Isthmian South Central 10 Dec 2024
Hanworth Villa 2
- Sam Merson (5’)
- Sam Mead (61’)
Hayes & Yeading United 0
Match Report
With a performance worthy of promotion contenders, Hanworth Villa recorded our fifth straight league win against seventh-placed Hayes & Yeading United.
Goals from Sam Merson and Sam Mead at Rectory Meadow gave Villa a deserved 2-0 win against a team who were in Step 3’s Southern Premier South just last season.
Villa moved up to third on goal difference ahead of Ascot United, who are in fine form themselves having won six consecutive league games.
With a game in hand, we trail league leaders Farnham Town by 11 points and Kingstonian by eight.
It was a display of clinical finishing and disciplined defending reminiscent of Nov 30’s 1-0 away win at Farnham Town as we picked up our second straight clean sheet.
In fact, apart from Farnham who have conceded 17 goals, Villa have the second-meanest defence in the league with only 20 goals allowed from 18 matches.
First-team coach Ben Merson praised the blossoming back four partnership of KJ Osu, Manny Parry, George Wells and Guy Ansah-Palmer.
Ben said: “They’ve been immense for both games. Farnham and Hayes would have been two of the favourites to win the league this year and we’ve got two clean sheets and six points against them.
“I think a massive part of that is to do with the defence. We didn’t give up hardly any opportunities today, I don’t think Smudge (Mark Smith) had a real save to make.
“Conditions were horrible but we dealt with them. We take the three points, it was a great defensive performance.”
After last Saturday’s home fixture against Badshot Lea was postponed, Villa were eager to keep up our good form.
In front of 126 fans, it didn’t take long for Villa to take the lead. Sam Merson nodded home a brilliant whipped corner from Sam Mead in just the fifth minute.
The away side grew into the game and should have equalised on the half hour mark with a corner of their own.
Adrian Clifton, their top scorer with 12 league goals, could not keep his free header inside the six-yard box on target.
Merson very nearly made Hayes & Yeading pay for their missed chance in the 33rd minute.
Bringing down George Wells’ long free kick with a deft touch, Sam Merson unleashed a spectacular curling effort from 30 yards out but it sailed past the wrong side of the post.
Villa eventually got our second goal of the night in the 61st minute after some hard work from Sam Merson.
Chasing down an overhit freekick from George Wells, Sam Merson delivered a smart cutback for Mead who slammed the ball into the bottom corner with aplomb.
Even in the final half hour, Hayes & Yeading struggled to break down Villa’s compact defensive block and trouble Mark Smith’s goal.
It was another well-earned three points for Villa as we look to be gathering momentum.
Ben said: “I think we’re in a great position now but we’re only halfway there. We’re going to have to be good throughout the winter months.
“The pitches are going to get worse and conditions are going to be like they were tonight, freezing cold.
“And I think we’ve got the changing room that can deal all the conditions.”
After Ben tore his cruciate ligament during the 2022/23 season, he joined manager Simon Haughney’s coaching staff and has since stayed on as a first team coach.
Ben will be relishing our next tie against Southall, whom we famously beat 1-0 in stoppage time during our 2021/22 invincibles season.
Jordan Ellis scored a dramatic 96th-minute winner to seal promotion from Step 5.
Ben added: “They got a really good set up and really good team there. They’re not in the greatest run this year but they’re definitely going to be tough to beat on the astroturf.
“Hopefully we can go and get the result.”
