Non-League and Academy football writer

Hayes & Hillingdon FC will be ground-sharing at the home of Northwood FC (The Skyline Roofing Stadium) this season, and it was there that they faced Eagles Land Cricklewood FC (on Tuesday night) in what was both side’s opening Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture of the 2024/25 season. This step 7 match was an eventful one, which Eagles Land Cricklewood won 2-1, in front of a big crowd. The first real goalscoring chance of the first half came the way of the home side, Hayes & Hillingdon. As their captain Joe Shepherd’s dipping free-kick effort (it was from a difficult angle) from distance, went over Eagles Land Cricklewood goalkeeper Elgi Fejzo’s goal. Shortly after that effort Eagles Land Cricklewood player Hamid Abdel Salam would hit a low effort from outside of the home team’s penalty area, wide of their goal, as it bounced up off the pitch.

There was a really good start and intensity to the game, and although Hayes & Hillingdon were seeing more of the ball during the opening stages, it was Eagles Land Cricklewood who would take an early lead. After centre-forward Terryl Harding-Nathan had received a pass from Anthony Wright on the left side of the Hayes & Hillingdon penalty area, with his back to goal, he would then turn and get around a defender. Terryl Harding-Nathan would then square the ball to Kristo Beshiku, at the back post. It was from there that the winger finished low into the goal from close range, 0-1. However, the home side would respond well, and after Jamie Gourey had met a free-kick delivery into the centre of the away team’s box, he saw his powerful header on goal be excellently pushed away by the alert Elgi Fejzo.

After Charlie Casey had hit a low effort from just inside of the Eagles Land Cricklewood box wide of their goal, a powerful and low effort from Anthony Wright on the edge of the Hayes & Hillingdon box, went just wide of the goal. A couple of minutes later Charlie Casey would meet and head a corner-kick delivery wide of the goal, from the back post, inside of the away team’s box. A great forward run down the right flank from Kristo Beshiku, would help him create a chance for Eagles Land Cricklewood, but they were unable to score from the left-hand side of the Hayes & Hillingdon penalty area, with Anthony Wright hitting an effort over the goal. Shortly after that chance, Connor Goodliffe had hit a free-kick effort from distance (from the right-hand side of the pitch) wide of the Eagles Land Cricklewood goalkeeper’s near post.

Eagles Land Cricklewood would finish the first half well, and shortly after the impressive Hamid Abdel Salam had won the ball off of Hayes & Hillingdon defender Ryan Lloyd, he would take the ball into the penalty area, before hitting a low effort wide of the goalkeeper’s near post, the away side would double their lead. As following a free-kick which was won by Alfie Parry on the left flank, the same Eagles Land Cricklewood player would elect to take it. His excellent and accurate  delivery to find Terryl Harding-Nathan in a bit of space in the centre of the penalty area, was powerfully headed in off the underside of the crossbar, by the centre-forward, 0-2. 

Eagles Land Cricklewood looked to get a third goal after the second half of the match had got underway. With both Anthony Wright and Kristo Beshiku hitting efforts wide of the Hayes & Hillingdon goal, from inside of their penalty area. However, after those two efforts in quick succession, Hayes & Hillingdon would manage to get a goal back in the game. After a low effort from outside of the Eagles Land Cricklewood penalty area was parried by Elgi Fejzo, the ball popped up for Jamie Gourey, whose very good looping, diving header from the centre of the box, looped over the goalkeeper and into the goal, 1-2. Eagles Land Cricklewood would try to restore their two goal lead, and after Hamid Abdel Salam had hit a low effort wide of the Hayes & Hillingdon goal, from the edge of their penalty area, Anthony Wright would create another chance. As his short pass to Alfie Parry on the left-hand side of the box, would result in the left-back (he was under pressure) hitting an effort over the goal.

The chances continued to be created by Eagles Land Cricklewood, during this stage of the second half. After Alfie Parry had curled a free-kick effort over the Hayes & Hillingdon goal from the edge of their box, Kristo Beshiku created a chance for Terryl Harding-Nathan. The influential Eagles Land Cricklewood centre-forward would surge forward down the right-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, before hitting an effort on goal which was well parried at his near post, by goalkeeper Sam Deacon. The pace of this very good game of football was impressive, and before a big moment in the game arrived, there were to be two more efforts (one for either side). With Hamid Abdel Salam progressing the ball forward through the middle of the pitch before hitting an effort over from distance, before Hayes & Hillingdon player Connor Goodliffe hit a good and low effort from distance, just wide of Elgi Fejzo’s goal.

After there was a big coming together between both sets of players (I’m not quite sure how it all started). It ended with three players (one for Hayes & Hillingdon and two for Eagles Land Cricklewood) being sent off by the referee. With Eagles Land Cricklewood having to replace their goalkeeper and then having to quickly adjust to having only nine players on the pitch, it would make the very latter stages of the game, very interesting. However, the away side managed to create a very good chance straight after the game had resumed. With substitute Oleksander Martyniuk’s cross picking out another Eagles Land Cricklewood substitute, in the centre of the Hayes & Hillingdon box, but his header from close range went just over the goal.

Hayes & Hillingdon pushed for a very late equalising goal, and after the impressive Tobi Shodipo had travelled inside with the ball from the right flank, he would hit a low effort just wide, from the edge of the Eagles Land Cricklewood box, before Hayes & Hillingdon were awarded one final free-kick. As Connor Goodliffe’s free-kick effort from the edge of the penalty area, was cleared away by the Eagles Land Cricklewood defence. This was an excellent game of football, between two teams that play good football. Eagles Land Cricklewood did really well for so much of the game, both in and out of possession, against another possession based side. The away side defended really well, with their full-backs (Beola Coker and Alfie Parry) having a really good balance to their game. However, central defenders Antwane Sabag and Ashkan Abbasi defended superbly against a very good Hayes & Hillingdon forward line.

For Hayes & Hillingdon, I thought that their number eight (Connor Goodliffe) was very good technically, doing some very good work in the central areas of the pitch. He was in my opinion, the home team’s player of the match. However, I also thought that Tobi Shodipo was very impressive. For Eagles Land Cricklewood, I thought that with two important goal contributions (a goal and an assist), that the impressive Terryl Harding-Nathan was the player of the match. However, Kristo Beshiku, Hamid Abdel Salam and Anthony Wright, were all very good in the forward areas of the pitch. The away team also made some very effective substitutions during the second half. This was a game between two very talented sides, who showcased their talent throughout the match.