Eastbourne Town 0 Ashford Town 2
from Your Milton Keynes Correspondent
So we travel down to the Sussex coast for the penultimate game of the season, with the only issue to be settled being that of which mid-table berth we will eventually occupy. Normally, we’d expect there to be a rather end-of-term atmosphere surrounding this game, but, in these troubled times, it currently feels more like the lull before the summer storm. As well as Ashford Town’s own behind-the-scenes troubles, it is widely expected that there will be several football clubs from up and down the non-league pyramid – and beyond – who will either go into administration, be demoted a league or two, or go out of business altogether, and all as a result of off-the-field financial problems. With the full effects, on club chairmen, directors and sponsors, of the current economic recession probably yet to be felt, there is no way of knowing how many gaps and vacancies will be created above and below us, and next season’s divisional line-ups are anybody’s guess.
It is, of course, now well understood that fans of Ashford Town do not look upon the plight of others with detached sympathy, since the bell may well toll for our own club before the summer is out. I don’t know what goes on in the Boardroom at The Homelands - and it’s none of my business – but a few showers have already broken out, ahead of the main storm front. I reckon we noticed the first spots of rain on a Tuesday evening in Whitstable. After a run of 15 matches unbeaten, there was a sudden loss of form, which first became apparent during that crushing 4-1 defeat on the North Kent coast. Performances on the pitch got steadily worse, with only the occasional improved showing to mask the general trend, culminating in that dreadful defensive display at home to Corinthian-Casuals, which resulted in a 1-5 defeat. That shocking showing was put into perspective by the Casuals’ next result, just two days later, when they lost 0-5 at home to Croydon Athletic !
The point about these heavy defeats is that they happened in the face of some very ordinary opposition – and they befell a squad of players that has consistently shown this season that they are more than a match for any team in this division. In other words, there were all the signs that something was up! In most sports, strife and discontent off the pitch often manage to filter through and affect performance on the pitch – and lo ! There were soon revelations of a Boardroom split, and of fresh claims that there are still considerable sums of money owed to HM’s Ruthless Revenue. Most significant of all, in terms of what really concerns us fans – i.e. what happens on the pitch – was last week’s news in the local Press that Ashford’s players haven’t been paid for several weeks. Aha !
I don’t know how this is all going to end. I’m no expert on aviation, but I suspect that, when you’re flying high and the wheels come off, you can expect a rough landing ! All we can do, as fans, is to adopt the brace position, and ride out the turbulence that will soon come our way – and, of course, carry on supporting the team next season, regardless of who happens to be running the Club, who is wearing the green & white shirt, and which league we happen to be playing in !
I use the term “we” in the hope and (guarded) expectation that the merry band of Ashford people that has supported the team home and away this season will continue to do so – even if ambitions and playing budget are both going to be scaled down in the future. The level of support at away matches has been one of the high points of what has ultimately been a very disappointing season – and there was another good turn-out from the town today, in a crowd of 208.
This was actually just a little more than our hosts’ average league gate of 176, which is a very respectable average, considering that Eastbourne Town are currently in only their second season at this level, and the fact that this is one of THREE senior teams in the town; (Eastbourne Borough are mid-table in the Conference, whilst Eastbourne United Association currently top the Sussex league – but have declined to apply for eligibility for promotion to the Ryman League). Eastbourne Town have acquitted themselves well again this season, and were lying in 12th, just two points behind Ashford, at the start of today’s game, having finished 19th in their debut season.
Their ground isn’t one that meets with universal approval from visiting fans. This is partly due to the fact that the football stadium is tightly wedged into a corner of The Saffrons, a famous old sports complex that also caters for cricket, hockey, bowls and croquet, (and probably one or two other sports besides). The most common complaint appears to be that the only seated accommodation consists of a small, low block of blue plastic seats, behind one goal, and its one open side can be pretty draughty when the wind blows across the cricket ground, with only a porous, wooden fence between the dug outs and the mid-wicket boundary.
Although it’s all a bit odd, as a venue for footy, I like it. This is partly because I have fond childhood memories of popping down on the train to watch County Cricket matches – but I mainly like it for the scenic backdrop. Just as the French Derby is run with Chantilly Château in the background, and South Africa play cricket in the shadow of Table Mountain, Eastbourne Town’s ground is overlooked by Eastbourne Town Hall. This is a magnificent Victorian building, with a domed clock tower housing a clock which chimes on the quarter hour. In fact, the whole scene is very “unSittingbourne”.
There was a nice atmosphere in the ground today. Although the stiffish breeze was plenty fresh enough, it was a bright, sunny afternoon, and this reflected the mood of the party of Ashford Town fans, who were determined to enjoy the final R&J Coaches away day of the season. I should also say that the mood among the Ashford players and Management betrayed no hint of there being any behind-the-scenes problems at the Club. If it’s true that the players have not been paid of late, then it’s to the great credit of all concerned that they came across today as being a relaxed and coherent unit, and actually played some pleasing, flowing football which was as good as I’ve seen all season. It’s true that the Eastbourne players probably had half their mind on their summer holidays, but the fact that they rarely threatened the Ashford goal was still mostly due to a very solid performance by the back four of Jimmy Elford, Sean Ray and the two Brathwaite brothers – and also to a fairly commanding performance from Josh Willis, which included one or two very good saves.
There were few surprises in the line-up in front of the back five; the midfield consisted of Tony Browne on the right, Ryan Briggs and Danny Lye in the centre and Mitchell Sherwood on the left; Paul Jones was partnered by Craig Wilkins, up front. On the bench, we had Seb Barton, (who now seems to have been properly relegated to the role of No.2 goalkeeper), Charlie Glyde, Stanley Muguo, Jimmy Bottle and Nick Lovell – with brother Mark looking on, in the crowd.
The one familiar face in the Eastbourne Town line-up was their Skipper, Danny Simmonds, who was one of 48 players used by Ashford during the troubled 2005-6 season, when we finished 21st in the division; (this season, we’ve used only 31 players).
Ashford played up the slope in the first half, with the breeze blowing from right to left, as they went forward. The first attempt on goal of the match was made by the visitors, in the opening minute, when Mitchell Sherwood squared the ball to Ryan Briggs, who was well outside the penalty area. Briggs showed a disappointingly poor technique, skying his shot well over the bar. Ashford Manager Steve Lovell illustrated the light-hearted undertone to the game, as well as the harmless nature of the goal attempt, when he then shouted: “Have a shot, Briggo !!”. It raised smiles all round, but, in truth, Referee Austin might well have booked Briggo for time-wasting !
Eastbourne’s Jamie Salvidge had a weak shot, across the face of goal, in the fifth minute, but then, in the ninth, Ashford put together a move which really typified the freedom with which the players were playing this afternoon. The move went from left to right, rather like a passing movement in rugby, on the edge of the Eastbourne penalty area. It involved Paul Jones, then Daniel Brathwaite, then Craig Wilkins, who was then “guilty” of a pass that went slightly forward, to Tony Browne, who was just inside the area. The Browne Dog hit his shot firmly, from close range, but goalkeeper Russ Tanner did well to block the attempt.
The home side, playing in yellow shirts and royal blue shorts and sockies, had a corner which came to nothing, in the eleventh minute, but then had a rather better chance in the 18th. This came about as a result of Sean Ray, who otherwise had another excellent game in the centre of Ashford’s defence, gifting the ball to Gary Brockwell, inside his own half. Brockwell, in his 8th start of the season for Eastbourne, went haring off down the left flank, but Ray had recovered to cut out his eventual cross, as the near post. This resulted in a corner, on the left, after which the resulting cross was somehow flipped over the bar by the Ashford defence, for another corner, on the same side. Again, the ball was curled into the six-yard box, and Mitchell Sherwood had to make the clearance, with his back to the post he was guarding.
A couple of minutes later, Danny Simmonds tried a shot from an improbable distance. This looked to be a completely harmless effort, but Simmonds’ shot deflected off Sean Ray and fell fortuitously into the path of Peter Cooper. Suddenly, this became a clear-cut chance, with Cooper only having Josh Willis to beat, but Josh made an excellent save with his feet.
In the 24th minute, Ashford launched a flowing break, which went from the right side of the pitch to the left, and ended with Craig Wilkins finding Mitchell Sherwood, on the overlap. Mitch had space to run into, and just one defender to beat. He did the more difficult thing, showing good, natural foot-work, to go past the last man, but then, with the goalkeeper at his mercy, he rather tentatively chipped his shot over the bar. This was rather typical of a young man who seems to have long lost his confidence in front of goal; (that cracking volley into the back of the net at Walton & Hersham notwithstanding).
Danny Lye showed Mitch how it should be done, when he put Ashford ahead, in the 32nd minute. Daniel Brathwaite was the provider, from the left flank, picking out Lye with a low cross. With his back to goal, in the penalty area, Danny took one touch to control and turn, and then hit the ball firmly into the net, just inside the post, with his second touch. This was a hugely popular goal with the Ashford faithful – it was Danny’s fourth goal of the season, in what was his final game, given that he’ll be suspended for the game at home to Kingstonian, next Saturday.
Just two minutes later, Daniel Brathwaite had a good chance to make it 0-2. I must confess that I was still scribbling down the details of Danny Lye’s goal when I looked up to find that Brathers had been put through on goal, on the edge of the six-yard box, with just the ‘keeper to beat – but he didn’t quite have the striker’s nous to make it count.
Ashford continued to knock the ball around nicely, using both wide midfielders well. With just a couple of minutes remaining before the interval, a good period of pressure from the team in green & white culminated in the ball being spread wide, to Tony Browne. The Browne Dog showed a great piece of control, to bring it down, then chipped in a carefully measured cross – Danny Lye had again got himself forward, into a dangerous position, but his diving header was well caught by ‘keeper Russ Tanner.
So Ashford went in at the break just the one goal up – but it wasn’t long before they went further ahead. Just three minutes into the second half, the ball was fed in to Paul Jones, from the right touchline. Jonah was inside the penalty area, with his back to goal, so wasn’t immediately a threat to the Eastbourne goal. Nevertheless, his marker, Ben Putland, upended him in spectacular fashion. With Jones’s legs flailing in the breeze, this was the easiest decision that the referee had to make all afternoon – (although he had made quite a few very strange ones, including ending the first half after just 44 minutes and 45 seconds). So no doubt about the penalty award, and no argument about who would take the kick for Ashford, given that Mitchell Sherwood is reputed to have never missed a spot-kick in his life ! For those of us looking on, there’s always the nagging doubt that, well, surely he’s got to miss one eventually – but this never seems to enter Mitchell’s head, and he strolled up to the ball and side-footed it firmly into the top corner of the net. It was a wonderfully taken penalty, and chalked up a thirteenth goal of the season for the wide midfielder.
Although a proportion of these goals has come from the penalty spot, this total is still quite an achievement, considering the position in which he plays. During the past four seasons, only Paul Jones (who has top-scored with 15 this season) and George Fenwick (with his 18 in the 2006-7 season) have managed as many goals as this. Although I’ve always thought that Tony Browne is a better all-round player of the two, there’s no arguing with Mitch’s goal-scoring record, (and it is actually 18-3 to Mitch, over the past two seasons). However, the misgivings about the flaws in Mitchell’s game were then illustrated, just four minutes after he had put Ashford 0-2 ahead. Good work from Paul Jones and Tony Browne on the right ended with a cross finding Craig Wilkins, in the centre. Wilko quietly showed some very good touches this afternoon, and one of them was to now cushion a header down, to put Mitch through on goal. Would that superbly taken penalty have given Mitch the confidence to put his foot through the ball, and lash it into the net ? No, unfortunately. The tentative Mitchell Sherwood was back, and he again chipped the ball tamely over the bar. He might well have had a hat-trick this afternoon.
Another Ashford man who might have had three goals today was Danny Lye. In the 61st minute, Daniel Brathwaite played a long one-two with Sherwood, which took him from the half-way line to a few yards from the left corner flag. Daniel’s cross was a good one, and Lye got up well, but his header went just wide of the far post. Two minutes later, a deft, headed flick-on by Craig Wilkins set Paul Jones off, running into the penalty area; Jonah tried to poke the ball over Russ Tanner’s head, but the goalie made a good save. From the resulting corner, delivered by Ryan Briggs, Tony Browne was the first to the ball, at the near post, but his header went well wide.
Soon after Eastbourne’s Jamie Salvidge had sent a glancing header wide, and across the face of goal, it was time for Steve Lovell to make the first of his three substitutions, and he replaced Tony Browne with Charlie Glyde, in the 69th minute. This was quite an orthodox replacement, with Charlie taking up a position on the left side of midfield, and the right-footed Mitch Sherwood coming across to the right, but the second substitution, five minutes later, saw Paul Jones being replaced by Stanley Muguo, in a more surprising one-for-one swap up front.
Ashford never really looked like having their two-goal lead reduced, in spite of the home side showing plenty of attacking endeavour. Shortly before the withdrawal of Paul Jones, Jamie Salvidge had pulled a shot across the face of goal, from the left corner of the Ashford six-yard box, and, in the 76th minute, a foul by Daniel Brathwaite on full-back Luke Denton gave Eastbourne a free-kick, just outside the penalty area - but Gary Brockwell lifted his shot over the Ashford wall, and over the bar. Then, with ten minutes of normal time remaining, Adam Davidson put a good ball down the line for Brockwell to chase; Brockwell found Jamie Salvidge, with a good, square ball, but Salvidge was unable to salvage anything for his team, as he fluffed his shot.
In the 83rd minute, Elloitt Brathwaite went down, injured, after attempting to clear the ball from inside his own six-yard area. This provided the perfect opportunity for Jimmy Bottle to be introduced, for a late, cameo appearance. Immediately, Jimmy displayed his biggest asset – his pace. He went on a run down the left touchline, which took him all the way to the corner flag; he rounded the corner flag, and made his way along the by-line, past the area of seating behind the goal and out through the players’ entrance. He’d left his shirt in the dressing room !
Eventually, Elliott made his way to the dug out - apparently none the worse, in spite of having had fairly lengthy treatment on the pitch – and Jimmy actually made his entrance in the 86th minute, taking up a position on the right wing. This meant that Craig Wilkins dropped back into central defence, and a, by now, fairly threadbare Ashford squad ended the game with Mitch Sherwood partnering Stanley Muguo in attack.
The final chance of the game fell to the home side, in the third minute of injury time. An alleged hand-ball by Sean Ray provided Danny Simmonds with the opportunity of a free-kick, on the edge of the Ashford penalty area. He managed to curl the ball around the defensive wall, but was unable to grab a consolation goal against his former club, as Josh Willis capped a solid performance with a good catch.
Whilst the R&J Coaches Party prepared to end the season of away games with a pub crawl on the way back to Ashford, the team left the district of Eastbourne known as Little Chelsea with three points, which were enough to keep us in eighth place. With one game remaining, we can finish no higher than seventh, but no lower than tenth.
Elsewhere, Kingstonian beat Dulwich Hamlet 2-1 at home, in front of a crowd of 558. This victory ensured that the K’s are promoted as Champions – and that crowd has lifted them to the top of the attendances table for the division, with a final average home gate of 335. This relegates Ashford to second place in this table, with our average currently standing at 312 – but with the visit of the Champions to come on the season’s final day, next Saturday. I was rather hoping – entirely selfishly, on my Club’s behalf – that Kingstonian would be going to The Homelands with something still to play for, to ensure a bumper final crowd. (Come to that, I was hoping that Ashford would have something still to play for come this final game – but that’s all history now).
Let’s hope that our visitors at least make the trip with the intention of having an end-of-season party, so that it is, nevertheless, a great occasion. Afterwards, we can turn our attention to awaiting news of the various developments over the summer that will decide the Club’s immediate future – and await them with considerable interest, to say the least.
Man of the Match
(to go towards the Milton Keynes Bowl)
Danny Lye
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