Home | 31 August 2026 | Attendance: 625
By | Dave Rees
It was an early-season local derby on the August Bank Holiday as we welcomed old friends Chertsey Town to Rectory Meadow.
The visitors had made an equally good start to their season in the Southern League Premier South, with an almost identical record to Villa, having lost just one game that coming at home to Frome Town the previous Saturday.
Villa made a couple of changes from Saturday’s goalless draw at Wimborne, with Lucas Defise and Brandon Barzey making their first starts of the season, while Guy Ansah-Palmer and Hayden Vaughn dropped to the bench.
It was a sluggish start for Villa, who found themselves behind after just five minutes. Villa were putting together an attacking move when the ball was played into the box, where Chertsey keeper Roberts collected comfortably. He released the ball quickly, catching Villa too high up the field, and Bradley Wilson was able to take one touch before calmly putting the ball around the advancing Tyla Dickinson in a one-on-one.
Villa began to see more possession and put pressure on the Chertsey back line but couldn’t find a way through. Ethan Light tested Roberts with a 30-yard strike which the keeper was forced to tip over the bar.
Chertsey continued to apply pressure, but the Villa defence looked increasingly resolute and refused to allow the visitors a way through. Longer-range efforts were dealt with comfortably by Dickinson.
Villa were forced into a change on 38 minutes after Ethan Light twisted awkwardly while making a defensive challenge, with Guy Ansah-Palmer coming on in his place.
We reached half-time with Villa trailing by a goal to nil.
The second half was a completely different game. While Villa had not looked uncomfortable in the opening 45 minutes, the second half saw a noticeable change in shape, energy and passion from the home side.
Hayden Vaughn replaced Ben Geraghty at half-time, with the management team continuing to make changes during the opening stages of the half as Brandon Curtis and Jake Leahy were introduced for Ben Geraghty and Brandon Barzey on 53 minutes.
Within the opening few moments, Dickinson was called into action. Chertsey played a ball through the Villa defence, similar to the move that had led to their first goal. This time, however, Dickinson timed his run perfectly, racing from his goal to snatch the ball from the feet of the advancing Chertsey attacker. It was an excellent save and proved to be something of a turning point.
It was substitute Jake Leahy who brought Villa level. He pounced on a short pass out from the Chertsey defence, took a couple of touches and fired a shot from the edge of the 18-yard box. Roberts couldn’t hold the effort and the ball went straight through him to make it 1-1.
Villa took the lead just moments later from the penalty spot. Ansah-Palmer raced to retrieve a cross into the box and was brought down, with referee Demetri Anastasiou immediately pointing to the spot.
Michael Harding stepped up and confidently converted the penalty to put Villa 2-1 ahead.
Hanworth were now in their stride and had taken full control of the game. Just two minutes later, Harding added his second and Villa’s third of the afternoon.
Villa were forced into something of a scramble inside their own box as Chertsey looked to find a way back into the game, but the home side remained strong. Eventually, the ball was cleared long and found Harding around the halfway line. He broke away from his man before finding himself one-on-one with the Chertsey keeper. Showing great composure, Harding calmly put the ball around Roberts to give Villa a two-goal cushion.
The Villains were not going to sit back and continued to bombard the visitors’ goal, with George Wells, Leahy and Harding all going close as Villa searched for further goals and Harding his hat-trick.
The scoring, and the three points, were wrapped up in the 82nd minute as Curtis fired home.
Chertsey attempted to play a short ball out on the left, but the pass ran straight through Curtis and the Chertsey defender, who failed to react. Curtis turned, took two strides with the ball and fired an unstoppable effort from the edge of the D to make it 4-1.
From what had been a shaky start, Villa produced an assured and impressive finish to the game, turning a one-goal deficit into a convincing 4-1 victory.
Simon Haughney was delighted with the result and was quick to give credit to Chertsey for their first-half performance.
“I felt in the first half they had a plan and it was a great plan. They sat in the mid-block and countered us, which they did well. They thoroughly deserved their lead at half-time.”
Haughney admitted that the message at the break was simple: Villa needed to be braver.
The half-time team talk, combined with the impact of the substitutes, proved to be the difference as Villa produced a completely different performance after the interval.
“We have a great bunch and I said to them at half-time that we were unrecognisable. I didn’t understand why we were being so passive.”
Whatever was said inside the dressing room clearly had the desired effect. Villa emerged for the second half with greater intensity, purpose and belief, scoring four unanswered goals to complete a memorable Bank Holiday derby comeback.
After a difficult opening 45 minutes, the response was exactly what was required and Villa kept all three points at Rectory Meadow and plenty of momentum to take into the next match which see the start of the FA cup and visit of FA Vase Winners Whistable Town on Saturday.
