Non-League and Academy football writer

In an important Middlesex County Sunday Football League Premier Division fixture, the away side at Rectory Park on Thursday evening, Club Assyria, needed four points from their remaining three league fixtures, to win the Premier Division title. The league’s second place side faced a Hounslow Wolves side who started this league fixture in ninth place in the Premier Division table. Club Assyria would win this match 4-0.

After a confident start to the game, Club Assyria would take a very early lead. Bilal Butt would receive Shaun Aram’s pass on the edge of the Hounslow Wolves box, before playing a quick pass through to Shaun Aram, who had ran into the box to receive the pass. One versus one with the goalkeeper, Shaun Aram would calmly slot the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 0-1. Following on from taking the lead so early on in the game, Club Assyria would continue to play well. Next, and Bilal Butt would start a good move, before playing the ball across to Ajay Dass, who from the edge of the Hounslow Wolves box, would see his powerful low effort (after having worked the space) be well saved by the feet of the goalkeeper, Kilian Perez.

Some brilliant play would then result in Bilal Butt expertly flicking the ball on for Shaun Aram down the left flank, before the experienced forward would do ever so well to control Shaun Aram’s resulting, powerful cross inside the penalty area. However, a Hounslow Wolves defender would make a superb last ditch block on Bilal Butt’s resulting effort, to stop an almost certain goal. Around five minutes later, and Bilal Butt would this time get to a flick on, on the edge of the home team’s penalty area. After showing some good feet under pressure, Bilal Butt would place an effort narrowly wide of the goalkeeper’s left-hand post.

Hounslow Wolves, who had been defending their goal well, would definitely improve going forward, during the remainder of the second half. After a glanced header had deflected just wide of Joseph Khoshaba’s goal, following a free-kick into the Club Assyria box. From the resulting corner-kick, a Hounslow Wolves player’s headed effort on goal would be importantly cleared off the goal-line by a Club Assyria defender. And just before half-time, a good move which had been started by Bilal Butt, would result in the impressive Milo Whittaker seeing his low effort from out on the right-hand side of the Hounslow Wolves box, be well turned behind by their goalkeeper.

The openings stages of the second half were fairly uneventful, with Hounslow Wolves staying in this game well. The first chance of the second half saw Club Assyria player Ahmad Bawar take the ball forward from midfield, before playing a good through-ball pass into the path of Bilal Butt, who slightly in behind of the Hounslow Wolves defence, would go close to making it 2-0. As he skilfully wrong footed a defender inside the penalty area, before hitting an effort wide of the goal.

Hounslow Wolves did create a couple of decent openings at 1-0 down, as well as doing well from set-pieces, but Club Assyria would finish the game really strongly. For their second goal of the night, Ajay Dass would skilfully take the ball inside the Hounslow Wolves box, and from the byline and out on the left-hand side of the box, his low effort was well saved by the goalkeeper. With the alert Bilal Butt on hand to finish low into the goal on the follow-up, 0-2.

Soon after scoring their second goal of the game, Club Assyria would add a third to their tally. As another well worked Club Assyria move would this time see Basim Mirtahmasebi pass the ball back to Ahmad Bawar, on the left-hand side of the Hounslow Wolves box, who skilfully evaded a defender before finishing cleverly into the goal, 0-3. And before the game had finished, and for their fourth goal, a Club Assyria corner-kick would be met on the volley by Andreas Nicolaou, whose effort at the back post would go over the goal-line, off Mario Hormoz, 0-4.

I thought that Hounslow Wolves made this a good and competitive game, and it was a win in which Club Assyria had to work hard for. But, it was a deserved win for the league leaders, who played some lovely football, and they showed why they’re one of the very best teams in this league. I’m also hoping to cover Club Assyria’s potentially decisive match in their quest for the league title, on Sunday. However, for my player of the match award on Thursday, it was certainly a close decision, with Ajay Dass, Shaun Aram, and Bilal Butt all being the main contenders, after some excellent performances. Personally though, with a goal, an assist, and some sublime linkup play and skill with the ball, the ever consistent Bilal Butt wins my player of match award.