The teams take the field

MIDDLESEX SENIOR CLUBS OVER THE HOLIDAYS

Jim Taylor
Day 1 - Northwood welcomed Hanwell Town

The Christmas and New Year holiday fixtures always contain a healthy quota of local derbies.   Our roving team of Chris Benn (County Photographer) and Jim Taylor (reporter) saw this as an ideal opportunity, during the current depressing times, to engage with a larger selection of our Senior Clubs.

We started on Bank Holiday Monday, 27th December, with the Step 4, Pitching In Isthmian League South Central Division game between Northwood and Hanwell Town at ‘The Woods’ Fenton Civil Engineering Stadium.

These clubs are old rivals and Northwood have played Hanwell Town in excess of 70 times, which is more often than any other club in their history.  

Northwood went into the game dangerously near to the relegation zone.   However, after a poor start to the campaign, their form has improved under the recently appointed management team of Steve Ringrose and Ben Bukowski.   Steve is well known throughout Middlesex, as a very successful and popular club manager and also as a former manager of the County Representative side.   Another member of the current Northwood set up with Middlesex FA Representative Team connections is team captain, Keagan Cole, who played in the FA County Youth Cup winning side of 2016-17.

Hanwell Town’s league form has been patchy lately but they are still sufficiently well placed in the table, for a good run of results to earn them a play- off place.

The heavy rain during the preceding two or three days had put the fixture in doubt and a pre-match inspection was needed.   Luckily, the rain stopped and the game went ahead as planned, on a very acceptable surface.   Despite, the uncertainty regarding the weather, the crowd of 255 was easily The Woods’ biggest home attendance of the season to date.

The preliminaries

This match certainly qualified for the much over used description of “a game of two halves”.   The first half was evenly contested and either team could have led at the interval.   However, once the visitors had scored the first goal in the 44th minute they went on to dominate the remainder of the match.

Northwood made the early running and a fierce drive by Yiannis Constantino was brilliantly tipped over the cross bar by Hanwell Town’s keeper, Hugo Sobte.   The resultant corner kick produced a close range header from Tommy Boxer, which the keeper took comfortably.   Then Micah Jackson created two dangerous situations for the Town defence.   He beat their offside trap but his low shot didn’t have the power to trouble Hugo Sobte.  Then he again worked through but was finally crowded out.

The Geordies didn’t test Dan Hosier in the home goal until the 12th minute, when he comfortably took a high cross by Dwayne Duncan.

A long cross-field pass by Northwood’s Yiannis Constantinou, followed by a run from Micah Jackson released Sydney Ibie, whose control let him down at the crucial moment.   Then Sydney won the ball in a tackle and took it half the length of the pitch to win a free kick just outside the Hanwell penalty area.   Micah Jackson hit the defensive wall with the kick and Sam Jenkins hit the rebound narrowly wide.

Hanwell Town became increasingly more dangerous as the half progressed.   Some frenzied activity in the home goalmouth resulted in a low cross from Dan Carr being scrambled away and then a perceptive through ball by skipper George Nicholas being hacked clear, amid appeals for a penalty following a tackle on Thomas Collins.  

Then Massimo Giamattei was tripped while on a run through the middle.   The subsequent free kick and a shot from the rebound were both charged down by the wall.   Then Thomas Collins had a couple of good chances, which he miscued before he had a further shot blocked.

Andy Lomas netted for Northwood from Micah Jackson’s through ball, in the 41st minute but was adjudged offside.

Hanwell Town's Thomas Collins (10) advances on goal prior to opening the scoring...

The Geordies scored the crucial goal in the 44th minute.   Kyle Watson won the ball and played it to Thomas Collins, who controlled it and advanced on goal.   Dan Hosier came off of his line and made a fine save.   Unfortunately for him the rebound went back to Collins, who netted.

...and he has netted the rebound (he is on the ground with keeper Dan Hosier)

Half time score: Northwood 0   Hanwell Town 1

Hanwell Town resumed the attack and Tomas Siemienczuk squared for Massimo Giamattei, who mishit his shot.   Then Jack Hutchinson hit a pass from Massimo over the bar.

Calum Duffy (4) heads home Dan Carr's free kick for Hanwell Town's second goal...

The visitors doubled their lead in the 55th minute through Calum Duffy, who headed home Dan Carr’s free kick.

...he rushes to celebrate with Dan Carr

They continued to create chances.   A good run by Jack Hutchinson ended with his low cross being cut out by the home defence.   Jack then hit a shot just too high.   Northwood keeper, Dan Hosier enjoyed a spell of action with a series of good saves, including two low stops and pushing out a nasty in-swinging corner.

At the other end, Keagan Cole lofted a dangerous but ultimately unproductive free kick into the Hanwell penalty area.   Then some fine control by Teddy Stacey released Micah Jackson, whose subsequent cross wasn’t converted.

Thomas Collins about to net Hanwell Town's third goal

The Geordies went 3-0 up in the 66th minute, when excellent approach work by Ogo Obi and Jack Hutchinson left Thomas Collins with a tap in.

Substitute, Kyal Williams, who made an impressive debut for Northwood, was tripped following a penetrating run.   The resulting free kick, well hit by Micah Jackson, was saved by Hugo Sobte.   Tommy Boxer then headed James Gurteen’s cross wide.

Trevan Robinson is tripped...

...and Ogo Obi takes the kick...

Northwood keeper, Dan Hosier, denied the Town a fourth goal in the 88th minute, with a fine save from Ogo Obi’s well struck penalty kick, awarded for a trip on Trevan Robinson.

...and Dan Hosier saves

Final score: Northwood 0   Hanwell Town 3

Northwood: Dan Hosier, Sam Jenkins (Lewis Batten 86 mins), Andy Lomas, Keagan Cole (capt), Tommy Boxer, James Gurteen, Yiannis Constantinou (Kyal Williams (63), Teddy Stacey, Sydney Ibie, Micah Jackson (Sam Cahill 90) and Carl Stewart.

Unused Substitute:  Daniel Purdue (goalkeeper).

Director of Football: Steve Ringrose   Head Coach: Ben Bukowski.

Hanwell Town: Hugo Sobte, Dan Carr, Kyle Watson, Calum Duffy, Dwayne Duncan, Edon Pruti, George Nicholas (capt) (Harry Rush 68), Massimo Giamattei, Tomas Siemienczuk (Ogo Obi 58), Thomas Collins (Trevan Robinson 80) and Jack Hutchinson.

Unused Substitutes: Halim Bangura and Adam Laaref.

Joint Managers: Wayne Carter and Chris Moore.

Referee: Tolu Sangowawa   Assistant Referees: Neo Neophytou and Colin Wordsworth.

As always we a grateful to Chris and Jim for giving up their time, especially during the holiday period to cover some of the senior football taking place across the County. Chris and Jim have selected their favourite images from the match as displayed across the report, these are accompanied by a full range of imagery courtesy of Chris Benn.

Chris & Jim's picks

Full Album courtesy of Chris Benn