Non-League and Academy football writer

Two contenders (Wood Lane and Harrow Bhoys) for the Middlesex County Football League Division one North & West title faced each other on Saturday afternoon, at London Tigers Sports Complex, in Southall. The home side, Wood Lane, started this match in fourth place in the league table, after 13 matches played. Harrow Bhoys started this game in second place in the table, after 15 matches played. Before this game had started, five points separated Wood Lane from Harrow Bhoys in the league standings. This highly competitive step 8 match would finish in a 2-2 draw. Harrow Bhoys started this match in outstanding fashion, taking the lead during the opening minutes of the game. A long throw-in from Paul Liba, would find Darren Maguire in the centre of the Wood Lane penalty area. He would cleverly flick the ball on to Gary Smith, who was in a bit of space on the left-hand side of the box. Smith would control the ball, before hitting a good effort into the bottom right-hand corner of Ahmed Hassan’s goal, 0-1.

After the visitors had started the game at a really good intensity, Wood Lane would start to grow in to the match. After Abdihakim Daahir had whipped an effort wide of the away side’s goal, from close to the edge of their penalty area, Wood Lane defender Jay Hines would then hit a powerful free-kick effort, from 25 yards out, wide of the goal. However, a good spell in this game for Harrow Bhoys, would follow, and after Henry Moriarty’s good corner-kick delivery into the Wood Lane box was met by Ellis Wynne, his powerful header on goal was excellently kept out of his goal by Ahmed Hassan, before the ball was then cleared behind for another corner-kick. Then a couple of minutes later, a great move from the away side would see Jordan Coles pass the ball across to Ellis Wynne on the edge of the Wood Lane penalty area. Wynne would then do well to just lift the ball into the path of Rhys Murphy, who was now through on goal, and in the centre of the box. However, Murphy’s effort was really well saved and closed down by Ahmed Hassan, with Rhys Murphy’s header on the follow-up going wide of the goal.

In the final minutes of the first half, Harrow Bhoys’ goalkeeper, Rory Carolan, would make two saves from headers (in quick succession). Wood Lane would start the second half well, creating a number of goalscoring chances. After Jay Hines had headed over a corner-kick delivery into the away team’s box, Abdullahi Abdullahi would hit a first time effort wide of their goal, from distance. Harrow Bhoys had been defending their goal really well, but, a very good Wood Lane side were getting closer to drawing level. A penalty would be awarded to the home side, still quite early on in the second half, after Wallied Ibrahim had managed to get to a bouncing ball in front of Paul Liba, and from inside of the away team’s penalty area, he was fouled, resulting in the referee pointing to the penalty spot. Abdullahi Abdullahi would step up to take the resulting penalty, excellently finding the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-1.

Not long at all after having drawn level, and with Wood Lane now on the front foot, the home side would take the lead. It was a really well taken goal from Mohamed-Amin Astan, who after receiving the ball just inside of the visitor’s penalty area, he would show some good skill with the ball, before clinically finding the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, with a low effort which went in off of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post, 2-1. Wood Lane were keeping the ball well but, they were looking to get another goal. Both Obayda Kallam and Khaled Omar would hit efforts over the away side’s goal, before Harrow Bhoys went on to finish the game really well. Shortly after Ellis Wynne had hit a low effort wide of the Wood Lane goal from distance, Harrow Bhoys would have a goal ruled out for offside, as they really tried to get a late equaliser.

Sam Brown’s Harrow Bhoys side were now getting closer to scoring an important late equaliser. Ahmed Hassan would do well to gather Andy Zepetes’ effort in a bit of space from the left-hand side of the home team’s penalty area, before Jordan Coles would curl a decent free-kick effort (from 20 yards out) wide of Ahmed Hassan’s right-hand post. However, there was to be a very late equaliser in this really good and competitive game, between two very good sides. As Andy Zepetes’ looping cross from the left hand-side of the Wood Lane box, after he had managed to get to the ball, was met by Alex McNulty, who under pressure managed to just nod the ball into the goal from close range at the back post, 2-2. Both sides would go for a winner during the final minutes of the game, but, it would finish in a 2-2 draw. This was a highly competitive game of football, between two sides who I admired for the way in which they played the game. Both sides showed real heart and desire to win this game, working well as a team throughout this contest. Both Wood Lane and Harrow Bhoys will however, still believe that they can win the Division One North & West, this season.

Wood Lane’s goalkeeper, Ahmed Hassan, was my player of the match on Saturday afternoon. He made some really good and important saves, including that very important one versus one save to keep out Rhys Murphy’s effort, at 0-1. He had a very good game. For Wood Lane, I was also very impressed with how former Hampton & Richmond player Jay Hines played and defended on Saturday. Also, Abdullahi Abdullahi and Mohamed-Amin Astan were just some of their other impressive performers on the day. For the visiting side, I was impressed with Ellis Wynne, Ben Liba, Gary Smith, and Andy Zepetes, to name just some of their impressive performers on the day.