Away | 1 August 2026
By | Dave Rees
Villa round off pre-season with another win
Hanworth Villa rounded off their pre-season campaign with another impressive victory as they travelled to friends and neighbours Ashford Town (Middlesex) for their final friendly ahead of life at Step 3.
Ashford also had plenty to celebrate following promotion back to Step 4 as champions of the Combined Counties Premier Division North last season, providing Villa with another competitive test before the league campaign begins.
After an impressive pre-season, Hanworth have started to settle on their squad, and this fixture was treated as a full dress rehearsal, with Villa naming a starting XI and five substitutes.
The opening exchanges were evenly contested, with possession shared between the sides. Villa carved out the first clear opportunity when Haydon Vaughan struck the crossbar with a powerful long-range effort.
However, it was the hosts who opened the scoring in the ninth minute. A corner was delivered to the back post, leading to a goalmouth scramble before the ball was poked over the line from close range.
Villa's response was swift. Patient build-up play from the back, combined with quick attacking movement, paid off as an Ashford error allowed Harding to pounce. He nipped in to win possession before squaring the ball from a tight angle for Toure Williams, who made no mistake in drawing Villa level.
The remainder of the first half was played at a high tempo, with both teams looking to gain the upper hand. Despite some promising attacking play at either end, neither side could find a breakthrough, and the teams went into the interval level.
The second half continued in much the same fashion, with both sides showing intensity and commitment. Play was briefly halted five minutes after the restart when the referee suffered a calf injury as he was clipped by a passing Ashford player. Although he initially attempted to continue, he was eventually forced off and was replaced by one of his assistant referees, while a willing volunteer stepped in to run the other line.
Following the restart, Villa took control and deservedly moved ahead in the 58th minute. Harding's initial effort was well saved by the goalkeeper, but Jake Leahy reacted quickest to fire home the rebound.
Just four minutes later, Villa extended their lead. Harding timed his run perfectly to beat the offside trap, collected an excellent through ball, showed superb composure to round the goalkeeper, and slotted into the empty net.
Villa wrapped up the scoring in the 77th minute with an excellent goal from full-back Louis Gate. Making a surging run through the middle, he collected the pass before delicately chipping the goalkeeper to make it 4-1.
The visitors remained firmly in control throughout the closing stages and could easily have added a fifth. Abdulla Selloum latched onto a pass out wide and drove towards the penalty area, only to be denied by some determined defending. Villa also earned their first corner of the match deep into stoppage time.
The final whistle confirmed a convincing 4-1 victory on another hot Saturday afternoon, bringing an excellent pre-season campaign to a close with plenty of positives and optimism ahead of the new season.
The focus now turns to competitive action as Villa prepare for their first-ever Step 3 campaign. They begin on Saturday when they welcome Taunton Town to Rectory Meadow for the first meeting between the two clubs.
Tickets for this historic occasion are available now, we look forward to seeing you there!
