Non-League and Academy football writer

Play-off challengers Hillingdon Borough faced Staines & Lammas (Middlesex) in a Combined Counties Football League Division One fixture, on Tuesday night at The Middlesex Stadium. Hillingdon Borough started this match in sixth place in the league table, after 37 matches played. Staines & Lammas (Middlesex) started this game in 18th place in the league standings, after 39 matches played. This step 6 match was won 3-2 by Hillingdon Borough, but, it was a really good game of football. Started at a really good pace, Hillingdon Borough player Mirko Jovanovic would go on a forward run with the ball down the right flank, during the opening minutes of the game, before entering the away teams penalty area and seeing his effort saved at his near post, by Bobby jnr Honey. A couple of minutes later, and Staines & Lammas player Daniel Boyden would get to a long forward pass down the left-hand side of the Hillingdon box. Boyden’s low effort would go past the outrushing Hillingdon goalkeeper (Gustavo Nunes) before being well anticipated close to the goal-line by defender Clayton Afonso.

The early stages of this very competitive game were seeing a number of goalscoring chances, for both sides. After Claudinei Brivigliere had passed the ball to Mirko Jovanovic on the edge of the visitor’s penalty area, the Hillingdon player’s powerful and dipping resulting effort on goal was well pushed over by the goalkeeper. Then at the opposite end of the pitch, and Joshua Hooks’ good free-kick delivery into the centre of the Hillingdon box, was met by Miles Bridgman, whose powerful headed effort on goal would hit the goalkeeper’s right-hand post, before a teammate hit an effort over the goal from close range, on the follow-up. The away side were now enjoying a good spell in the game. But, shortly after Joshua Hooks had hit a powerful effort just over the Hillingdon goal, from 25 yards out, Hillingdon Borough would go on to create three good chances, in quick succession.

The first of Hillingdon’s chances would see Joel Ramos’ cross into the visitor’s box, be met by Mirko Jovanovic, whose fine headed effort would hit the goalkeeper’s crossbar. Then, shortly after, some good work from Joao Marcos Praes on the edge of the Staines & Lammas box, would see him pass the ball to Claudinei Brivigliere, who then shifted the ball out to Mirko Jovanovic, on the right-hand side of the box, but, his powerful effort, under pressure, would go over the goal. A couple of minutes later, and following a really good short passing move from Hillingdon, Ziad Abdullah would hit an effort over, from the edge of the away side’s box. Staines & Lammas would however, take the lead in the 41st minute of the game. As after Hillingdon had lost possession of the ball on the edge of their penalty area, a Staines & Lammas player would take the ball into the box at pace, before playing the ball across to a teammate in the centre of the penalty area, who cleverly flicked it back to Miles Bridgman, whose powerful and low first time effort found the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.

Hillingdon Borough would respond well to conceding the opener, during the final minutes of the first half. A lofted free-kick delivery into the Staines & Lammas box, was met by a Hillingdon player, whose powerful headed effort on goal was excellently pushed over the goal by Honey. The Staines & Lammas goalkeeper would then do well to keep out a powerful effort on his goal, from the edge of the penalty area, by Joel Ramos. Hillingdon Borough would start the second half of this match at a great intensity. Less than five minutes in to the second half, and the highly skilful Mirko Jovanovic would cleverly take the ball into the away team’s box, before being fouled by a defender, as the referee pointed immediately to the penalty spot. Mirko Jovanovic would then clinically roll the ball (from the penalty spot) into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-1.

Hillingdon Borough were now looking to take the lead in this match, and they were getting very close to doing just that. Following on from some excellent work by Mirko Jovanovic, the ball would find Claudinei Brivigliere, on the edge of the away side’s box. The Hillingdon Borough centre-forward would quickly get an effort away on goal, with his powerful effort hitting the crossbar. A couple of minutes later Claudinei Brivigliere would hit an effort on the turn (from the edge of the visitor’s penalty area), which whistled narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s right-hand post. In the 67th minute of the game, Hillingdon Borough would take the lead. With Clayton Afonso meeting Joao Marcos Praes’ well delivered corner-kick delivery into the away team’s box, powerfully heading an unstoppable effort into the goal, 2-1.

Less than seven minutes after scoring their second goal of the game, Hillingdon Borough would get their goal of the night. As after Staines & Lammas had lost possession of the ball in defence, Joao Marcos Praes would play the ball across from the left, to Claudinei Brivigliere, in the centre of the penalty area. The forward’s powerful first time effort would excellently find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 3-1. However, Staines & Lammas would really push to get back in to the game, and very late on (in the 89th minute of the game) they would manage to get a goal back. With the impressive Joshua Hooks excellently curling a free-kick effort (right on the edge of the Hillingdon box), into the top left-hand corner of the goal, 2-3.

A big block from Hillingdon Borough’s captain, Clayton Afonso, would stop Joshua Hooks’ late effort from testing Gustavo Nunes, from close range, before at the opposite end of the pitch, Mirko Jovanovic had a one versus one effort which was really well gathered by Honey, from inside of the box. And in the final moments of the game and after Hillingdon Borough had countered, substitute Kaique Machado’s lobbed effort over the goalkeeper and from the edge of the away team’s box, would go just over their goal. This was a really good and competitive game of football. Both sides (I thought that Hillingdon Borough were deserved winners overall, and on the balance of play) had some really good spells in the game, and both sides were very positive with the ball. But, Hillingdon Borough, who are a great footballing side, were the more creative side on the night, with them also playing their fine football to really good effect throughout. This was a crucial win for them, against Staines & Lammas.

For Staines & Lammas, I thought that despite Joshua Hooks and Miles Bridgman being real contenders for their player of the match award, I’m going to name Bob jnr Honey as my Staines & Lammas player of the match, after he made a string of really good saves against Hillingdon. However, for my overall player of the match award, it was a difficult choice, between Joel Ramos, Joao Marcos Praes, Clayton Afonso, Mirko Jovanovic, and Claudinei Brivigliere, who led the line really well. However, Mirko Jovanovic was my player of the match, for a really fine performance, both with and without the ball. The very skilful and creative winger would really take the game to Staines & Lammas. He was very direct and unpredictable, and he scored a well deserved goal, after winning a penalty during the early stages of the second half.