Non-League and Academy football writer

On Sunday evening, One Brotherhood FC and CB Hounslow & Abbots Sundays, would compete to be the winners of this seasons’ Greg Ward Senior Open Cup, in the cup final at Uxbridge FC’s Honeycroft ground. Both Middlesex County Football League (Sundays) Premier Division sides, it was CB Hounslow & Abbots who would win a thrilling game of football, 6-4.

In a highly eventful first half of football, it was CB Hounslow & Abbots who would create the first chance of the game, which ultimately led to them taking an early lead. As Lucas Pereira’s nice lofted pass from midfield had found the run of Kadeem Williams, who had managed to run in behind the opposing team’s defence, to meet the ball. And one versus one with the goalkeeper, inside of the One Brotherhood box, he would finish low and clinically beyond Hanad Yussuf and into the goal, 0-1.  

One Brotherhood would make an instant response to going 1-0 down so early on in this cup final, however. Arian Maleknia would shrug an opposing team’s player off the ball after receiving the ball, before going forwards with it in the final third, and then playing a nice forward pass to Kamaal Nur, down the right-hand side of the CB Hounslow & Abbots box. From there, Kamaal Nur would calmly find the bottom left-hand corner of the goal with a nice finish, 1-1.

Next, and a great weaving run with the ball by CB Hounslow & Abbots player Jason Evans would see him take the ball into the One Brotherhood penalty area, before seeing his powerful effort on goal he well turned behind by Hanad Yussuf. And then in this very entertaining game, it was One Brotherhood who would get the next goal of this contest. With Jabir Laraba playing the ball to Arian Maleknia down the left-hand side of the other team’s box, who would in turn lay the ball off to Jawad Ziani, who from the edge of the penalty area would whip an outstanding effort over goalkeeper Cain Matthews, and into his goal, 2-1.

One Brotherhood were doing really well in the game, and by this stage of the first half they were looking likely to add to their lead. After Arian Maleknia and Kamaal Nur had combined well down the right-hand side of the pitch, from 23 yards out from goal Arian Maleknia would whip a good effort narrowly wide of Cain Matthews’ goal. But, soon after that chance, and CB Hounslow & Abbots would manage to score an equaliser. As Lucas Pereira’s low effort on goal, from close to the edge of the One Brotherhood box, wasn’t quite gathered by the goalkeeper, as the ball went in, over the goal-line, 2-2.

In this highly eventful cup final of many twists and turns, it was One Brotherhood who would get the next goal. As Arian Maleknia would turn with the ball (around 25 yards out from goal) before hitting a powerful effort on goal, which was well turned onto his near post by Cain Matthews, before Jabir Laraba had tapped the ball into the goal on the follow-up and from close range, 3-2. CB Hounslow & Abbots would again respond, soon afterwards. With Kadeem Williams receiving the ball on the right-hand side of the One Brotherhood box, before skipping past a defender and finishing low and clinically into the goal, 3-3. And following a red card which was shown to One Brotherhood player Yusuf Khalaf, for something that had happened off the ball, CB Hounslow & Abbots would retake the lead before half-time.

For their fourth goal of the game, CB Hounslow & Abbots forward Jason Evans would show some really good skill courtesy of a nice turn and some good step-overs on the edge of the One Brotherhood box, he would then curl a fine effort into the top right-hand corner of the goal, 3-4. And then during the opening minutes of the second half, Jason Evans would get to a ball over the top of the other team’s defence, before lobbing an effort (from the edge of the One Brotherhood box), against Hanad Yussuf’s right-hand post, before the ball had bounced into his arms.

At the opposite end of the pitch, and following on from that good effort by Jason Evans, Arian Maleknia would show some good, quick feet inside of the CB Hounslow & Abbots penalty area, before seeing his effort be expertly blocked by Matthew Reynolds, at the decisive moment. Impressive CB Hounslow & Abbots player Riccardo Clarke-Rowe would power a low effort narrowly wide of Hanad Yussuf’s goal, from the edge of the One Brotherhood box, before One Brotherhood went forward with the ball, down the other end of the pitch. As after receiving the ball Arian Maleknia would hold it up really well around 20 yards out from goal, before turning and powering an effort narrowly wide, across the face of Cain Matthews’ goal.

One Brotherhood did manage to make it 4-4 in the cup final, following some great work with the ball by Kamaal Nur, who after receiving the ball down the right-hand side of the pitch, would whip an inviting ball across goal, to Jabir Laraba at the back post. From where he would volley the ball into the goal from close range, 4-4. Next in the game, and CB Hounslow & Abbots player Rylan Myers would be shown a straight red card following a foul on an opposing team’s player, before Arian Maleknia’s powerful free-kick effort (from 25 yards out on goal) went narrowly wide of Cain Matthews’ goal.

Shortly after One Brotherhood player Sohaib Harti had been shown his second yellow card of the game after making a foul, CB Hounslow & Abbots would make it 5-4, late on. Matthew Reynolds would pick the ball up in midfield, before curling the ball to Nicolas Hounto who controlled the ball really well inside of the One Brotherhood box, before finishing well into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 4-5. And then soon after, CB Hounslow & Abbots would seal the win in style. With the goal of the game being scored by Shequan Kelly, after the substitute would win the ball on the edge of the One Brotherhood box. He would then skilfully perform a superb Marseille turn beyond a defender to enter the penalty area, where his resulting emphatic finish would go into the roof of the goal, 4-6. Very late on in this game, a One Brotherhood player was shown a second yellow card, and was subsequently sent off.

What an excellent cup final this was! Played at a high intensity throughout, with some great football and some superb individual performances on show, throughout the game. It was an eventful game of football, and there were a number of contenders for my player of the match award, on Sunday. Jason Evans, Kadeem Williams, Riccardo Clarke-Rowe, and Kamaal Nur were all contenders, from the respective teams. However, in what was an absolutely outstanding performance from One Brotherhood forward Arian Maleknia, it was the experienced player who was my player of the match. His holdup play was outstanding and the best that I’ve seen this season, but he also showed great awareness to bring others into play. Involved in the majority of One Brotherhood’s goals in this final, Arian Maleknia put in an excellent all-round performance.

Many congratulations to CB Hounslow & Abbots (Sundays) on the winning this seasons’ Greg Ward Senior Open Cup final.