Isthmian South Central 2 Nov 2024
Hanworth Villa 0
Rayners Lane 1
- Shamal Edwards (69’)
Match Report
For Hanworth Villa, conceding first has become a common occasion.
But while Villa managed to turn defeat into victory in previous matches against South Park (Reigate) and Westfield, a flurry of missed chances resulted in a disappointing first home defeat of the season to Rayners Lane.
Shamal Edwards’ strike was enough to seal an unlikely 1-0 victory for the visitors although there was late drama as Manny Parry’s header was adjudged by referee Will Briers to have not crossed the line.
Manager Simon Haughney said: “Tough one to take. I actually thought the performance today was a stronger performance than last week but we’ve walked away with zero points.
“The effort and energy was there and I thought we had a better structure in terms of not giving away as many chances as we have done. But fair play to Rayners Lane, they weathered the storm, scored that goal and were dogged to keep us out.
“That seems to be what the league is about. You’ve got to take your chances and today we were guilty of collectively missing chances.”
The defeat also ended a five-match league unbeaten run as Villa fell to seventh in the Isthmian League South Central Division.
Rayners Lane, who have enjoyed back-to-back promotions from the 10th tier, picked up their first away win of the season and moved up to 12th.
After three league wins on the bounce, Haughney decided to stick with the same lineup that beat Sutton Common Rovers 2-0 last weekend.
Just three minutes after kick off, Villa had a golden opportunity to pick up where we left off.
Capitalising on Rayners Lane’s high defensive line, Ben Mulley played an inch-perfect through ball for Sam Merson.
But although he was left in a one-on-one situation, Merson could only muster a tame effort which was easily parried by goalkeeper Charlie Crowley.
Ten minutes later, Villa once again exploited the high line as Finlay Macnab sent Alex Body through on goal but the latter’s stinging effort crashed off the post.
Villa’s momentum was briefly halted in the 21st minute, as Ben Mulley had to be replaced by Shane Dunne for a nasty gash above his eyebrow.
Before the half hour mark, Body was again denied from close range, this time by Crowley, after a slaloming run by Macnab inside the penalty box.
Another five-minute delay highlighted the fiery nature of the match, as Rayners Lane defender Myles Anderson had to be helped off the pitch after a clash of heads.
Into nine minutes of first-half injury time, Rayners Lane were presented with the best chance of the game yet.
After Ali Mansaray was beaten on the left flank, an unmarked Cyril Ocansey was left free on the edge of the six-yard box to connect with the resulting cross. But up stepped Villa custodian Mark Smith, who palmed away Ocansey’s venomous volley.
Three minutes after the restart, Macnab should have given Villa the lead but dragged his shot narrowly wide of the post after deftly dancing around two defenders.
Before the hour mark, Mansaray was forced off with a groin injury and was replaced by Christian Jolley. While Jolley usually plays as a forward, he came on as a left-back.
Haughney said about the former Newport County player: “He’s left-footed, he’s played there before, I think Christian has played every position over his long career. So it was a no brainer.”
After a host of missed chances, Villa were eventually punished in the 69th minute by the visitors.
Picking up a loose ball, Rio Connell capitalised on a George Wells mistake to drive down Villa’s left flank.
While Connell’s initial shot was saved by Smith, Shamal Edwards’s rebound was rifled into an empty net with Smith out of position.
With Villa pushing for an equaliser, controversy struck in the first minute of injury time after Parry’s header crashed against the bar and bounced on the line.
Parry wheeled away in celebration but referee Briers ruled that the ball had not crossed the line much to the dismay of the home fans. That proved to be the last big chance of the game.
Villa will have a quick turnaround, hosting North Greenford United on Tuesday night in the Middlesex Cup before making the long trip to Guernsey for next Saturday’s 2pm kick off.
Haughney added: “We’re going to put a strong team out for Tuesday night in the Cup. We’ll be looking to win that tie and then we go to Guernsey, and we’ve got to win again.”
