Non-League and Academy football writer

In what was a potentially decisive match for Wood Lane, in their quest for the Middlesex County Football League Division One North & West title, the home side on Saturday afternoon, faced Hillside AFC, at London Tigers Sports Complex, in a league fixture. A point for Wood Lane would see them win this season’s Division One North & West title, with the home side starting this game in third place in the league standings. Hillside AFC started this game in sixth place in the league table, after 19 matches played. This step 8 fixture was won 3-0 by Wood Lane, as they sealed the Division One North & West title.

Wood Lane would start this game well and on the front foot. After Ramy Bouhiaoui and Kamaal Nur had exchanged passes inside of the Hillside penalty area, Ramy Bouhiaoui would see his resulting low effort on goal be gathered by Hillside’s goalkeeper, Mateo Dos Reis. A couple of minutes later, and Ramy Bouhiaoui would play the ball across to Khaled Omar, on the edge of the Hillside penalty area, with his low effort going wide of the goal. And then soon after that chance, and Ramy Bouhiaoui would nod over Luqman Ibrahim’s clipped cross in to the centre of the Hillside box.

Still early on in this match and with Wood Lane on the front foot, the home side would take the lead. As a good lofted pass over the Hillside defence, would find the run of Mohamed-Amin Astan, in behind the defence. He would take a defender on, 1v1, after getting to the ball on the left-hand side of the penalty area, before whipping the ball across goal, and in the end an attempt to clear the ball by a Hillside defender, resulted in the ball going in to the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 1-0.

Wood Lane continued to press well, and also play their passing game effectively, as the first half progressed. After Khaled Omar’s through-ball pass had found the run of Kamaal Nur, down the left-hand side of the Hillside box, Kamaal Nur’s resulting low effort on goal was turned behind by Mateo Dos Reis. Next, and a good lofted pass in behind the Hillside defence, by Ramy Bouhiaoui, would find Mohamed-Amin Astan, who was now through on goal. However, the Wood Lane player was met by the outrushing Mateo Dos Reis, who managed to save his effort on goal.

Wood Lane central-defender, Jay Hines, had started this match really well. After doing well to head a Hillside corner-kick delivery, off the goal-line, he would then make an important block, from inside the Wood Lane penalty area. Although Hillside had managed to get a bit more control of the game during the latter stages of the first half, it was Wood Lane who were still looking like the more likely side to score the next goal. 

Before half-time, and after the skilful Kamaal Nur had won a penalty after being fouled on the right-hand side of the Hillside penalty area, Mohamed-Amin Astan would take the resulting penalty. But, Mateo Dos Reis did really well to save his penalty, to his right, before punching the ball up in the air, as Ramy Bouhiaoui then headed an effort against the crossbar, on the follow-up. A couple of minutes later, and before the referee had sounded his whistle for half-time, Hillside player Josh Okello would hit a low effort wide of the home team’s goal, from 20 yards out.

Hillside would show signs of improvement, during the early stages of the second half of this game. Following a challenge from Hillside player Wesley Tobin, he would win the ball, before then seeing his low effort on the Wood Lane goal (from the edge of the penalty area) be saved and gathered by Ahmed Hassan. Around five minutes later, and after Wesley Tobin had passed the ball to Josh Okello, the skilful Hillside player would work the space inside of the Wood Lane box, to get an effort away, under pressure. His low effort with his left foot would however, go wide of Hassan’s left-hand post.

Wood Lane would start to find their rhythm again, and after Mohamed-Amin Astan had hit a first time effort over the Hillside goal, following a short pass to the centre of the Hillside penalty area, Wood Lane would then go close to scoring a second goal of the afternoon. As Abdisalam Yusuf’s powerful effort from the edge of the away team’s box, was well pushed behind by Dos Reis. Wood Lane would then go on to score two goals in quick succession.

Wood Lane’s second goal of the day was scored by the inform Kamaal Nur, who after receiving the ball on the left-hand side of the Hillside penalty area, he would see his powerful effort deflect up off a defender and over Dos Reis, after he had tried to save it with his feet. The goalkeeper was unfortunate, as the ball looped in to the goal, and despite Obayda Kallam helping the ball in to the goal, it was Kamaal Nur’s goal, 2-0. And then, to effectively seal all three points, a great surging forward run by Abdisalam Yusuf, in to the Hillside box, would see him be tripped by a defender, as Wood Lane extended their lead from the penalty spot. With substitute Yusuf Khalaf finishing powerfully towards the top right-hand corner of the goal, 3-0.

There were a couple of additional chances late on in this game. Following an effort on the Wood Lane goal (from 20 yards out), which was gathered by Ahmed Hassan, Yusuf Khalaf would then go close to scoring his second goal of the game, in what was one of the final chances of the afternoon. Arriving courtesy of a well worked passing move, which saw Abdulrizak Sheikh pass the ball across from the right-hand side of the pitch, to Yusuf Khalaf, in the Hillside box, the forward would then hit a powerful effort narrowly over the goal.

This has been a long season for both sides (Wood Lane still have one game to play), and today it was a professional performance from the Wood Lane youngsters, to win the Division One North & West title. That is a fantastic achievement for all involved with Wood Lane, and it is made even more impressive by the fact that for so many of their players, it is their first full season of playing senior football, in the FA pyramid. Wood Lane is without doubt a club with a good future ahead. For Hillside AFC, I thought that their player of the match on Saturday, was their goalkeeper, youngster Mateo Dos Reis.

Wood Lane defender Jay Hines was excellent in all that he did today, and he was my player of the match. He was dominant in the air, composed and decisive when defending 1v1, and he was aggressive and alert. However, special mentions must also go to Mohamed-Amin Astan, Ramy Bouhiaoui, and Kamaal Nur, for their respective performances on the day. This was a special day for Wood Lane FC.