicholas ran onto, showing his strength to fight off the defenders. He brought down the ball with his chest without breaking his stride, then with a deft touch lifted the ball over the onrushing goalkeeper.

Half time: Hanworth Villa 2 v 0 Ashford Town

With news of Binfield up 4-1 in their game at half time filtering through our opponents came out really fired up and looking like they mean business. As things stood Binfield would be just a point behind them with a game in hand – Ashford came out fighting.

Goal 50′ Scott Day – Hanworth Villa 2 v 1 Ashford Town

Within five minutes of the restart Sesay made a pacey run down our left, weaving past players. The ball found it’s way through to Scott Day who hammered the ball past our keeper.

Villa rang the changes on 54′ minutes removing Guy Ansah Palmer from the field of play and replacing him with new signing Charlie Hathaway giving him half an hour for his home debut.

For the next fifteen minutes or so Ashford kept pushing but lacked the cutting edge their league position intimated and they were unable to break the Villa defences. Rayan Djouadj again showed his maturity and put in a commanding performance at the back. Newcomer Hathaway showed his worth working tirelessly alongside him.

Villa made two more substitutions on the 69th and 73rd minutes when Ben Merson came on for Nicholas and the impressive 16 year old Patterson replaced Geraghty.

On 80 minutes the rain began to get a little heavier. This is Hanworth, it always seems to rain like this. We got a corner – the ball made his way to Crawford inside the box who laid the ball back to Robertson-Tingle, who passed the the ball to the back of the box where Hathaway wrapped his foot around it and delivered a curling shot which the keeper palmed around the post for another corner.

Goal 86′ Sam Merson – Hanworth Villa 3 v 1 Ashford Town

Following a goal kick by Rackley-Hayes Ben Merson beat the defender to the ball and slotted the ball into the path of his brother Sam who leathered it into the net.

Goal 90′ Rayan Djouadj – Hanworth Villa 4 v 1 Ashford Town

As the ref indicated six additional minutes we got a corner and this time the delivery from Mead was spot on, with Djouadj popping up at the far post to head the ball home.

Final score: Hanworth Villa 4 v 1 Ashford Town