Football Review – A Non-League Football Review

Broadfields United came away with the three points on Saturday night as they defeated a stubborn Hilltop side at Rayners Lane.

The mid-table hosts punished the relegation fighting visitors with a goal in the opening minutes of the game when Mohssen Mohamed drove his effort beyond Victor Miranda. The goal had come after a fast start which saw Nat Davies denied a goal in the first minute as his effort was headed off the line.

The away side had been pegged back and struggled to get out of their own half (and when they did, they simply gave it back to the hosts), but by the tenth minute, they had settled into the game. Despite this, it was Broadfields who continue to dominate the chances: Mefose Esumobi did well to win the ball back in the final third, but his effort on goal was blocked before the resulting corner was well held by Miranda and a shot from the right hand side was fired into the side netting.

Halfway through the first half brought fewer chances as both sides struggled to hold onto the ball, but when chances did fall, it was mainly the way of Broadfields. David Levy had the ball in the back of the net affect a free-kick was floated into the box and headed across goal, but he was deemed offside before a testing free-kick from Thomas Kennard was well saved by Miranda. A huge chance for Hilltop had gone begging in the 38th minute as Caleb Adomako-Mensah saw his shot saved.

The hosts wondered how they hadn’t been further ahead just before the break. Levy saw his header clawed off the line by the Hilltop keeper before he was played through, but the striker dragged his effort across the face of goal.

Despite another early effort from the hosts, which was fired over, it was Hilltop who dominated large parts of the second half. An effort in the opening five minutes was fired over before another shot was blocked. Zain Gangdeen fired an effort inches wide of the target before Hilltop continued to up the pressure. Another effort was fired over before Bruno Dos Santos created some space for himself, but it was wide.

Levy got his head to the ball, but his effort was fired over before Hilltop made the pressure pay with their equaliser. Jordy Mumbiny broke beyond the defence and poked the ball beyond Eddie Cox. The lead had been a result of the hosts not being able to get a foothold in the second half, but with the last fifteen minutes or so, they began to have the better chances.

David Levy was the focal point for most, if not all, Broadfields chances during the remaining minutes. He managed to turn the defender, but saw his shot well saved before he fired another effort over (to the dismay of the host’s bench and supporters). They continued to come forward, but could only manage a corner being headed over the bar.

There was a huge let off for the hosts in the 83rd minute when the Lino kept his flag down as the away side ran through, but a strong hand from Cox kept the scores level. A couple of minutes later, the hosts retook the lead. Levy, who had missed his opportunities throughout the game, turned provider as he passed the ball out of Max Holland, who drilled the ball into the far corner.

It was almost a third with a couple of minutes to play, but Levy headed over before Hilltop threatened down the other end. A late corner was well held by the keeper before Gangdeen broke beyond the defence, but saw Cox hold onto his effort at the near post. Nine minutes had been played in added time, but the hosts held on to claim the three points.