Hanworth Villa 3-2 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

Hanworth Villa 3-2 Bishop’s Stortford Match Report

26/09/26

Isuzu FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round

Hamish Arnold

Frank Norris scored a brace but Bishop’s Stortford fell to a 3-2 defeat away to Hanworth Villa in the Isuzu FA Trophy Third Qualifying Round on Saturday. The Blues – who have suffered defeats by the same scoreline in the first match in both FA competitions this season – were without Tyrone Baker (international duty), Ned Hepburn (cup tied) and Southend United loanee Nikolay Zlatev against a Villa side who are third in Pitching In Southern League Premier Division South.

Remi Onabanjo crossed from the left wing to Gio McGregor at the far post but the former Blues midfielder saw his shot blocked and cleared. Glenn Gabriel cut in off the left wing and curled the ball into the top right corner from range before the hosts doubled the lead just two minutes later when the Stortford midfield was dispossessed and Jack Timberlake poked the ball home from a central position through Calum Barnes’ legs. McGregor curled a low shot wide of the bottom corner from 20 yards, before the visitors reduced the deficit when a long throw from Oliver Reeve wasn’t defended well, it was cleared to the edge of the box where Charlie Johnson’s cross-shot was diverted in by Norris with a first time finish. Alfie Wellens curled a free kick over the bar and Brad Russell’s cross from the right was millimetres away from connecting with Norris’ head in the middle, while on the stroke of half time Elliott Bolton’s long range strike went straight to Barnes.

HT 2-1

The two goal cushion was restored seven minutes into the second half when McGregor dribbled into the box and picked out the bottom right corner. Norris headed over the bar from Jackson Chukwu-Nsofor’s cross from the right, before the forward tried a sliding finish to meet a low cross from his strike partner from the next attack but goalkeeper Jonny Williams stopped the ball on the line. Substitute Alfie Thornett rose to meet Wellens’ right wing corner but glanced the ball wide, before the Stevenage loanee headed over the bar from George Jessey’s cross. Abdullah Javaid dribbled into the box from the left wing and saw his shot rebound off the frame of the goal, while a goalkeeping error led to the Blues second goal. Williams could only parry the ball from a left wing cross, Dylan Colletti kept the ball in play and hooked it back across goal where Norris headed in with eight minutes of the 90 to play. Javaid fired over the bar from the edge of the box from a left wing cut back, before Stortford piled on the pressure in looking for an equaliser. A corner on the right wasn’t dealt with, the ball was worked back to Colletti on the wing, he crossed to Johnson at the far post who played a cut back across the six yard box but no teammate could meet the ball. Aaron Greene put an overhead kick wide from a left wing cross before Jake Thompson saw his header blocked and Villa scrambled the ball clear. In injury time the hosts had a rare shooting chance but Javaid was off balance and missed the target. Russell – deputising in defence with Thompson playing as an extra forward – played a long ball which Norris flicked on to the Blues captain who volleyed into the net despite Williams getting a hand on the ball, but the flag went up for offside as referee Christopher Poole blew for full time.

FT 3-2

TEAMS

Hanworth Villa XI

13 Jonny Williams

2 Jake Leahy

3 Josh Casey (c) (Defise 57′)

4 Guy Ansah-Palmer

7 Toure Williams (Vaughan 79′)

9 Jack Timberlake (Goal 19′) (Selloum 52′)

10 Giovanni McGregor (Goal 52′) (Javaid 64′)

11 Glenn Gabriel (Goal 17′) (Harding 64′)

12 Billy Nutbeam

14 Remi Onabanjo

19 Elliott Bolton

Subs

8 Lucas Defise

15 Haydon Vaughan

16 Michael Harding

17 Abdullah Javaid

18 Abdullah Selloum

Bishop’s Stortford XI

1 Calum Barnes

2 Joe Nardelli (Colletti 63′)

3 Oliver Reeve

5 Jake Thompson (c)

6 Mark Haines (Thornett 57′)

9 Frank Norris (Goal 33′ 82′)

10 Bradley Russell

11 Alfie Wellens (A Jessey 79′)

18 Sha’mar Lawson (G Jessey 63′)

19 Jackson Chukwu-Nsofor (Yellow card 36′) (Greene 81′)

22 Charlie Johnson (Assist 33′)

Subs

4 Alfie Thornett

12 Alfie Jessey

17 Aaron Greene

20 Dylan Colletti

21 George Jessey

Attendance 323