How the Corona Virus situation has affected Hanwell Town Commercial Director Nigel Hunt and how he’s coping.

Hanwell in action against Hetford Town.

On the 26th March 2020 the Football Association (FA) announced that all football from steps 3-6 in the non-league system would be brought to an abrupt halt, all results expunged and the leagues would be voided because of the Corona Virus. This affected every club in those leagues but in particular Hanwell Town who play in the BetVictor Isthmian South Central Division as they came so close to a well-deserved promotion being top basically all season with only ten games to go.

On the back end of last season, the Magpies got a huge grant from the Football Stadia Improvement Fund which was used to completely transform the ground and they were hoping this would be one of the key elements to get them promoted this season but the virus sadly killed this dream off. There are further plans to improve facilities and the ground which is mentioned further down.

I managed to catch up with Hanwell Commercial Director Nigel Hunt and find out how he’s been coping during these unprecedented times and what implications have developed from this situation. Here’s what he had to say:

•What is the biggest impact from the void and was it the right decision?

“The biggest impact is that we could have gone up this season and this would have been a big boost to the club in our centenary year. If it’s the right decision depends on where you are in the league table, but most people would have preferred a calculation to be made on who goes up or down.”

•How has this virus affected the clubs plans?

“We are a club that is always moving forward with regards to our facilities here at the Powerday Stadium however the virus has put everything on hold and due to the lack of income our plans will have to be delayed until next year.”

•Did the club put aside a budget and invest in players this season in a bid to get promoted, If so how do you respond under the circumstances?

“We have a budget which reflects our ambitions and this will continue next season.”

•How much of a financial impact is this situation to a club like Hanwell? 

“This has had a major impact on the club as we have had to cancel a number of events during the summer. Bills still need to be paid and without a steady income this is going to be a difficult period for the club.”

 •How are budgets looking?  

“At the moment we are ok but then no one knows how long this will go on for.

 •How is the club coping without revenue coming in? 

“We are using our cash reserves within the club but it’s the same in any business cash flow is very important and we do need to get back to some kind of normality.” 

•Can people continue to get paid or not?

“We are still paying our bills and most of our staff are volunteers.” 

•How do external stakeholders like sponsors etc also get affected from this situation?

“We have been talking to sponsors over the past few weeks however this has now all stopped in light of the situation.”

•What is happening at the ground and is the groundsman still busy? What work is he doing? How is the stadium being maintained? 

“It is important that the ground and pitch is ready for when we come back, so we will start work on preparing the playing surface for next season.”

“We did intend to increase our budget on groundworks in the summer, but for now we will continue with our normal pitch renovations.”

The new irrigation system in full flow.

•Is there a danger the club could go under? 

“At the moment the club is in a good position and ready for the challenge next season.”

•Is there a plan in place to get through this time and do you believe the FA will need to help out clubs very soon?

“We would like to see the FA help Non-League clubs as we have exactly the same problems as teams higher up the football pyramid it’s just different sets of numbers.”

•How are you keeping busy and what sort of jobs do you have to do?

“We are in regular contact with all members of the club on a weekly basis to ensure we are ready for the new season.”

•How has it personally affected you?

“I like to get things done at the club so sitting around is very difficult.”

•How are you keeping up morale? 

“We are making sure everyone knows what’s going on at the club and we are now working on our end of season bash, which will hopefully re-motivate everyone ready for the new season.”

•Lastly, when do you think football will resume and what are your plans/thoughts for next season?

“I hope we can start the new season in August but I feel this could be pushed back until September, I feel as a club we will bounce back and be a strong contender for promotion. Watch this space!!”

I’d like to say a big thankyou to Nigel for taking part and I hope everyone at Hanwell gets through this time and stays safe so they can address the unfinished business and get promoted next season.

-Dan Davies

How the Corona Virus situation has affected Hanwell Town Manager Wayne Carter and how he’s coping.

On the 26th March 2020 the Football Association (FA) announced that all football from steps 3-6 in the non-league system would be brought to an abrupt halt, all results expunged and the leagues would be voided because of the Corona Virus. This affected every club in those leagues but in particular Hanwell Town who play in the BetVictor Isthmian South Central Division as they came so close to a well-deserved promotion being top basically all season with only ten games to go.

I managed to catch up with Hanwell manager Wayne Carter and find out how he’s been coping during these unprecedented times and what implications have developed from this situation. Here’s what he had to say:

•How has the Corona Virus affected your plans?

“The virus has ruined any chance of us getting promoted. So, any plan we had is dead in the water.”

•How are you keeping in contact with players?

“Phone calls and our WhatsApp group.”

•Do you have a fitness plan for them during these times?

“There is no fitness plan as the season is over.”

•What is the most difficult thing about the cancellation and do you think it was the right decision?

“The most difficult thing is we had a great opportunity to win the league and of course I’m going to say it’s the wrong decision.“

Wayne alongside joint manager Chris Moore.

•How are you keeping yourself busy?

“Family life and things to do around the house keep me busy. “

•Has the decision personally affected you and has it hindered your progression in any sort of way?

“Winning a league or promotion is very hard to do in football personally I’m absolutely gutted by the decision but with what’s going on in the world at the moment there’s more to worry about than football. As for my progression being a so early in my managerial career winning the title or promotion obviously would have done wonders for my C.V.”

•How are you keeping up morale?

“Keeping the morale is very difficult at the moment as the decision is very raw but the boys all seem in good spirits. tough to take for everyone involved.”

•When do you believe football will resume?

“Don’t have a clue but hopefully the new season  will start as normal but I doubt it.”

•Lastly, are you already thinking about next season, if so what are your thoughts?

“Thoughts for next season is just as difficult because nobody in the country or football knows exactly what going to happen with this dreadful virus. But we will dust our selfs down work hard and go again.”

Wayne also made some nice comments on the players and thanked everyone for the season.

I’d like to say a big thankyou to Wayne for taking part and I hope everyone at Hanwell gets through this time and stays safe so they can address the unfinished business and get promoted next season.

-Dan Davies

How the Corona Virus situation has affected Hanwell Town players and how they’re coping.

A picture of Hanwell before the match against Bedfont Sports.

On the 26th March 2020 the Football Association (FA) announced that all football from steps 3-6 in the non-league system would be brought to an abrupt halt, all results expunged and the leagues would be voided because of the Corona Virus. This affected every club in those leagues but in particular Hanwell Town who play in the BetVictor Isthmian South Central Division as they came so close to a well-deserved promotion being top basically all season with only ten games to go.

I managed to catch up with a few of the Hanwell players and find out how they’ve been coping during these unprecedented times and what implications have developed from this situation. Midfielder’s Toch Singh, Jack Hutchinson and top goal scorer Gareth Chendlik kindly got involved and here’s what they had to say:

•How are you keeping fit?

Toch Singh: “Taking a break due to self-isolation and announcement is null and void. But will be home gym and road runs.”

Jack Hutchinson: “So, I’m keeping fit by running every day.”

Gareth Chendlik: “I’ve been going on a few runs, trying to get a sub 20 minute 5km. It’s hard to stay motivated without knowing when football will be starting again though.”

•What training methods are you employing as not allowed to be with others?

Toch Singh: “Individual exercises in the garden. Just keeping active and working on technique in the garden.”

Jack Hutchinson: “I’m doing some weights at home and some body weight stuff.”

Gareth Chendlik: “Unlikely to play football again for at least a few months so just focusing on running at the moment.”

Toch Singh.

•How are you maintaining skills?

Toch Singh: “At this stage just in the garden. As restrictions loosen will be going 5/7aside and to the park to ping a ball about.”

Jack Hutchinson: “By trying to stay active.”

Gareth Chendlik: “Social distancing means it’s hard to do much.”

•Have you been in contact with other members of the squad?

Toch Singh: “Daily. We are in the same WhatsApp group. But also speaking with those regularly who I am closer with.”

Jack Hutchinson: “I haven’t been in contact physically with any of the boys but we are in a group chat together.”

Gareth Chendlik: “Yeah still speaking through WhatsApp etc.”

•How are you keeping up morale? (E.g.WhatsApp groups)

Toch Singh: “Precisely that, WhatsApp group, social media, nominations. We are playing a lot of PS4 together. This house party app has taken off as well.”

Jack Hutchinson: “With the group chat like I’ve mentioned previously.”

Gareth Chendlik: “It’s tough, especially when we’ve just found out the season has been made null and void.”

•Are you struggling to get enough food to maintain adequate nutrition with the current panic buying?

Toch Singh: “At the moment no. I have been fortunate.”

Jack Hutchinson: “I’m not struggling with food just yet. I Bought supplies to last me for now.”

Gareth Chendlik: “I’ve got lots of frozen veg so doing ok so far, it’s tough though!”

Jack Hutchinson.

•How are you spending your spare time or home time if self-isolating?

Toch Singh: “Working from home currently. But perfect time to do DIY around the house. Spend time with the family and obviously binge on Netflix.”

Jack Hutchinson: “Mainly spending my spare time working out and creating work out videos for my personal training page.”

Gareth Chendlik: “Watching a lot of films and Netflix, plus going out running.”

•Was the void the correct decision in your opinion?

Toch Singh: “Believe it is the easier option for them. Causes them less work, admin and complaints. Tough decision for them. With over 75% of the season played it seems very unfair. Feel they made the decision a month early as well.”

Jack Hutchinson: “Void was wrong decision.”

Gareth Chendlik: “It’s tough, there was no way everyone would have been happy with the decision. Harsh on the teams that have done well for the first 3/4 of the season. Ideally we’d have just finished when this had all blown over.”

•When do you believe will football resume?

Toch Singh: “I think the Government will have a clearer picture at the end of May regarding the development of the virus. So, can’t say. One would hope it is in August.”

Jack Hutchinson: “Hopefully July pre-season as usual.”

Gareth Chendlik: “I don’t have a clue but hopefully as soon as possible.”

Gareth Chendlik (on left).

•Lastly, are you already thinking of next season and if so what are your thoughts?

Toch Singh: “Exactly that. Where I will be playing. When the season will start? How the world will have changed?”

Jack Hutchinson: “I haven’t given next year a thought yet.”

Gareth Chendlik: “I hope we can keep the group together and get promoted like we deserved to this season!”

I’d like to say a big thankyou to the three who took part and I hope everyone at Hanwell gets through this time and stays safe so they can address the unfinished business and get promoted next season.

-Dan Davies

How the Corona Virus destroyed Hanwell Town’s hopes of promotion.

A picture of Hanwell celebrating against Northwood.

On the 26th March 2020 the Football Association (FA) announced that all football from steps 3-6 in the non-league system would be brought to an abrupt halt, all results expunged and the leagues would be voided because of the Corona Virus. This affected every club in those leagues but in particular Hanwell Town who play in the BetVictor Isthmian South Central Division as they came so close to a well-deserved promotion being top basically all season with only ten games to go.

Four months ago, no one knew COVID-19 (Corona Virus) existed. Now the virus has spread to almost every country, infecting a staggering one million people who we know about, many cases who we don’t whilst it continues to rapidly increase every day. Not since World War II has a crisis of these proportions presented itself to the world.

See the source image

Procedures had to be put in place to stop the rapid spread of the virus and any large gatherings had to be postponed or cancelled. Countless sporting events such as Euro 2020, the UEFA Champions league, Tokyo Olympics 2020 have had to be postponed and Wimbledon has been cancelled for the first time since World War II.

Due to the coronavirus measures, sports clubs across the world are now finding themselves standing still for the first time with no imminent prospect of getting their training routines back on course. This presents a number of issues to every club mainly financially but non-league clubs will be affected the worst with no income for the foreseeable future which could lead to some clubs going under. The FA may have to go into their own pocket to  support clubs in these devastating times.

See the source image

On the 13th of March the BetVictor Isthmian League released a statement and they temporarily suspended the league’s fixtures for one game week due to the virus.

Four days later proceedings developed further and after following statements from the UK Government as well as statements from the FA, the Leagues forming Steps 1-4 of the National Leagues System with representatives of Steps 5-6 met by conference call and decided that all matches be suspended until April 3. The league released this following statement.

A picture of Hanwell in action against Chalfont St Peter.

Over the next few days everyone was waiting anxiously to find out what would happen next but the virus continued to spread and worsen forcing the UK to go into lockdown on the 23rd of march (in the meantime Hanwell were named Charter Standard Club of the Month for March due to some fantastic community work).

Twitter post for the award.

As things got drastically worse and the UK were now in lockdown this sadly meant that football wouldn’t be recommencing and on the afternoon of the 26th of march the FA and the National League System (NLS) announced that for NLS steps three to six, the 2019-20 season will now be brought to an end, and all results will be expunged. This means there’ll be no promotion or relegation of clubs between NLS steps three to six, and no promotion to NLS step two.

The FA said: “We have been working collaboratively with the National League System and the wider grassroots game since the outbreak of COVID-19 on how to conclude the 2019-20 season in the most appropriate way possible.

“These are challenging circumstances for English football and all decisions taken are in the best interests of the game and in consultation across key stakeholders. Our primary concern will always be for the safety and welfare of clubs, players, staff, officials, volunteers and supporters during this unprecedented time.

“Today’s steps take into account the financial impact during this uncertain period, whilst considering the fairest method on how the sporting outcomes for the season will be decided with the integrity of the leagues in mind.

“Furthermore, we can now confirm that we have decided that all grassroots football is concluded for the 2019-20 season. This will allow the game to move forward and to commence planning for next season. Our County Football Associations will be supporting grassroots leagues over the coming days to determine how they should close out their current competitions.”

Unfortunately for the FA a growing number of non-league clubs oppose this decision and are prepared to protest as they believe the decision wasn’t thought through properly and was rushed. Clubs have issued the point of “how can you say a league hasn’t happened?” and believe there should be an alternative solution, with some clubs pondering whether or not to take legal action.

Even Hanwell Manager Wayne Carter has promoted a petition for the completion of football leagues via Twitter.

If an alternative solution can be found it’d be great otherwise this is an extremely bitter pill to swallow for a team such as Hanwell Town because they had been top of the league for virtually the whole season and as the league stood when the void was announced they were six points off top with two games in hand as well as having a better goal difference than 1st placed Ware.  

They gave everything in the tank from the top of the club down to the bottom with everyone playing a part in what was the closest the club had ever come to step 3 football. It doesn’t seem right to diminish all the hard work in some respects and there’s lots of other teams going through the same disappointment but people’s health always comes first and some things are more important than football even though some people will strongly disagree with the decision.

I managed to catch up with a few of the Hanwell players, manager Wayne Carter and Commercial Director Nigel hunt in separate interviews to find out how they’ve been coping during these unprecedented times and what implications have developed from this. These interviews can be found by clicking one of the options down below:

-Dan Davies

The Coronavirus and how it affects Professional Footballers

The Coronavirus is currently impacting the world in ways which nobody would’ve even imagined four weeks ago. The Pandemic has caused chaos upon the Sporting world and is changing lives forever.

Football fans alike were shocked when the Premier league announced the suspension of the league until April the 30th. Extreme measures were taken as the spread of the virus began to worsen with Callum Hudson Odoi and Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta testing positive for the virus. Training for all clubs has been suspended with players in the Premier League being given strict dietary and training programmes to follow while they are isolating.  

Jack Grealish on the other hand, has hit hit the headlines as of late. The Aston Villa captain has reportedly been involved in an incident which involved a white Range Rover crashing into some parked cars. Grealish was pictured at the scene, as West Midlands police said they were called to Dickens Heath in Solihull just before 10 am on Sunday Morning.

Since then Grealish has posted a video on his social media stating how embarrassed he is and how he will now be following government orders to stay home. It is a careless act from Grealish who is considered a role model to many people. Aston Villa are yet to comment and rumours about a potential move in the summer are refusing to go away.

Grealish’s apology video

Jack had filmed himself urging everyone to stay at home and to “Only leave your house to buy food, buy medicine or for exercise and always remember to stay at least two metres apart. This is urgent. Protect the NHS. Stay home. Save lives.”

His actions have placed him firmly in the firing line as Harry Redknapp has had his say on the matter. Redknapp said “I have been his biggest fan.“If I was a manager of the big teams I would buy him up. But this is no excuse. This is absolutely stupid. I can’t believe what he has done, he needs to be punished for sure.”

In a complete contrast Marcus Rashford has been in the headlines, the Man United forward has been doing his bit to help combat the chaos that this pandemic is leaving behind. Rashford, has been working with Fareshare UK and has helped raise £100,000. Fareshare UK are the largest charity fighting hunger and food waste.

“I remember when I was at school I was on free meals and my mum wouldn’t get home until around six o’clock so my next meal would have been about eight o’clock. I was fortunate, and there are kids in much more difficult situations that don’t get their meals at homes.” This was during an interview Marcus did with BBC Breakfast

As well as this he spoke about how he wanted to have a positive impact on the generation and that helping children is something he wants to prioritise in the years to come.

“It is very important, it is at the top of my to-do list. In our generation there have been a lot of positive and negative influences. I am just trying to impact the next generation in a positive way.”

The £100,000 that Marcus has helped raise, accumulates to around 400,000 meals, the reason why this is vital is because the schools are all shut. This is due to the Coronavirus and young children may struggle for regular meals. Marcus Rashford is setting an example to all of those that look up to the young Manchester United forward.

Rashford has been very active on Twitter and is interacting with fans on the social media platform by replying to questions and sharing challenges that he has set himself.

There are a small minority of footballers who aren’t sticking to the lockdown rules and are disobeying government orders so it’s great to see that there are footballers who are using their platform to spread goodwill during times that are as tough as these. Keep up the great work Marcus!

Alex Lovell

CONFIRMED: FA Officially cancel the season for Non League clubs under North and South National Leagues

Leagues below the National League North and National League South have officially come to an end for the season as decided by the FA. You may be wondering what this means for the clubs and how the league standings are affected. However, it has also been announced by the FA that results for the Step 5 and 6 leagues are being removed which means that there will be no relegation or promotion between the leagues.

Similar actions are being used to deal with women’s football below the Women’s Super League and Women’s championship, meaning there will be no promotion and relegation. The country’s beloved grassroots football has also been called to close for the rest of the season.

The FA are still working to help the National League South and National League North come to a decision regarding the outcome of the 19/20 season. We are hoping that the season continues so we can provide for our readers, however safety always comes first and we have to ensure we can all be safe for next season to push stronger.

Competitions such as the FA Cup, FA Vase and FA trophy are being discussed by the FA as they still have hope to at least have these competitions completed by June 30th.

With the decision that has been made to end the season, some teams will be happy and some teams will be sad of course. This decision heavily benefits teams who were on the verge of relegation because they get to go another season, however it’s also a tough one to take for the teams that were on the verge of promotion because it stops the progress for the clubs aiming to go to the top.

The Radcliffe FC (of the Northern Premier League) chairman Paul Hilton said when speaking to Sky Sports “Realistically ending the season now se we can properly for next season is the best thing to do.”

Do you think the right decision was made to end the season and ensure nobody gets relegated or promoted?

Head over to our twitter and let us know your thoughts…

Aaron Adikwu

Coronavirus leads to cancellation in non-League by the FA.. or does it?

A tweet went out by SkySportsNews on March 24th as breaking news that the FA have cancelled the Non League steps 5 and 6 due to the rapid spread of the Coronavirus pandemic. Football has been on hold for a few weeks now after more and more matches had been played behind closed doors to prevent supporters segregating.

The same night, Sky Sports tweeted that the FA are still deciding the fate of the Non League season after deleting the tweet that it was confirmed that the season would be cancelled

The FA have stated that they will stay in regular dialogue to discuss the circumstances with the stakeholders of the clubs to see what steps can be taken regarding the season for men’s and women’s National League depending on the affect of the virus.

The Essex Senior League have indicated that if the season is cancelled, the decision of promotion and relegation has not been made yet. This decision does not sit with the league, it sits with the FA and once the decision is made it will be consistent across all Non League teams – if there is a null and void decision, no teams get promoted or relegated.

Aaron Adikwu

Match Report : Chippenham Town vs Wealdstone

The National League resumed on Saturday as usual , while the outbreak of Coronavirus affected all top leagues around the world including the top flight divisions in England.

Hardenuish Park was the setting for this clash between two in form teams : Wealdstone and Chippenham Town . Wealdstone came into this game top of the National League South and Chippenham Town came into his fixture with 5 wins out of their last 6 games . The two sides both in exceptional form coming to this Saturday afternoon clash.

Both teams had to settle for a point at Hardenuish Park as they tried to get the 3 points but couldn’t press for the winner with the game ending 1-1 .

Wealdstone started of the better side in the first 10 min as Micheal Phillips squandered a golden opportunity , which just hit over the bar in the 5th minute.

Luck struck first for the home side who were to draw first blood and take the lead in the 15th minute. Chippenham’s top marksman Scott Twine cooly placed a shot in at back post as he was left unmarked from Alex Bray’s cross.

Scott Twine continued his scintillating form for Chippenham Town as he breaks the deadlock on the 15th minute.

Chippenham Town continued to dominate and press for a 2nd goal as they ran rings around Wealdstone for the majority of the first half. As a Chippenham’s Luke Haines cross into Alex Bray was volleyed wide.

The big chance of the first half for Chippenham Town came in the 33rd minute as a poor back pass from Ryan Sellers allowed Chris Zebrowski through on goal with the keeper but Wealdstone’s skipper Jerome Okimo raced to time a great interception on the Chippenham centre forward .

Wealdstone’s Billy Clifford hit the post just before the interval and Moses Emmanuel has effort on goal was blocked as Wealdstone entered the second half a goal down .

Dean Brennan’s Stones came out of a different side in the second half as Michele Efete struck the post on the 51st minute .

Michele Efete luck struck this time as he glided his way through the defence for an equalised for Wealdstone on the 52nd minute . That goal win insured he scored 7th of the season .

Wealdstone gained momentum from that equaliser as they pushed for a 2nd goal as Watt’s effort was taken off the line by Chippenham’s Rhys Tyler .

Michele Efete celebrates after scoring the equaliser for Wealdstone on the 52nd mark .

Wealdstone dominated the second half as they continued to pressure the hosts as on the hour mark Wealdstone’s Moses Emmanuel managed to find the back of the net from a resulting set piece but was unfortunately ruled out for offside .

The biggest chances arrived to Chippenham in the last 10 minutes of the game as their own Kieran Parselle somehow missed from six yards which would’ve seen Chippenham take home the 3 points .

Although , Wealdstone withstood the late pressure from Chippenham Town , they couldn’t break down the Wealdstone defence as they held on to a 1-1 draw.

Wealdstone now remain 3 points adrift of 2nd placed Havant & Waterlooville. While Chippenham Town stay in a mid table position of 12th.

Dean Brennan’s post match interview regarding the Chippenham Town away game is available below to listen and watch.

Wealdstone: Jonathan North, Rhys Tyler, Joe Payne, Connor Stevens, Jerome Okimo, Glen Wilson (Fumnaya Shomoton 53), Simon Mensah (Jeffrey Monakana), Godfrey Poku, Bradley Bubb (Elliott Charles 53), Daniel Green, David Pratt Subs not used: Bradley Hudson-Odoi, Jake Sheppard

Chippenham: Brad House, George Rigg, Will Richards, Curtis McDonald (Mike Jones 69) Kieran Parselle, Callum Gunner, Dean Evans, Josh Smile, Karnell Chambers, Nat Jarvis, Jack Compton (Alex Ferguson 67) Subs not used: Matt Smith, Jack Sparkes, Nick McCootie

Ahmed Ali

Match Preview : Chippenham Town vs Wealdstone F.C

Wealdstone FC travel to the South West of England as they are welcomed by Chippenham Town on Matchday 35.

Coming off matchday 34 , Wealdstone managed to extend their lead at the top of the National League South to 5 points as they beat Dulwich Hamlet 2-1 on home soil .

Wealdstone FC’s men celebrating against Dulwich Hamlet who they dispatched 2-1 at home.

Chippenham Town come into this tough clash against Wealdstone in scintillating form as Nathan Rudge’s men have won their last 3 games with wins over Concord Rangers , St Albans and Oxford City. Furthermore , winning 5 out of their last 6 games in the league

Wealdstone’s squad have been in a selection worry lately as they have 4 first teams players out with injury with Jacob Mendy out with a hamstring injury , Connor Stevens out with a problem in his calf and Micheal Phillips is unavailable due to a knee injury . Connor Smith is also ineligible as he’s suspended for 3 games with the red card he recieved in the previous fixture against Dorking Wanderers.

Nathan Rudge’s Chippenham side have players that could cause problems for Dean Brennan’s men with Scott Twine , the 20 year old striker who has scored 5 in his last 3 games for Chippentown Town .

Chippenham Town’s top player Scott Twine running away to celebrate as he scores against Concord Rangers

Dean Brennan’s Stones side also have firepower of their own with Ross Lafayette who has the most goal to his name with 12 goals to his tally this season .

The past meetings between the two sides have seen Wealdstone win 1-0 on home soil in March and April 2019 . Chippenham Town have failed to beat Wealdstone since November 2018 , where they registered a 3-1 win at home .

Form : W ( Win ) , D ( Draw ) , L ( Loss).

Wealdstone : WWLDW

Chippenham Town : LWWWW

Ahmed Ali

Player Ratings: Northwood FC 2-1 Ashford Town – Super-sub Ahmed Elsahib proves decisive in vital comeback for the Woods.

Massive celebrations as Northwood grab the winner against Ashford Town.

On the 7th March 2020 Northwood FC hosted Ashford Town in a bottom of the table battle in the BetVictor Isthmian South Central Division. Before the game the two teams sat down the bottom of the league with Northwood 1 place off bottom and Ashford 17th but this didn’t reflect the quality or desire shown on the day.

On a cloudy but warm spring day at the AcreTweed Stadium, it was a tale of two halves as Ashford took the lead on the brink of halftime but Northwood responded late in the second half with two goals in quick concession to snatch all three points from the grasp of Ashford.  Both teams showed quality, fight and passion but it was Northwood who came out on top who continued to play their football and capitalised when Ashford were caught napping.

Northwood FC:

Tyla Dickinson (7): Really good debut from the youngster who commanded his area, organised the back line and distributed calmly. Made some unreal saves and was always quick off his line to supress any danger.

Luke Jones (5.5): Was calm plus composed on the ball and tried to get forward to aid the attack as much as possible, especially in the second half. When out of possession he tracked runners well and made some good tackles.

Jaden Sharman (7):  Very inspiring performance from the youngster who got the nod on the day. Was always eager to go forward and did well in possession trying to create something with crosses into the box, a few shots and runs out wide. He was involved in both goals, one he scored and the other he put a great ball in the box which eventually fell to Elsahib who tucked it away. He also was very good off the ball, positionally aware and knew when to go forward.

Haluna Masembe (5): Nothing amazing from him and he did the basics well. Lost his man on the corner which resulted in a goal but other than that he worked hard throughout and made some vital challenges.

Craig Carby (6): Strong at the back and organised the line well. He was also a threat down the other end off set-pieces where he won quite a few of the aerials but to no avail.

Dave Thomas (6.5): Solid performance from the skipper who worked tirelessly from start to finish to drag his team over the line. He distributed the ball well and kept things ticking over for the Woods as well as doing the dirty work when needed to.

Radu Stefanoiaca (6): He was beginning to make an impression on the left flank with a couple of useful runs plus crosses but sadly had to come off in the 38th minutes as he was unable to continue due to a knock to his ankle which he couldn’t recover from.

Marcelo Graca (6.5): Very composed player who loves the ball at his feet. He always got into little pockets to pick the ball up and made some great passes as well as some tidy linkup play. Also did his fair share of defensive duties and worked hard throughout.

A picture of Marcelo Graca making a pass for Northwood.

Romario Hart (6): Didn’t have many chances or much of the ball but when he got it he didn’t disappoint as he brought other players into the game and made some great supporting runs. He could’ve scored if Lopes passed to him on two occasions and he got involved in a needless confrontation with Joe Noakes on the fulltime whistle which he got cautioned for.

Lucas Toti (6): He was positive going forward and put some threatening crosses into the box. He could’ve been more decisive in attacking phases but was decent defensively, despite a few errors and worked hard from start to finish. He also played a key part in the first goal linking up with Hart and Jones.

Mihai-Andrei Chiriac (6.5): Promising signs from the youngster who got in between the lines well and looked really confident when in possession of the ball. Decision making could’ve been better but overall played his part working hard and digging in.

Substitutes:

Eric Lopes (7): He was impactful when he came on and took players on with pace and directness. Sometimes he was a little too greedy and should’ve passed as other players were in better shooting positions but got involved in both the build up play for the goals and worked hard.

A picture of Eric Lopes running down the wing for Northwood.

Ahmed Elsihab (8) MOTM: Injected an attacking breath of fresh air when he came on and turned the tide of the fixture. He was an immediate impact as he scored three minutes after being introduced and then nine minutes later set up Sharman for the winner. Flawless attacking performance from Elsihab who also contributed defensively to see his team over the line.

Ryan Phillips (6): Came on as a defensive substitution to shore things up at the back and allow the Woods to hold onto the precious lead they had. Won second balls and cleaned up at the back, keeping things rock solid in order to prevent an equaliser.

Ashford Town:

Aaron Bufton (5.5): He made some very good saves including one from point blank range which definitely saved them from going further behind and he commanded his box confidently. His biggest downfall was his distribution as it didn’t allow the team to utilise a passing goalkeeper to relieve some pressure and he tended to lump it down the field.

Rylan Myers (5): Worked hard throughout and defended fairly well down his side. Could’ve also tried to play more instead of lumping it up the field expecting the strikers to create something from it all the time. Overall, not the best performance but not the worst in the team today.

William Boye (5): Decent when out of possession and defended his flank well but sometimes was caught too far forward allowing the Northwood to break away. Unfortunate his game ended with a serious concussion forcing him to come off but luckily all was ok in the end.

Tommy Brunton (5.5): He organised well, played nicely with the ball and worked tremendously hard at the back but didn’t react to the danger in the box on the first goal which could’ve been prevented.

Samad Kazi (4.5): Wasn’t as good as his partner and was at fault for the second goal as he didn’t pick up the run from Sharman to stop him from scoring. Made a few good challenges but he was caught napping which resulted in the team conceding.

Darryl Harrison (5): Bit of a passenger and didn’t do anything to really get noticed. Worked tirelessly as but couldn’t get a hold on the game and influence the flow.

A picture of Darryl Harrison battling for Ashford Town in midfield.

Hafid Bounyafe (6.5): Energetic performance from the midfielder who was full of ideas. He played well in possession finding a nice flow to his game by keeping the ball moving and getting it into areas to cause problems. Also had some threatening shots coming close on occasions, especially when he rattled the woodwork near the end.

Max Webb (6.5): Well-rounded performance from the skipper who did his fair share of attacking and defensive duties. He got into good scoring positions throughout and managed to put Ashford ahead just before half time. He also was good at transitioningdefence to attack allowing Ashford to break away multiple times.

Daniel Brown (4.5): Pretty average game, nothing spectacular and didn’t really get involved. He tracked back and ran hard but didn’t influence the game at all.

Mario Embalo (5.5): Had chances to finish the game off but was denied from some very good saves. He held the ball up well and utilised his pace to get in behind to cause problems but it was to no prevail. 

Aaron Petch (6): Dangerous off set-pieces and delivered deadly balls including one Webb scored off. He controlled the ball well and ran at players to create space for the crosses but his efforts didn’t always come off.

Substitutes:

A picture of Ashford Town defending a free-kick against Ashford Town.

Sam Humphreys (4): Came on for Brown but couldn’t really impact the flow of the game. Also had some wild shots which didn’t help and overall was ineffective.

Joe Noakes (5): Brought some energy into the game and caused a few issues for Northwood but fizzled out quickly. He also got involved in a palaver with Hart at the end of the game and got cautioned for his part to play.

Kelvin Adjei (3.5): He was also ineffective as he made a lot of errors and loose touches and didn’t really help the team push on in any way, shape or form.

Highlights of the game can be found here,

-Dan Davies

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