Non-League and Academy football writer

Hilltop were looking to respond, following three defeats from their last three matches in all competitions, when they hosted Wallingford & Crowmarsh at Silver Jubilee Park on Friday night, in a Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North fixture. Hilltop started this match in fifth place in the league table after 18 league matches played, with Wallingford & Crowmarsh starting this game just behind Hilltop, in seventh place in the table. This step 5 match was won 3-2 by the away team, Wallingford & Crowmarsh.

Wallingford & Crowmarsh would take the lead in the opening minute of the match. Harry Bonner would get to the ball on the right-hand side of the Hilltop penalty area, before powering a low effort into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1. Hilltop did react well to going 1-0 down so early on in this contest. Next, and in the 17th minute of the game they would draw level. Hilltop would progress the ball forward quickly towards the edge of the away team’s penalty area. Ibrahim Salih would play a short pass across to Adnan Jamac, who would curl a fine first time effort into the top left-hand corner of the goal, 1-1.

Wallingford & Crowmarsh had been countering really well with the ball, during the early stages of the game, although Hilltop had been seeing more of the ball. A long throw-in to the back post of the Hilltop goal, from the left flank, would cause some problems for the home team’s defence, with Harry Bonner getting to the ball, before finishing low into the goal, 1-2. Hilltop once again had to respond. The creative Adnan Jamac would deliver a good, curling cross to the back post of the away team’s goal, from the right-hand side of the pitch, with a low headed effort from a teammate being well gathered by the Wallingford & Crowmarsh goalkeeper, Alex Pratt. 

Alex Pratt would, a couple of minutes after saving that headed effort on his goal, do well to parry away Michael Panford’s powerful free-kick effort on his goal, before Wallingford & Crowmarsh made it 3-1 before half-time. For their third goal of the game and following a good run down the left flank by James Williams, Alexander  Mercer would see his deflected effort from just inside of the Hilltop box, be headed home at the back post from close range, by Aiden Higgs, 1-3.

The early stages of the second half of this game wasn’t as fast paced as the first half. Wallingford & Crowmarsh were defending their goal really well, and following a good save from relatively close range by Alex Pratt, there was quite a wait for the next goalscoring chance of the game. Late on in the game and with Hilltop pushing to get the next goal, they would be awarded a penalty, after Michael Panford’s effort on the turn, from inside of the away side’s box, was handled by a defender. Hilltop substitute Nadeer Kahssay would roll the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, from the penalty spot, 2-3.

Wallingford & Crowmarsh would continue to defend ever so well, with Hilltop unable to really get efforts away on their goal. Very late on in the game, and impressive Hilltop player Michael Panford would do well to hold off an opposing team’s player, before hitting a fine, swerving effort (from 25 yards out), which went narrowly wide of Alex Pratt’s left-hand post. This was a good contest, and although Hilltop saw more of the ball overall, they were just unable to find that equalising goal late on, to make it 3-3. Wallingford & Crowmarsh were superbly well organised defensively, with Ellis Hercules having a great game for them, and he was my player of the match.

For Hilltop, I thought that during the first half of the game, that Adnan Jamac was very good with the ball down the right-hand side of the pitch, but overall my Hilltop player of the match was Michael Panford, who gave his all, and he is a very good player. This was a great win for Wallingford & Crowmarsh, whilst Hilltop will look to find their form again during the coming games.