Isthmian South Central 15 Mar 2025
Hanworth Villa 3
- Abdullah Javaid (67’)
- Sam Merson (89’, 90+7’)
Southall 2
- Makael Scott (17’)
- Azeez Alabi (44’)
Match Report
When the chips are down, Hanworth Villa respond.
That has been Villa’s mantra this season, and it was no different when we overturned a two-goal deficit to defeat Southall 3-2 with a 97th-minute Sam Merson winner at Rectory Meadow.
For the first hour, Southall’s low block was paying dividends despite a flurry of Villa chances and they made the most of their only two chances of the match.
But Abdullah Javaid’s 67th-minute strike shifted the momentum in our favour.
Villa went on to steal an all-important three points to keep pace with our promotion rivals courtesy of two late Merson goals.
A jubilant manager Simon Haughney said: “I never celebrate goals, but to get that last kick of the game, I just went sprinting off from the dugout with emotion and I was halted by pulling my calf muscle.
“I’m getting old and yeah, bit embarrassing, but I’ll take that. The team unity is there. You see the celebrations at the end, there’s no one swimming against the current.
“That’s how it’s got to be if you want to achieve things this season. Full credit to the boys, they just kept going and kept going.
“It’s just that desire to win, desire to get over the line, throwing bodies up there, and we got our rewards at the end. We weren’t going to be denied”
With Hayes & Yeading United recording a 4-1 win over Ashford Town on Friday and Ascot United dispatching Guernsey 4-0 in the early kick off, the pressure was on Villa to follow suit.
Villa are now fifth on 62 points trailing fourth-placed Ascot (65) with two games in hand, while we jumped ahead of sixth-placed Hayes & Yeading (60) with one game in hand.
For the first time this season, Haughney named an unchanged lineup from the team that beat Badshot Lea 2-0 last Tuesday.
He said: “I just thought on Tuesday, the endeavour, work rate, the pressing all over the pitch to a man was brilliant. Every single player on Tuesday played really well, showed 120% effort. And why change it?”
Villa’s chemistry showed straight from kick-off, as Javaid, Louis Collins and Finlay Macnab combined for the game’s first chance.
In the seventh minute, Javaid’s ball forward found Collins who flicked it towards the edge of the box for Macnab who was brought down by Southall goalkeeper Michael Edegbe.
Edegbe was shown an early yellow card, and Sam Merson curled the resulting free kick narrowly over the bar.
Villa were in complete control in the opening 15 minutes, shifting Southall’s defenders around with slick passing exchanges and well-timed movement.
Macnab fired a half-volley just over the bar before left-back Josh Casey was denied by Edegbe from close range running onto a smart flick-on by Javaid.
But disaster struck in the 17th minute, as Southall broke on the counter attack and scored an undeserved opener.
From a tight angle down the left flank, Makael Scott somehow managed to fire into the roof of the net.
Southall nearly doubled their lead four minutes later but Joe Peters produced a superb last-ditch tackle to thwart a dangerous one-versus-one situation.
But right before half time, the away side got their second as captain Azeez Alabi lashed an unstoppable strike into the bottom corner.
About his half time team talk, Haughney said: “Just look boys, let’s not go gung-ho for it because we’re worried about their pace. If we could stay composed, get a goal within 25 minutes, I’d back us to go on and win it.”
Merson almost pulled one back after the interval, with a first-time effort rivalling his viral wonder strike against Farnham Town.
In the 55th minute, he connected with Ben Mulley’s pass with the outside of his boot but the audacious strike skimmed the roof of the net.
Villa’s lifeline finally arrived 12 minutes later, courtesy of a sensational strike from Javaid.
The mercurial winger netted his third in a Villa jersey after collecting the ball from Macnab on the edge of the box and curling it past Edegbe high into the top right corner.
It sparked a change in atmosphere as the 257 spectators allroared into life, thumping their seats to spur Villa on.
After a brief spell of possession, the game kicked back into life in the 88th minute.
Substitute Dylan Randall’s snapshot was saved by Edegbe’s outstretched leg and won Villa a corner.
Another pinpoint Casey delivery later, Villa were level. Merson rose highest, jumping above Edegbe, to nod home the equaliser.
But Villa were not done yet.
Into the first of seven stoppage time minutes, Casey’s free kick was nearly diverted into the net by a Southall defender, but Macnab’s header sailed agonisingly over from point-blank range.
Three minutes later, substitute Ben Geraghty’s low strike won another corner, which Villa somehow failed to put past the goal line after another scramble in the area.
Into the seventh and final minute of injury time, up stepped Merson to send the Villa fans into raptures.
Found inside the six-yard area by Macnab’s cross, he timed his header to perfection with the final touch of the game to complete an unbelievable Villa comeback.
Haughney said: “I thought Sam in the first half wasn’t really in the game, but you just don’t take him off because when you need him, he has always delivered for this football club.”
Villa now face a challenging run of fixtures beginning with hosting Leatherhead at home on Tuesday (March 18) at 7.45pm.
Haughney added: “I think when you start looking at the fixtures, we know we have a tough run but we’ve got to go a game at a time.
“When you try and predict scores, they never go the way you think so. I feel when the heat’s on, we perform.
“Leatherhead is going to be a massively difficult game and all I care about now is winning on Tuesday night.”