Hanworth Villa 1 AFC Wimbledon Youth 5
West Surrey Youth League Cup - Quarter-Final - Sunday 4 December 2005
AFC Youth clinched a league cup semi-final tie against AFC Wimbledon by putting five goals past Hanworth at Rectory Meadows. The game was switched to Hanworth at the eleventh hour after Deckers was declared unfit after all the recent rain. AFC Youth were able to field a full-strength side against Hanworth Villa who were relegated to the Premier South last season.
With just nine minutes gone Sonny Russell made a lot of ground from the midfiled, and then played a ball to Timi da Silva who side-stepped a defender before letting fly from 20 yards with a shot that sped into the bottom corner of the net. Four minutes later Scott Fullerton crossed from the right, and an unmarked Charlie Dennis found the far corner of the net with a powerful angled shot from the left side of the penalty area. Hanworth were putting a lot of pressure on the ball with strong physical challenges, but AFC were knocking the ball around so quickly that they dominated possession and were in total control. After 18 minutes the hosts were tore apart after Sam King overlapped down the right and sent over a low cross that Luke Ewing skied over the bar from ten yards. After this escape AFC continued to apply more pressure with Sonny Russell, Tee-Jay Ryan and Charlie Dennis in outstanding form. Hanworth managed to mount several attacks, but they foundered on a AFC back four that looked far too quick and strong for the Hanworth forward line. After plenty of possession football Timi da Silva netted after 27 minutes, but it was disallowed for offside. Four minutes later Hanworth fired in a terrific 25 yard shot that came off the top of the crossbar before Jack Malin beat an Hanworth forward to the rebound to prevent a goalscoring opportunity. Within a minute Charlie Dennis hit the angle of the Hanworth goal, but the third goal was not long coming because on 35 minutes Sonny Russell set up Timi da Silva for his second. Two minutes later a great attacking move saw Sonny Russell head home a headed cross from Troy Murray, but the goal was disallowed for offside. A minute later a rapid break saw Sonny Russell play in Timi da Silva, but his shot was cleared off the line by a Hanworth defender. On the stroke of half-time AFC capped a brilliant first-half performance when Sonny Russell headed home a corner.
After the break AFC remained in total control, and within five minutes Luke Ewing headed home a long-range free kick from Tee-Jay Ryan. A minute later Tee-Jay Ryan hit the bar from 20 yards after some great footwork by Troy Murray. Tee-Jay Ryan and Sonny Russell continued to dominate the midfield battle, and up front Luke Ewing, Troy Murray and Timi da Silva were creating plenty of problems. On 56 minutes Troy Murray dribbled clean through a crowd of defenders, but somehow put the ball wide when right in front goal! Two minutes later after some more trickery the luckless Troy Murray hit the woodwork with a very clever lob over the Hanworth defence. Hanworth continued to battle hard by pressuring the ball, but once into the AFC last third they lacked the pace to penetrate the rearguard and trouble Nick Greaves. As in the first half, there were a number of long-range shots from Hanworth that Nick Greaves caught very comfortably under the cross bar. On 68 minutes AFC won a corner, but James Snishko was very unlucky to see his diving header hit the upright with the keeper well beaten. Then with 6 minutes remaining Hanworth scored a consolation goal. AFC were caught in possession moving out of defence up the right flank, and a high ball was delivered quickly into the penalty area. The bounce deceived James Snishko, and a Hanworth forward was able to get goalside and finish from close range. This setback seemed to unsettle the AFC defence because a free-kick was conceded some twenty yards out and in front of goal, but the ball was blasted high over the bar.
In the first half AFC produced their best football of the season and this was enough to win the game. The second period saw them retain control of the game fairly comfortably despite several changes in personnel via substitutions and positional switches. Man of the match goes to Tee-Jay Ryan for a great display in midfield, but all team members played well above par in an impressive team performance.
Reporter's man of the match: Tee-Jay Ryan
Team: Nick Greaves; Sam King, James Snishko, Jack Malin, Charlie Dennis; Scott Fullerton, Sonny Russell, Tee-Jay Ryan, Luke Ewing; Timi da Silva, Troy Murray. Sub: Matthew O'Brien, William Taylor.