Isthmian South Central: March 8 2025
Rayners Lane 0
Hanworth Villa 2
- Sam Merson (86′ pen)
- Abdullah Javaid (90+4′)
Match report
While an good game of football, for much of the match it was hard to imagine either side were ever going to score. The home side, who’d been scoring recently of late had been restricted to a couple of chances in the first half, both of which found the cross bar while Villa, despite much toil lacked the incisiveness to break through a resolute Rayners Lane defence. The biggest gasp for Villa fans came when George Wells spotted the keeper off his line and shot from the far edge of the center circle forcing a save.
The half seemed to be petering out to an uneventful 0-0 draw at half time when seconds before the break the increasing effective number 5 for the home side, Josh Green, lashed out unneccessarily at Louis Collins and earned himself a straight red.
Half time: 0-0
Despite the one man advantage Villa never really took advantage of having the extra man. Of all the players on the pitch it seemed Dobson from the home team was the most fired up, snapping at heels and making a really nusiance of himself earning a yellow and then a subsitution later on. Villa, as they had done throughout the game, continued to have the majority of the possession and as the game reached its final five minutes made the breakthrough.
The team throughout tirelessly but were getting no joy against 10 men. On 80 minutes the game changed and opened up for Villa. Quincey Patterson came on and Javaid was switched to the right wing. This saw Villa playing slightly higher up the pitch and looking increasing more likely to break the deadlock. with Javaid felled in the box on 86 minutes it was left to birthday boy Sam Merson to place the ball on the centre spot and calmly place the ball beyond the despairing reach of Endurance Johnson.
0-1 to Villa 86′ Sam Merson
Late into extra time Javaid grabbed a well deserved goal as he jinked past defenders to place the ball in the far corner of the net.
0-2 to Villa 90+4′ Abdullah Javaid
A great three points away from home that Villa rise to six in the table, leapfrogging Hartley Wintney who suffered a home defeat to Hayes and Yeading who like Villa rose up a place in the table to fifth.
And so we turn to talk of the play offs
A month ago it looked like there was just a solitary place in the playoffs up for grabs as the top four clubs seemed to be pulling away from the rest of the league. With Ascot, Kingstonian and Uxbridge all failing to win this weekend the places look a little bit more reachable.
Villa sit poised in sixth place – one point off – with a game in hand on Tuesday night against bottom placed Badshot Lea. There’ll be no commentary for this one as we’ve not got permission from the club but we will have extensive social media coverage for those of you who can’t make the game.