Isthmian South Central 30 April 2025
Hanworth Villa 2
- Guy Ansah-Palmer (2’)
- Sam Merson (57’)
Ascot United 1
- Khalid Simmo (90+4’)
Match Report
Two years after a heartbreaking defeat to Walton & Hersham FC in the Isthmian League Division One South Central play-off final, Hanworth Villa will have another shot at promotion to Step 3.
Simon Haughney’s men were dominant from start to finish in a deserved 2-1 win over Ascot United. Guy Ansah-Palmer struck early in front of a record 724-strong crowd at Rectory Meadow, before Sam Merson’s second-half penalty sealed our spot in the final.
Villa will face Uxbridge away at Honeycroft on Sunday (May 4) who beat Kingstonian 5-4 on penalties in the other play-off semi-final.
Haughney said: “Good performance, I thought we deserved to win. Apart from the last 10 minutes, where they threw everything at it, created a couple of chances, I felt pretty comfortable with the way the game went.
“We’ve had the experience (of playing Walton in the play-off final). There’s no banging on walls, there’s no dancing to music. Everyone’s pleased, but we’ve still got a job to do.
“If we fail in the final, we failed. So it’s going to be joy or it’s going to be heartbreak. But one thing for sure, we’ll have a plan in the final and we will work extremely hard to achieve promotion.”
Besides handing former Hampton and Richmond striker Ibrahim Jalloh a debut start, who replaced Abdullah Javaid in the lineup, Haughney named the same team that started in our 5-2 win over Horndean.
About his new signing, Haughney said: “With the injuries we had, we’ve done a deadline day signing to get him across the line. Paul (our assistant manager) drove to Brixton to sign him.
“John at Hampton has done me a big favour. Jalloh worked so hard for us and was really positive for the team. I put my neck on the chopping block and he didn’t let me down.”
In front of a record 724 spectators, Villa got off to a dream start after just two minutes from a Merson long throw.
Joe Peters leapt highest to win the initial header, before the ball kindly bobbled into the path of Ansah-Palmer who instinctively struck a perfect half-volley from point-blank range.
After a string of poor starts in our last couple of league games, it was a markedly different Villa side — one with energy, vigour and intensity — in the biggest match of the season thus far.
Shaken by the setback, Ascot could have conceded another in the 16th minute after Jalloh chased down a clearance and almost forced a mistake from goalkeeper Mark Scott, who just about managed to put it out for a throw in.
A minute later, Sam Mead’s free header sailed narrowly over the bar from a Shane Dunne corner kick.
On a dry and uneven pitch, Ascot struggled to get into a rhythm. Jalloh had a superb opportunity to double Villa’s lead in the 42nd minute, but his close-range volley was acrobatically saved by a diving Scott.
About the pitch, Haughney said: “Actually we were very worried. We knew they’re a big, physical team, energetic team with long throws. I thought we defended them so well and if we could deal with the set pieces, we’d win the game. That was proven to be right.”
The away side finally had their first opportunity a minute later, when they won a free kick right on the edge of Villa’s D. But Harry Grant struck the effort straight into the wall and the clearance cued another round of raucous cheers from the exuberant Villa fans.
Villa picked up where we left off in the second half, with Jalloh a constant threat to the Ascot backline. The debutant weaved his way through two defenders before firing over the bar in the 50th minute.
Six minutes later, it was Jalloh’s silky movement in the box which drew an error from a tired Ascot defender, who fouled our striker inside the penalty box.
Up stepped Merson who made no mistake from the spot, drilling the penalty into the bottom corner although Scott guessed the right way.
Jalloh was eager to get himself on the scoresheet, but saw another chance go begging in the 74th minute. He curled an effort wide after Shane Dunne recovered the ball from a high press.
There was a nervy moment in the 81st minute after Ascot broke down the right flank and sent a great cross into the Villa box, and the header across goal bounced just wide.
Ascot substitute Khalid Simmo nicked a late goal in the fourth and final minute of stoppage time, but it was too late as the full time whistle blew seconds later.
Haughney added*: “Whoever we play in the final, we’ve got to perform. Both sides are really good.
“But yeah, I’d like Kingstonian at home because you see the supporters today, they really got us over the line. What a massive bunch they were for us today.”
*At time of interview, Uxbridge and Kingstonian were locked in a 2-2 draw in extra time