Eastbourne Town 2 Ashford Town 2
from Your Milton Keynes Correspondent
It seems slightly strange to be talking about “six-pointers” when Ashford haven’t even played half of their league games, but this clash at The Saffrons between the bottom, and second-bottom, teams in the division was nevertheless a vitally important game for both. The visitors entered the game as the team in 22nd place, out of 22, with Eastbourne Town four points ahead of us, but three points behind Whitstable, who started the day a place above them. However, with Ashford having four games in hand, it was arguably the home side that needed all three points the most. As it turned out, the points were shared, so the situation in the basement of Ryman Division One remains pretty much the same – but that doesn’t begin to tell all the tales that need to be told.
For a start, after just three games since The Big Freeze, (during which Ashford Town played just one game in five and a half weeks), Steve Lovell already appears to have an injury crisis on his hands, particular in defence. For today’s vital game, he was without a recognised first-team defender. Toby Ashmore, Lee Hockey, Laurence Harvey and Carl Harrold were all missing, with Ryan Norman only fit enough to occupy a place on the bench. Steve therefore used the three-at-the-back formation, which has, admittedly, recently stood us in good stead in recent games – but the personnel had an unfamiliar look. Danny Lye, the captain, stood at the heart of the back three, with Mitchell Sherwood on his right and 19 year-old Danny Shearing, who we’ve seen progressing through the Club’s youth set-up, drafted in to make his First Team début, on the left side of the defence.
It was, once again, a 3-5-2 set-up, with the two wide midfield players dropping back to form a back five when necessary. These were Nick Smith, on the right, and the talented Dan Scorer, making his fifth appearance for the First XI, (although this was to be the first time he’s completed all 90 minutes), on the left. Ryan Briggs and Ross Morley occupied the centre of midfield, with Joe Fuller and Kevin Swaisland up front, and Mark Lovell “in the hole” behind them. With Josh Willis hopping around The Saffrons on crutches, after sustaining what is feared to be a serious knee injury during his return match on Wednesday, and with Seb Barton already on the long-term injury list, it was Scott Chalmers-Stevens who took over between the sticks. Ashford’s other goalie, Darren Ibrahim, is also on the list of the sick and infirm, but he was fit enough to be on the bench this afternoon.
Other subs this afternoon were – well, they were the other three men in the squad that are currently standing: midfielders Matt Newman and Ronnie Dolan, plus full-back Matt Newman.
In other words, Steve Lovell and Hugo Langton are currently wading against a tide of incredible adversity – but I’m pleased to report that the squad appears to be forging a tremendous spirit of togetherness and determination as a result, and today we witnessed a creditable fighting performance. All of the senior men playing out of position did well, as did the relative newcomers, including debutant Danny Shearing, who looks an accomplished footballer, in spite of one or two little slip-ups.
This was probably very much a point gained, but, as in the game at home to Walton Casuals on Wednesday, the boys really should have taken all three points. Whilst we were undone in mid-week by the conceding of a penalty in first half injury-time, and then of another one in the 92nd minute, today the lads’ downfall was caused by the giving away of the softest of gift goals, early on in each half.
The first of these, in the second minute of the game, was the work of Scott Chalmers-Stevens, with no assistance or hindrance from any of the other 21 players on the pitch. Eastbourne Town had a corner, on the right, as a reward for the first attack of the match from either side. Scottie Three Thumbs, under no pressure from an opponent, appeared to catch the ball comfortably, but then dropped it at the feet of centre-forward Scott McDonald, who knocked the ball in, from two yards out, for the easiest goal he’s ever likely to score. So not the start that Ashford were looking for, with such a makeshift defence, and in such an important game.
Maybe it was frustration at finding themselves behind the eight ball yet again, as much as the performance of the referee, but Ashford immediately became very argumentative, regularly showing dissent at the ref’s decisions. As early as the fourth minute, Nick Smith was given a lengthy reminder about who was actually in charge of the whistle, and, just three minutes later, Manager Steve Lovell was given a similar lecture. On ten minutes, it was Skipper Danny Lye and Ryan Briggs who had a joint telling-off – but neither was cautioned. The Manager wasn’t so fortunate, however, as he got himself “sent off” during the half time interval.
In contrast to the home side being gifted their two goals this afternoon, it must be said that Ashford replied with two beauties – Mark Lovell’s eventual late equaliser was a classic centre-forward’s headed goal, and the first, scored by Joe Fuller in the 17th minute, was the result of some classical wing play from Dan Scorer. Danny Lye lofted a high ball over the Eastbourne defence, for Dan to run on to, into the penalty area. The 18 year-old, who cunningly confused the opposition by wearing a No.5 shirt, took the ball to the by-line, before pulling it back to give Joe Fuller a tap-in from a similar distance to McDonald’s opener. This was Joe’s ninth goal of the season.
On a pitch that was soft and bumpy, the home side possibly had marginally the better of the first half, but didn’t trouble Scott Chalmers-Stevens unduly before the half-time interval. The nearest they came to retaking the lead in the first half was in the 24th minute, when centre-half Rhys Whybourne got up well, in a central position, to meet a free-kick taken from the left corner of the penalty area, but he headed wide. Ollie Rowe had a similar opportunity on about the half hour mark – the Town Hall clock which overlooks the ground chimed, just seconds later – after a corner, from the right, went all the way through to him at the far post, but he also put his header wide.
Ashford’s main direction of attack was down the left flank, with Dan Scorer looking particularly dangerous, and Danny Shearing lobbing in some long throw-ins from that side, but the closest the team playing in green & white came to scoring a second goal was when Ross Morley shot wide, across the face of goal, in the 37th minute.
Danny Lye was in inspirational form at the back, throwing himself into blocking shots and crosses, just as he had done at Whyteleafe the previous Saturday. He did particularly well in the 40th minute, when getting back to snuff out an Eastbourne break, with a well-timed interception.
It was particularly galling, therefore, when Assistant Manager Hugo Langton emerged from the dressing room after the half-time interval minus Steve Lovell and with Danny following him in a track-suit, clearly indicating that the skipper’s game was over. Another injury to add to the list ! Hugo replaced Lyesy with left-back Ryan Norman; Ryan took up a position on the left of the back three, with centre-forward Joe Fuller filling in at the centre of the defence.
Joe had some involvement in Eastbourne Town’s second goal, which came in the second minute of the second half. He let a harmless-looking ball from midfield go over his head, with his new defensive partner, Danny Shearing, seemingly in full control, and able to deal with the situation – which, no doubt, he was, until he completely lost his footing on the soft surface. With Danny flat on his back, Scott McDonald was left clean through on goal, with only Scott Chalmers-Stevens to beat, and he did so, easily, side-footing the ball into the net.
Ryan Briggs hit a long-range shot, in the 51st minute, which was dipping, but still went over the bar. Then, a minute later, Eastbourne Town Skipper Danny Simmonds, who played eight games for Ashford Town at the end of the 2005-6 season, picked the ball up in midfield, after Nick Smith had given it away, but his shot from outside the area also went over the bar. Smudger redeemed himself for this mistake, in the 69th minute, when he got back to head a dangerous cross behind for a corner. This was the culmination of a good move, down the right, by the home side, who showed on a few occasions that they could pass the ball around a bit. As the ball was swung towards the far post, it seemed that the Eastbourne player closing in had a simple task to head the ball home, to make it 3-1 – but Nick courageously got in before him.
In spite of being banished from the dug-out, Steve Lovell maintained sporadic contact with Hugo Langton by mobile ‘phone – and there was a familiar voice, with a Swansea lilt, to be heard from the terracing on the far side – but it is anybody’s guess as to how much Steve was actually influencing things by remote control. Anyway, the main tactical change for Ashford came in the 73rd minute, when Ronnie Dolan and Matt Newman replaced the battling Kevin Swaisland and the gallant Ross Morley, who had come into this game carrying an injury, and limped away very feelingly afterwards. This meant that Nick Smith joined Mark Lovell up front, in what was, by now, a more orthodox 4-4-2 system.
There was one more real scare for Ashford, in the 84th minute, but Rhys Whybourne blasted wide, from close range, after a goalmouth scramble. The visitors then got the equaliser they deserved, with just three minutes of normal time remaining. After a short period of sustained and determined pressure, during which Ashford had two throw-ins and a corner in the right corner of the ground, over by the cricket nets, substitute Matt Newman carried the ball towards the corner flag on the opposite side. He checked onto his right foot, and then delivered a curling cross into the Eastbourne penalty box, where Mark Lovell rose to head the ball powerfully downwards, past goalkeeper Russell Tanner, and into the net.
So it’s three 2-2 draws in succession for Ashford Town, which have enabled them to inch ever so slightly closer to Ryman League safety – with Chipstead losing this afternoon, they are now just seven points ahead of us, having played four games more. We are still rooted firmly to the bottom of the table, but remain unbeaten in 2010. More importantly, perhaps, the boys have shown that they are more than capable of picking up points against both the teams around us, and those in mid-table, so, with half of our league games still to play, (15 of the 21 being at home), there’s still all to play for.
There were two outstanding candidates for Man of the Match. Dan Scorer looks to be a player who has the ability to be a match-winner, with the ability to take defenders on, and supply a quality service to the strikers. His presence, on the left, today made a tremendous difference, but he did seem to drift out of the game for long periods, so the nod went to Joe Fuller, who showed great movement, with and without the ball, in his first-half striking role, and then did a solid job when replacing Danny Lye at the back, after the interval.
Man of the Match
(to go towards the Milton Keynes Bowl)
Joe Fuller
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