Non-League and Academy football writer

Hilltop started their Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North season with a home league fixture against Wokingham Town on Friday night, at Silver Jubilee Park. Both teams will be looking to improve on last season’s respective league finishes, but on Friday it was Wokingham Town who won this match (2-1), to start their season off with a win.

Hilltop managed to create the first chance of this game, still early on in the contest. After AbdulWahab Mahamud had cut inside on to his right foot from out on the left flank, he would then hit a good and powerful effort (from 24 yards out) on goal, which was well tipped over his crossbar by Jake Simpson. There were a couple of good openings for Wokingham Town, early on in the game, but in all truth it was a very uneventful remainder of the first half, with little in the way in terms of chances.

Early on in the second half, Hilltop’s captain Mohamed Hussein would hit a powerful effort on the Wokingham goal (from distance), which was held by Jake Simpson. Then, as the game continued to be a cagey one, Hilltop would create a good chance. As Jack Yates’ great lofted pass out to AbdulWahab Mahamud down the left-hand side of the Wokingham box, would result in the Hilltop number 20 getting a good and powerful effort away on goal, which was well parried away by Simpson. In the 65th minute of this game, Wokingham Town would take the lead. With a Wokingham player pressing a Hilltop player well on the ball, after they had played out from defence, and eventually winning the ball, and then quickly playing the ball to Sean Moore on the edge of the Hilltop box. From there Sean Moore would power an unstoppable effort beyond Hossam Hassan and into the goal, 0-1.

Around five minutes later, and Wokingham Town would double their advantage in this game. Their second goal arrived courtesy of a good and well worked corner-kick routine. With Archie Collier playing the ball short to Thomas Jordan, who would skilfully turn his way past a Hilltop player on the edge of the box, before finding Aaron Peprah-Baah with a lofted ball into the penalty area. From close range the Wokingham captain’s effort was parried by Hilltop goalkeeper Hossam Hassan, but on the follow-up, Aaron Peprah-Baah would finish into the goal, 0-2.

Hilltop would respond well, but with not very long remaining in the game they had to respond with a goal. Following a good Hilltop move and one-two pass between Sammim Rahmani and Ibrahim Benabbas, Sammim Rahmani would receive the ball inside of the Wokingham penalty area and just in behind of their defence, from where he was fouled by a defender. A penalty was awarded to Hilltop, with AbdulWahab Mahamud calmly rolling the ball into the goal, 1-2. 

During the final ten minutes of the game, it had become a more open game of football. Next, and a great first time forward pass from Wokingham player Owen Clark, would allow Sean Moore to run on to the ball in behind the Hilltop defence. One versus one with goalkeeper Hossam Hassan, inside of the Hilltop box, Sean Moore’s low effort was well turned behind by the outrushing goalkeeper. And Hilltop did go on to create one more chance during the very latter stages of the game. A good forward pass out to AbdulWahab Mahamud on the left-hand side of the Wokingham box, would result in my Hilltop player of the match passing the ball across to Ibrahim Benabbas inside the centre of the box. But, under pressure his low effort would unfortunately go wide of Simpson’s right-hand post.

My overall player of the match on Friday, from a very competitive and close game of football in which Wokingham were more clinical in, goes to Wokingham’s defensively very good captain, Aaron Peprah-Baah. He would also score that crucial second Wokingham goal. Finally, and although AbdulWahab Mahamud was my Hilltop player of the match, a special mention must also go to Hilltop player Jibril Mahdi, who got up and down the right-hand side of the pitch so effectively once again, on Friday, after some excellent performances from him in the SBCL over the summer.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads:

Hilltop: 

(12) Hossam Hassan 

(19) Jibril Mahdi 

(8) Hussein Hussein

(5) Jack Yates

(18) Sammim Rahmani 

 (6) Mohamed Hussein (c)

(14) Abukar Mohamed

(10) Rinalds Jurkstis

(9) Nadeer Kahssay

(7) Tyrese Okello 

(20) AbdulWahab Mahamud

Substitutes:

(4) Diogo Costa

(2) Mohamed Afrah

(21) Ibrahim Benabbas

(3) Mohammed Amin 

(11) Micheal Kikambi

Wokingham Town:

(1) Jake Simpson 

(2) Archie Collier 

(3) Issac Leader

(4) Thomas Jordan

(5) Daniel Harris 

(6) Aaron Peprah-Baah (c) 

(7) Joseph Allchurch

(8) Mackenzie Creech

(9) Sean Moore

(10) Kieran Dowding 

(11) Edmundo Coquenao

Substitutes:

(12) Josh Dunkley

(14) Kian Leahy

(15) Charlie North

(16) Harrison Bayley 

(17) Owen Clark