Non-League and Academy football writer

Pitshanger Dynamo faced Hayes & Hillingdon on the 3G pitch at Hayes & Yeading United, in a Middlesex County Football League Premier Division fixture, on Tuesday night. Pitshanger Dynamo started this game in 14th place in the league table, after 17 matches played. League title contenders Hayes & Hillingdon started this game in  seventh place in the table, after 15 matches played. It was Hayes & Hillingdon who won this match, 4-1. Hayes & Hillingdon would start this match well, seeing a lot of the ball, which they passed around the pitch with pace and purpose. Early on in the match, Hayes & Hillingdon player Chris Kyriakides would hit an effort from the edge of the Pitshanger box, but from a difficult angle, into the side-netting of their goal. Soon after that chance for the away side, and after a corner-kick for Hayes & Hillingdon was laid off by one of their players, to Chris Kyriakides, on the edge of the box, his powerful first time effort was parried by the Pitshanger goalkeeper, Gerald Ihenacho. Then, on the follow-up Jamie Gourey’s good overhead effort went wide of the goal. 

A good first time effort from Luke Jones (from over 30 yards out) went over the Pitshanger goal, as Hayes & Hillingdon continued to push for the opening goal of the game, but Pitshanger were defending well, and keeping a good defensive shape. Jamie Gourey would hit an effort wide, on the turn, of the Pitshanger goal, after receiving the ball on the edge of their penalty area. And then a couple of minutes later, Hayes & Hillingdon’s captain Joe Shepherd would curl a decent free-kick effort from the edge of the home team’s box, around their wall and just wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. The chances kept on being created by Hayes & Hillingdon, and after a cross into the Pitshanger box was parried by Gerald Ihenacho, Charlie Casey managed to get to the ball just inside of the box, with his resulting effort on the half-volley going just over the goal.

Just before half-time a good and well worked move from Hayes & Hillingdon resulted in Charlie Casey receiving a pass from Nyall Jennings, on the edge of the Pitshanger penalty area, before then powerfully hitting an unstoppable low effort into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1. Hayes & Hillingdon continued to play well during the early stages of the second half. After Chris Kyriakides had managed to get to a loose ball in midfield, he would continue forward to the edge of the Pitshanger box, before playing a well weighted forward pass into the feet of substitute Liam Walford, down the right hand side of the box. However, Walford’s effort on goal was well closed down and saved by Gerald Ihenacho. And the Pitshanger goalkeeper would then make a fine save to keep out a powerful effort on his goal from 25 yards out, not long before Hayes & Hillingdon made it 2-0.

Hayes & Hillingdon’s second goal of the game came from an excellent move. As Chris Kyriakides’ forward pass from the edge of the home team’s box, found the run of Liam Walford, down the right-hand side of the penalty area. Walford would quickly play a pass across the face of the goal, towards Charlie Casey, who was close to the back post. Casey would then finish from close range past the goalkeeper, 0-2. The away side were managing the game well and they would go close to extending their lead soon after play had resumed, with Stuart Williams’ excellent, dipping effort from the left-hand side of the pitch (from 25 yards out) whistling just wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post. Pitshanger would however, start to be a bit more creative in the final third, in what was a good spell in the game for the home side. 

Pitshanger would get a goal back in the game following that good spell in the game for them. As following a nicely worked passing move, which resulted in Hussein Farhat receiving a pass to his feet inside the centre of the Hayes & Hillingdon box, the skilful Pitshanger player would find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, courtesy of a good finish, 1-2. Pitshanger player-manager Sergio Carro’s side were now pushing for an equalising goal, but a goal from Hayes & Hillingdon centre-forward Liam Walford, would ultimately just relax any concerns that the away side had, about Pitshanger scoring an equaliser. Walford would get to a loose pass just over 20 yards out from goal. He was facing the Pitshanger goalkeeper, with no defenders in front of him. However, Liam Walford finish expertly into the top left-hand corner of the goal, courtesy of a fine curling effort, 1-3.

The goal of the game, and perhaps the 2024/25 Middlesex League season, was scored by Hayes & Hillingdon substitute George Deacon, not long at all after having made it 3-1. A looping cross with too much pace on it (from the left-flank) was met by George Deacon on the half-volley, on the right-hand side of the box, and just inside of the penalty area. His spectacular, powerful first time Marco Van Basten-esque effort, would go into the goal off the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. Everything about that goal from George Deacon, was superb. During the final moments of the game, Chris Kyriakides’ good through-ball pass would find the run of Liam Walford, in the centre of the Pitshanger box. However, Gerald Ihenacho would close Walford’s angles down well, to make a good save, as the ball then rebounded off the centre-forward, and went just wide of the goal.

For much of the game, Pitshanger was very solid defensively, I thought. With central-defenders David Jones (David was my Pitshanger player of the match) and Gerard Flanagan, working well alongside each other, and also reading the game well defensively. However, Hayes & Hillingdon saw a lot more of the ball in the final third, in this game. They played some tremendous passing football, using the ball so well throughout the game, and their win was so greatly deserved. With two goals and a fine all-round performance in the forward areas of the pitch, Charlie Casey was my overall player of this match. However, Nyall Jennings, Chris Kyriakides, Luke Jones, and Liam Walford, were just some of the Hayes & Hillingdon players who I thought were outstanding. Hayes & Hillingdon now look forward to a crucial game in the Premier Division title race, when they face league leaders SL Benfica, on Saturday afternoon.