Non-League and Academy football writer

In a Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North fixture on Tuesday night at Silver Jubilee Park, Edgware & Kingsbury faced Hilltop (they groundshare at Silver Jubilee Park). Edgware & Kingsbury started this league fixture in 20th place in the Premier Division North table, after eight league matches played. The away side on Tuesday, Hilltop, started this game in fifth place in the league standings and in the play-off positions, after 12 league matches played, and they came into this game in good form. Hilltop would win this step 5 local derby match 7-0.

Hilltop would start this match well and at a good pace. The away side came close to taking a very early lead, after Nadeer Kahssay had met an excellent whipped cross from the left flank, which the Hilltop centre-forward met in the centre of the home team’s penalty area. His resulting powerful headed effort on goal was really well tipped over his goal by the Edgware & Kingsbury goalkeeper, Archie Horsman. After an Edgware & Kingsbury player had curled a free-kick effort over from 25 yards out from the Hilltop goal, Hilltop would counter forwards with the ball soon after. As Nadeer Kahssay passed the ball from the edge of the home team’s box, to Hussein Mahdi, on the left-hand side of the box. Hussein Mahdi’s resulting curling effort would go behind, after hitting the top of the goalkeeper’s crossbar.

Hilltop continued to play well, and they were also pressing the Edgware & Kingsbury players really well and effectively, off the ball. After Hilltop defender Sharmake Ali had played the ball across from the right-hand side of the pitch to the very inventive and skilful Hussein Mahdi on the left-hand side of the home side’s box, Hussein Mahdi would show some nice skill with the ball. However, Arale Mohamed would then receive the ball in the centre of the penalty area. In a bit of space, his low and quickly taken first time effort would go narrowly wide of the goal.

Hussein Mahdi had been heavily involved in play during the first half of this game. After some good skill from Hussein Mahdi out on the left-hand side of the home team’s box, he would curl an effort narrowly wide of Archie Horsman’s left-hand post. A course of minutes later and Hussein Mahdi would play a one-two pass with a teammate out on the left-hand side of the pitch, before receiving the ball on the edge of the Edgware & Kingsbury box. His fine curling effort on goal seemed to be heading for the top right-hand corner of the goal, but for an impressive save from the Edgware & Kingsbury goalkeeper, who managed to push the ball behind for a corner-kick. 

A good move on the counter not long before half-time by Edgware & Kingsbury, would result in Darell Edgar-Phillips progressing the ball forward down the left flank, before then crossing the ball low into the penalty area, towards the run of Thomas Everitt, whose effort was excellently blocked behind by the sliding Hilltop defender, Qusey Yislam. Hilltop would react well following that decent chance for the home side. A good cross would find Arale Mohamed on the right-hand side of the home team’s box. His following effort on goal was well kept out by Archie Horsman, before Hussein Mahdi also had an effort on goal soon after, which was also parried by the goalkeeper.

Just before half-time Hilltop would deservedly take the lead in this match. Arale Mohamed’s well delivered corner-kick towards the back post of the Edgware & Kingsbury’s goal, was where Rayyan Adam would meet the ball. The defender’s headed effort went low into the goal, 0-1. Hilltop would go on to start the second half incredibly well, scoring four goals in eight minutes. Their second goal of this game arrived in the 50th minute of the game. As following a free-kick delivery from the left flank, the ball was only partially cleared away to a Hilltop player on the edge of the home team’s box. His low effort would deflect off an Edgware & Kingsbury player into the path of Rayyan Adam in the centre of the box. The Hilltop defender would finish well and low, into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-2.

For Hilltop’s third goal of the night, soon after the resumption of play, Hussein Mahdi and Ibrahim Salih would linkup well with the ball on the left-hand side of the home side’s penalty area. Hussein Mahdi would then see his curling effort from relatively close range be well pushed away by the goalkeeper, before the alert Arale Mohamed finished low and powerfully into the goal at the back post, 0-3. For Hilltop’s fourth goal of the game, very soon after, a good move from the away team would see Hussein Mahdi do ever so well to keep a deep cross from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, in play at the back post. Hussein Mahdi would then just loop the ball back across the face of goal, and at the second time of asking, Nadeer Kahssay would power the ball into the goal from close range, 0-5.

For Hilltop’s fourth goal in eight minutes, another nice move would see Ibrahim Salih do well to take the ball to the edge of the Edgware & Kingsbury box, before playing a short pass in behind, to the run of Hussein Mahdi down the right-hand side of the box. Hussein Mahdi would finish high into the goal with an empathic finish, 0-5. A lofted Edgware & Kingsbury free-kick delivery into the Hilltop box would result in their goalkeeper Hossam Hassan, doing well to tip a headed effort on his goal over. And then a couple of minutes later, Hilltop would create yet another goalscoring chance. With Hilltop player Abukar Mohamed receiving the ball on the edge of the Edgware & Kingsbury penalty area, before quickly shifting the ball out to impressive Hilltop substitute Areeig Yakinya, who from the left-hand side of the box, would see his powerful low effort be well saved by Archie Horsman.

Hilltop’s dominant performance throughout this game wouldn’t end before the final whistle, as despite a number of changes during the second half, they continued to move the ball around the pitch so well. A superbly weighted through-ball pass from Yousaf Mohamed in midfield, would find the run of Mohamed Ali, in behind the Edgware & Kingsbury defence. One versus one with the goalkeeper inside of the penalty area, the Hilltop substitute would finish low into the goal, in what was a composed finish, 0-6. Very late on in this game and perhaps it was Hilltop’s final goal of the game, which was their very best. Substitute Abdirahman Mohamed would get to the ball around 40 or so yards out from goal and in midfield. He would then glide past several Edgware & Kingsbury players, as he surged forward with the ball with great skill. Eventually, and after entering the home team’s box he would finish clinically beyond Archie Horsman, 0-7.

Hilltop controlled this game from start to finish, and despite the fact that Edgware & Kingsbury have had a very difficult start to the season in the league, Hilltop were superb tonight. Every single Hilltop player who was involved in this game played really well, as the team played some excellent passing football to win the game by such a big scoreline. Edgware & Kingsbury’s goalkeeper Archie Horsman was their player of the match, but for my overall player of the match I honestly could have awarded it to any one of the Hilltop players. With Rayyan Adam, Hussein Hussein, Arale Mohamed, Sharmake Ali, and Hussein Mahdi just some of their excellent performers on Tuesday. 

After a superbly creative performance from Hussein Mahdi (he was on the pitch for less than an hour) as well as a deserved goal (Hussein could have scored five goals on another day), Hussein Mahdi is a brilliant player, whose skill on the ball and fearlessness in going forward with it, makes him such an important player for Hilltop, as he showed during this game. And, Hussein Mahdi was my player of the match on Tuesday for his performance.