Non-League and Academy football writer

Hilltop were looking to continue their good recent league form, when they welcomed Virginia Water to Silver Jubilee Park on Friday night, in a Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North fixture. Hilltop started this match in third place in the league table, having played 22 league matches so far this season. Virginia Water started this game in 19th place in the league standings, after 14 league matches played. This step 5 match was won 4-2 by Virginia Water.

Virginia Water would create the first real goalscoring chance of Friday’s game. With Lewis Flatman’s low effort, on the turn and from the edge of the Hilltop penalty area, going narrowly wide of Hilltop goalkeeper Hossam Hassan’s left-hand post. Following on from some good play and a decent chance which was created by Hilltop at the opposite end of the pitch, a couple of minutes later, Virginia Water defender Rayan Djouadj would head an effort wide, following a cross into the Hilltop box. And although the Virginia Water player has claimed that he had been pushed by a Hilltop defender, the referee would wave away any appeals for a penalty from the away side.

Both teams had started the game at a good pace, but shortly after Hussein Mahdi’s run with the ball, down the left-hand side of the away team’s penalty area, had resulted in him playing a pass across to Michael Panford at the back post. The Hilltop forward would hit a powerful effort wide of the goal, from close range. However, in the 14th minute of the game, Virginia Water would take the lead. Lewis Flatman would cleverly chest the ball down, following a lofted diagonal pass to the edge of the Hilltop penalty area, as he found Virginia Water captain Jack Mills, in a bit of space inside of the box. And Mills would finish low and clinically into the goal, 0-1.

Hilltop looked to react immediately to going 1-0 down in this open game of football. A good and skilful forward run from Bruno Dos Santos in midfield, resulted in the Hilltop player passing the ball to Kamaal Nur, inside of the away team’s penalty area. There was a number of players inside of the box, but Kamaal Nur would play a short pass across to Michael Panford, whose low effort on goal was well kept out by the Virginia Water goalkeeper, Matthew Jones. Then in the 29th minute of the game, Virginia Water would double their lead. As the impressive Aston Nunn had ran onto a lofted free-kick pass down the left-hand side of the pitch, before continuing forward with the ball before playing it across to James Goodey inside of the box, from where he finished low and clinically into the goal courtesy of a first time finish, 0-2.

Straight after play had resumed, following that second goal of the game for Virginia Water, Hiltop managed to get a goal back in the game. As Kamaal Nur’s clipped cross into the Virginia Water penalty area had found Hussein Mahdi, whose effort was well kept out by Matthew Jones, before Bruno Dos Santos found the back of the net well on the follow-up, 1-2. 

Virginia Water did go on to finish the second half the better of the two sides. Firstly, Aderi Dede would turn with the ball well, getting in behind of the Hilltop defence, down the left flank. He would continue forwards at pace until entering the penalty area, where Hossam Hassan did well to parry his powerful effort at his near post. And then just before half-time, the Hilltop goalkeeper did well to tip over a looping header on his goal, following a long throw-in, into the penalty area.

Virginia Water would reestablish a two goal cushion during the opening stages of the second half. And their third goal of the game arrived courtesy of some good build-up play. Aderi Dede would meet a nicely weighted forward pass to the right-hand side of the Hilltop penalty area, before trying to play the ball across goal to a teammate. Hilltop defender Kieran Marshall was unfortunate however, to turn the ball into his goal, as he attempted to clear it, 1-3.

Soon after scoring their third goal of the game, Virginia Water made it 4-1, thanks to an unstoppable effort from distance by Jack Mills. After the Virginia Water midfielder had received the ball in a central position, around 28 yards out from goal, he would hit an excellent dipping effort, which had a lot of pace on the ball. Jack Mills’ effort would go into the goal off the underside of Hossam Hassan’s crossbar, 1-4.

Hilltop goalkeeper Hossam Hassan would have to leave the pitch shortly after that brilliant goal from Jack Mills, because of injury, with Hussein Mahdi taking his place in the Hilltop goal. Hilltop had certainly created a number of very good goalscoring chances so far in the game, and in the 79th minute of this contest, with Hilltop really pushing the visiting side, they would get their second goal of the game. A good, whipped cross from out on the right-hand side of the pitch, was almost turned into his own goal by a Virginia Water defender, with the ball rebounding off the woodwork. But, Hilltop substitute Nadeer Kahssay was alert inside of the penalty area, to finish well into the goal on the follow-up, 2-4.

After Virginia Water had a player sent off (Armarni Church) for receiving his second yellow card of the game late on, Hilltop had a chance to still get something from this game. However, despite moving the ball around well in the away team’s final third, the closest that Hilltop came to getting another goal was from a powerful, moving effort from distance, which was well turned behind by Matthew Jones, in the Virginia Water goal.

Virginia Water defended well at crucial moments in this game. They were also the more clinical team in front of goal, and as a team I thought that they deserved their victory on Friday. Matthew Jones made some important saves in the Virginia Water goal, during the first half of the game Aston Nunn was influential down the left flank, while Lewis Flatman and Aderi Dede did well in the forward areas. But, with two fine goals from midfield, the second of which was superbly well taken, an impressive performance from Jack Mills sees him win my player of the match award on Friday. I thought that Hilltop’s player of the match was Kamaal Nur.