Non-League and Academy football writer

In this extra-preliminary round tie of the FA Cup, step 5 Combined Counties Football League Premier Division North side Hilltop faced Isthmian League North Division side Grays Athletic (step 4), on Friday evening at Silver Jubilee Park. In what promised to be an interesting FA Cup tie, it was Grays Athletic who would win the game, 5-1.

Started at a really good pace, it was Grays Athletic who started the better of the two sides, initially. But, after Gabriel Chapps’ effort on the half-volley, from the edge of the Hilltop box, had clipped the bar on its way over. Hilltop would then take the lead in the sixth minute of the tie. A long ball upfield would eventually find AbdulWahab Mahamud, who worked the space well on the edge of the away team’s penalty area. The Hilltop number 20 would then power a good and accurate effort into the bottom left-hand corner of Danny Sambridge’s goal, 1-0.

Less than four minutes after Hilltop had taken the lead, Grays Athletic would draw level. As Alex Moss had connected with a good corner-kick into the Hilltop box, before powering his diving header into Hossam Hassan’s goal, 1-1. The game would continue to pick up pace, and Hilltop would react well to conceding that equalising goal. Following a Hilltop cross into the Grays Athletic box and a partial clearance away, Abukar Mohamed’s clever resulting volleyed effort from just inside the penalty area, would go a fraction wide of Danny Sambridge’s goal. And then around five minutes later, Hilltop would go desperately close to retaking the lead. As a good Hilltop move in and around the Grays Athletic box, would see Ibrahim Ali Khan’s powerful low effort be parried by Danny Sambridge. With the under pressure Nadeer Kahssay hitting the woodwork from close range on the follow-up.

Next, a great surging forward run from deep by Grays Athletic defender and captain Jordan Clark, would see him skilfully take the ball forward at pace before playing a quick one-two pass with Denim Nnamudi, and then powering an effort over the goal from inside of the box. And a couple of minutes later Gabriel Chapps would bring the ball down well on the edge of the Hilltop penalty area, before seeing his resulting volley go just over Hossam Hassan’s crossbar. There was to be one final chance of the first half, which would come the way of Hilltop, late on. With Ibrahim Ali Khan’s run with the ball down the left flank resulting in him squaring the ball for AbdulWahab Mahamud, on the edge of the box. From where his well hit effort on goal had to be parried by Danny Sambridge.

After an eventful first half of football, in which Hilltop had given a good account of themselves in, the early stages of the second half were quite end to end. In the 52nd minute of the tie, and after Jibril Mahdi had done well to progress the ball inside of the Grays Athletic box before seeing his good chance be saved by the goalkeeper. Grays Athletic would then counter forward with the ball at pace down the other side of the pitch, before a player would whip a good, low cross towards Ned Hepburn down the right-hand side of the Hilltop penalty area. From where Ned Hepdburn would finish emphatically into the goal, 1-2.

Hilltop did really try to get back in to the game, by playing their football. But, as the second half progressed, Grays Athletic finished the game the stronger of the sides. Two goals in less than eight minutes would effectively book their place in the next round. As first of all, a Hilltop defender wasn’t quite able to clear a lofted ball away from inside of his penalty area. Ned Hepburn was alert to the ball and after winning it, he would finish in to the goal, beyond the goalkeeper, 1-3. And then for their fourth goal of the evening, a great run down the right flank from influential Grays Athletic substitute Gael Kileba, would see him show some good pace to take the ball forward. He would then play the ball across to Gabriel Chapps in the centre of the Hilltop box. After adjusting well, the centre-forward would turn and place the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, to deservedly get on the scoresheet, 1-5.

Following on from Hilltop defender Jack Yates’ good curling free-kick effort (from the edge of the visiting team’s penalty area), Danny Sambridge would do well to turn the ball behind for a corner-kick. But, soon after, and a quick turnover in possession would result in Grays Athletic going up the pitch at pace in added time, to add a fifth goal to their tally. Liam Morritt would whip the ball in to the centre of the Hilltop box, where he had found the good forward run of Gael Kileba, who finished low in to the goal, 1-5.

Hilltop can be proud of their efforts from this game, against a step 4 side whose quality in the final third really showed. My overall player of the match on Friday was Grays Athletic player Ned Hepburn, with AbdulWahab Mahamud being my Hilltop player of the match.

Starting line-ups/match-day squads: 

Hilltop FC: 

(12) Hossam Hassan

(19) Jibril Mahdi

(8) Hussein Hussein 

(5) Jack Yates 

(18) Samim Rahmani

(6) Mohamed Hussein (captain)

(14) Abukar Mohamed 

(10) Rinalds Jurkstis

(9) Nadeer Kahssay

(7) Ibrahim Ali Khan

(20) AbdulWahab Mahamud

Substitutes:

(1) Ahmed Omer

(17) Tyrese Okello 

(21) Ibrahim Benabbas

(3) Brooklyn Bekaraze

(11) Micheal Kikambi

(22) Luqman Ibrahim 

(4) Abbas Osman 

Grays Athletic 

(1) Danny Sambridge 

(2) Rob Harvey 

(3) Macauley Jones

(4) Alex Moss

(6) Connor Hogan

(5) Jordan Clark (captain)

(7) Denzel Effah

(8) Freddy Moncur 

(9) Gabriel Chapps

(10) Denim Nnamudi

(11) Ned Hepburn 

Substitutes:

(12) Guy Norton

(13) Mackenzie Drew

(14) Gael Kileba 

(15) Liam Morritt

(18) Ollie Muldoon

(19) Lewis Clark 

(20) Kye Jude