A combination of missed chances and poor officiating denied Hanwell Town the chance to push clear of the relegation zone on Tuesday (16 November 2025).
A late consolation penalty from Dan Carr proved too little in the end for the Geordies as Hungerford Town travel back to Berkshire with the three points thanks to goals from Kasway Burton and a double from Louis McGrory.
The first 20 minutes was a cagey affair with minimal chances for both sides. The best chance for Hanwell came four minutes in when a low shot from Kam English forced a save from Luke Cairney, pushing the ball into the path of Cal Woodcock who fired it against the post from just inside the box.
With the game opening up towards the break, Hungerford’s top scorer Harry Williams latched onto the end of a teasing low cross on the penalty spot. The striker miss controlled it and it bounced towards the Hanwell net, nearly catching out Sam Beasant who produced a fine one-handed save to keep the game level.
Hanwell responded with a couple of late chances. A deflected shot from Carr was saved well by Cairney, and the Hungerford keeper was to thank again after denying Carr for the second time minutes later. A late Hungerford penalty shout was waved away by the referee and saw the first half come to an end.
The second half saw much of the same from Hanwell. Eight minutes in, a low cross from Archie O’Brien found Mo Bettamer in the centre of the box, but his shot was scooped over the bar, frustrating the Hanwell faithful.
Three minutes later, a driving run from Hungerford’s number 17 saw the away side take the lead. Some mistimed challenges from the Geordies backline allowed Burton to skip past and place the ball into near corner of the net, deceiving Beasant who had left it to run wide.
The referee was in the spotlight minutes later, denying Hanwell a clear penalty for handball. It seemed it was clearly in the box but the officials decided it was just on the edge, much to the annoyance of the Hanwell players and fans alike.
After a flurry of substitutions, Hungerford doubled their lead from the penalty spot. A ball through lead to Beasant rushing out and taking out the Hungerford attacker, according to the referee. McGrory slotted home and Woodcock was subsequently shown a second yellow for dissent towards the referee.
With 10 minutes additional time, Hanwell were handed a lifeline after a handball decision was finally given by the officials. Dan Carr scored confidently from the spot and set up a dramatic finish. However, with one minute remaining, Hungerford restored their two-goal advantage through McGrory with a fine shot into the top left corner. Hanwell players suggested the referee was in the way, but nothing was given, keeping up with the theme of the game. The game finished after 100 minutes with Hanwell on the end of 1-3 defeat.
A disappointing result sees The Geordies fall to 17th in the league, one point off the relegation zone. They travel next to league leaders Walton and Hersham on Saturday ( 20 December 2025), looking to bounce back and pick up some form over the Christmas Period.
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