Maidenhead Town’s latest Combined Counties Football League Division One fixture was against Shepherd’s Bush on Saturday afternoon, at The 1878 Stadium (Burnham FC). Maidenhead Town would start this step 6 fxture in 14th place in the league table, with Shepherd’s Bush in 22nd place in the standings. This match, which Shepherd’s Bush were unfortunate (in my opinion) not to win, would end in a 2-2 draw.
After a lively and open start to this game it was Shepherd’s Bush who went on to creat the first chance of the match. After Mohamed-Amin Astan had cut inside with the ball from the left flank, before powering an effort from distance into the side-netting of Maidenhead Town goalkeeper Alex Collie’s goal. Then around five minutes later, Maidenhead Town centre-forward Ryan Hennessy would drop deep to receive the ball on the turn and on the half-way line, before playing a clever outside of the boot pass into the path of Joe Park. And then through on goal inside the away team’s penalty area, he would take the ball beyond Bilal Ourida, before seeing his effort be really well cleared off the goal-line by Kamal Mohamed.
By this point in the first half and after a positive start to the game, Shepherd’s Bush were on top, playing their passing game really well as a team. Soon after Mohamed-Amin Astan had expertly brought down Ayoub Amellal’s nice lofted forward pass to the left-hand side of the home team’s box, with his effort on the half-volley going just wide, the London side would take the lead. Ryan Murad showed some good pace as he latched onto the ball following a long pass upfield (by Obayda Kallam) and into the Maidenhead Town final third of the pitch. Ryan Murad would then progress the ball into the penalty area, where one versus one with goalkeeper Alex Collie, he would calmly slot the ball into the bottom right-hand corner of the goal, 0-1.
In the 37th minute of the match (seven minutes after the visiting team had taken the lead), Maidenhead Town managed to score an equaliser from the penalty spot, after the skilful Ryan Hennessy had been fouled by a Shepherd’s Bush defender inside their box. Ryan Hennessy’s powerful and low resulting penalty was finished clinically, right into the bottom left-hand corner of the goal, 1-1. Both sides created some further chances before half-time, but going into the break the scores would remain level.
After a good quality first half of football we now went on to the second half of proceedings. After a good start to the second half by the visitors, in the 63rd minute of play and after having created some decent openings already, they would retake the lead. Left-back Obayda Kallam did really well down the left flank, before cutting inside with the ball and playing a well weighted forward pass across the floor and into the path of Rayan Haddi. The Shepherd’s Bush winger was met by the outrushing Maidenhead Town goalkeeper inside their box and then some recovering defenders, but after working the space one versus one with the goalkeeper, he would do well to power the ball into the goal, 1-2.
Soon after retaking the lead, talented Shepherds’s Bush player Mohamed-Amin Astan would skilfully skip past an opposing team’s player down the left flank. And after looking up and spotting Alex Collie slightly off his goal-line, he would attempt to lift the ball over the goalkeeper, who did do well to track back and gather the ball. Following a good forward move by the home team in the 72nd minute of the match, they would go on to draw level once again. With Maidenhead Town substitute Jack McKenzie getting to the ball down the right-hand side of the away team’s penalty area, before hitting a low effort across goal which was going on target, but which was deflected into the goal off a Shepherd’s Bush defender, 2-2.
Despite having Hamza Miezou sin-binned during the final 15 minutes of normal time, as they had done all game Shepherd’s Bush would play their game positively, with both teams searching for a late winner, but in the end both sides would settle for a point each. In a game in which Shepherd’s Bush impressed in, playing confidently and moving the ball around really well, they can consider themselves unfortunate not to have got all three points, against a good Maidenhead Town team. However, this was a good point for the west London club. For Maidenhead Town I thought that their player of the match on Saturday was their number 9 Ryan Hennessy. For my overall player of the match award, and with Mohamed-Amin Astan, Ryan Murad and Kamal Mohamed all contenders. I am however, going to name Shepherd’s Bush left-back Obayda Kallam as my player of the match. He put in a really well balanced performance, getting forward well (he also provided two assists) as well as defending well also.
Team-sheets/match-day squads:
Maidenhead Town:
(1) Alex Collie
(12) Lewis Critcher
(5) Alan Adams
(8) William Donnelly
(4) Cam Netherwood-Meek (captain)
(14) Ethan Lowe
(11) Joe Park
(18) Jamie Wakelin
(7) Max Fanstone
(9) Ryan Hennessy
(19) Joshua Pedley
Substitutes:
(25) Lucas Crossley
(15) Harry Doyle
(23) Euan Russell
(22) Ashley Lamb
(20) Jack McKenzie
Shepherds’s Bush:
(1) Bilal Ourida
(15) Ayoub Amellal
(10) Mohamed-Amin Astan
(20) Luqman Ibrahim
(18) Obayda Kallam
(5) Jay Hines (captain)
(11) Ryan Murad
(14) Hassan Abdillahi
(9) Kamal Mohamed
(21) Abdihakim Daahir
(7) Rayan Haddi
Substitutes:
(8) Ahmed Kadiye
(19) Mohammed Laraba
(6) Brad Gilmaney
(16) Hamza Miezou
(12) Moustafa Saad
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