Grantham Town 4 Ashford Town 1
From Your Milton Keynes Correspondent
To use a topical term, there’s been a bit of a “wobble” at
The Homelands in recent weeks. Having appeared to turn a corner with three wins
in four games, Tim Thorogood’s boys have now managed to lose three on the
bounce, all at home. That’s not to say that there’s any major cause for alarm
in that, of course, as all three defeats have been at the hands of good sides :
Chatham Town (5th in the league and going well), top-of-the-table
Hastings Town and Ryman Div. 1 side Bromley (who usually beat us). The problem
lies in the fact that we could well be looking up both barrels of a sequence of
five straight beatings, with our next two games being away to third-placed
Grantham Town (today) and then at home to Chelmsford City, of the Premier
Division, in a cup game on Tuesday night. Whatever the circumstances or the
quality of the opposition, five losses in a row is never particularly good for
morale !
It also appears that we’ve made a right horlicks of the cups
this season. With first-hurdle defeats in the big two – the FA Cup and the FA
Trophy – our total cups home attendance (which is what is really important) for
this season stands at a paltry 275, with not a lot expected from the Doc Martens
League Cup and the Kent Senior Cup. Last year the total cups attendance was
956, and it was 1,731 the season before that (thanks mainly to the 826 who
turned up for the Woking game – we got stuffed 0-5, but it didn’t make any
difference to the gate receipts !).
[Whilst I’m boring you with numbers, this
season’s average league attendance at The Homelands stands at 253, which is
exactly the same as last season’s average – the season before that, the average
was 381. You can make what you like of those statistics !]
Anyway, back to the league, and a
potentially very difficult game at Grantham. Our opponents today are a fairly
big fish at non-league level, and are probably not enjoying their second season
at this lowly level, having been relegated from the Premier in the 1999-2000
season. I was a bit surprised that they didn’t really threaten to bounce
straight back up last season, but they seem to be getting their act together
this time, and have recently climbed to third in the division. There was every
expectation, however, that Ashford would put up a better show than they did in
the corresponding fixture last season, when a makeshift side comprised mainly
of youth team players and a few old men – this was in the very early days of
the Thorogood regime – was embarrassingly out-classed and out-gunned, 6-1.
(Those of you who download my reports, print them, frame them and then hang
them up in your lounge will be able to relive that gruesome event).
I was also determined not to do what I
did last time – I committed the cardinal sin of arriving late for the match
! (We were already one down when I
arrived, at 3.05pm, on that occasion). This time I took no chances – straight
up the A1, and we arrived with 25 minutes to spare.
It’s a nice, posh ground at Grantham –
shared with an athletics club, and situated in an industrial suburb of the town
– with an eight-lane running track around the pitch and a sizeable stand on
each side. The presence of the running track doesn’t create an atmosphere of
wind-swept expanse and abandonment like it does at Corby – maybe that second
stand and a few people coming to watch makes all the difference ! There’s just about everything in place here
for Conference football, which might explain the slightly inflated prices :
£5.50 to get in the ground (£6.50 to sit in the stand – sod that !) and £1.30
for a programme. I also got smooth-talked into paying 60p for a Grantham Town
fanzine – at least it’s all for a good cause !
And now for the team news, which was
relayed to the crowd using just about the worst PA system I have ever heard – I
swear that I was no more that five yards away from the bloke with the
microphone, and I didn’t understand a bloody word ! I managed to lip-read “Grantham Town this
afternoon”, and that was that ! Fortunately,
the gentleman handed the team sheet to me, so that I could scribble down the
details. Still didn’t help me much, though, as at least half the Ashford side
was made up of names that I’d never heard of before ! (I checked the name of the team at the top of
the sheet twice before I was convinced that it was “our lads” !).
So here it is : 1 John Whitehouse
(“Woodhouse” in the programme, but I knew who they meant), 2 Paul Hobbs
(actually one of two survivors from the side that was shellacked here last
time), 3 Ian Moss (who ?), 4 Peter Mortley (eh?), 5 Chris Curry, 6 Tony Eeles
(by far the most permanent fixture at the Club during the last four traumatic
seasons), 7 Ross White (wot ?), 8 Craig Rocastle (another new boy), 9 Trevor
Riddick (yet another), 10 Simon Elliott (returning after an absence of a couple
of games), 11 Aaron O’Leary (the other survivor of the Killing Fields of last
April). On the bench were dear old Jeff Ross (I conveniently overlook the fact
that Jeff’s actually about six years younger than me !), Smudger Smith and
Shauni Obini (the sixth completely new face).
Obviously, Tim has been busy this week,
and has, for the second time this season, drafted in a new batch of players en
masse. – and this time, as far as I could tell, they were fresh recruits;
not some old favourites coming back for a second spell at the club.
Furthermore, as there doesn’t seem to have been any inkling of new signings on
the web-site, it appears that all of the signings have been fairly recent. So
it was going to be interesting to see what sort of quality Tim has now brought
to The Homelands, although, with only five of the starting line-up having
started against Bromley last Saturday, it seemed unrealistic to expect such an
assortment of strangers to knit together straight away and give Grantham a
game.
[Of course, we can be sure that full
details of the recent signings will appear on this site before long.]
In the midst of all these new faces, it
was good to see a really old one – now George Sargeant really is old.
He used to work with my Dad, so I know that he must be at least 108. It was
good to see him carrying the bottles and the sponges on the Ashford bench, as
we hadn’t seen his familiar white hair in the past few games.
So Ashford kicked off, in traditional
green & white, with Grantham, rather than their usual Newcastle United
strip, looking more like Derby County, in white shirts, black shorts and black
socks. The game got off to a fairly scrappy start, with both sides taking time
to settle down. The first question, though, about the quality of our new
intake, was answered almost immediately, as they all looked the part. Ross
White looked particularly impressive, and was certainly our best player in the
first half. Playing fairly wide on the right in midfield – in John Nolan’s
position – he was confident in possession, and had the ability to skip past
players. Craig Rocastle also looked good, playing fairly deep in the centre of
midfield – strong and confident, and able to hold on to the ball well. A tall,
black lad, it’s only natural to wonder if he’s any relation to the late David
Rocastle. I’m sure that all will be revealed in due course. Trevor Riddick
played up front with Simon Elliott, so there was no place for Dave Hassett
today, and, once again, looked the part – he looked sharp and direct, and was
actually able to win plenty of ball in the air (which we’ve lacked in recent
games). I didn’t see much of Ian Moss at the back( he was on the other side of
the pitch to us), but Peter Mortley looked good in the centre of the defence
alongside young Chris Curry – Mortley’s a big, strong boy, with a Japp Stam
hair-cut. I don’t, I’m afraid, have any hot-line to the Ashford management, but
I got the distinct impression that these were all quality, ready-made
footballers, rather than being hopeful young reserve-team graduates or chancers
from the Kent League. Tim Thorogood has always said that he’s constantly on the
look-out for good players to be drafted in to strengthen the squad, and it
seems, at first sight, that he’s done the trick here.
Grantham, in stark contrast, had a
fairly familiar-looking side, with the danger probably coming from the usual
quarters : Lee Marshall providing the skill and class in midfield, with Gary
Bull and Rick Ranshaw being a handful up front. It was Bull, the one genuine
“name” in the Grantham side, who had the first chance in the match, in the
fourth minute. In fact, it was quite a decent chance, with Ranshaw’s knock-down
finding his team-mate right in front of goal, but Bull’s shot from point-blank
range was well saved by John Whitehouse. (Incidentally, John was wearing a pale
grey top with black shorts and black socks, so didn’t look very different to
the Grantham players, which caused me some confusion at corners !).
Two minutes later, it was Ashford’s turn
to mount an attack, with Ross White (he was playing for us, remember) picking
out Trevor Riddick (he was also on our side) with a cross-field ball. Riddick
laid the ball off into the path of Simon Elliott, who shot across the face of
goal from an acute angle. Riddick managed a shot on target himself after nine
minutes, after a solo effort, but the shot was rather tame, and straight at
Ziccardi in the Grantham goal.
After eleven minutes, we had a corner.
Aaron O’Leary, effectively playing wide on the left of midfield in the first
half, came over to the right to take the kick. The ball was flicked on at the
near post and headed back almost on the Grantham goal-line, but no Ashford head
was able to get the vital touch.
We had another corner after 18 minutes,
as a result of Rocastle’s tame shot being deflected. This time it was skipper
Tony Eeles who took the kick, from the right; Trevor Riddick rose well above
the defence, but his header went even higher, over the bar.
The action was at the other end two
minutes later, when Eeles was caught in possession for the second time in the
match, by Gary Bull. Bull laid the ball off to Lee Marshall, whose shot was
just wide of the post, although John Whitehouse didn’t seem too worried by it
in the Ashford goal.
The play had been fairly even to this
point, with both pairs of strikers looking lively, without creating many
clear-cut chances, but the home side opened the scoring in the 23rd
minute. The problem began for Ashford when Peter Mortley was adjudged to have
fouled Ranshaw from behind, just on the corner of the penalty area. The goal
was simplicity itself, (rather worryingly simple, actually). Dave Gilbert,
Grantham’s No.11, floated the ball over for big centre-half Adrian Speed to
rise unchallenged and plant the ball into the net. John Whitehouse had no
chance, and didn’t even move.
Grantham were on the attack again after
27 minutes, with Gary Bull getting the wrong side of Chris Curry down the right
flank – Chris did the only honourable thing in the circumstances, and bundled
Bull over, to concede a free-kick. It could’ve been expensive, though – when
the free-kick was taken from near the right touch-line, our defence was again
all at sea with the cross. Again it was Speed with a free header in the box,
flicking the ball on to Darren Dye in the centre, but Dye’s header this time
went straight to John Whitehouse.
After 33 minutes, Aaron O’Leary, who
seems to be improving with every game, started an attack down the left. Eventually
the cross came in from Craig Rocastle, and was allowed to pass all the way
through the penalty area, with Riddick in hot pursuit, but went harmlessly by
for a goal-kick.
Ashford were certainly pressing hard for
an equaliser at this point, and a period of sustained pressure resulted in a
corner after 36 minutes. Again, O’Leary came across to the right to take the
corner, but it was an easy catch for Ziccardi, who immediately released a
“Route One” ball upfield. Ranshaw beat Paul Hobbs for pace, and kept possession
in spite of Paul’s best efforts to foul him. Ranshaw’s lob over the advancing
Whitehouse ruffled the back of the net, but, fortunately, was just the wrong
side of the bar, many Grantham fans from the opposite end of the ground
thinking that it had gone in.
Hobbs was actually having a difficult
match, as many of Grantham’s attacks were directed at the right-back position –
although he looked more at home at right-back than he had in the centre of
defence at Spalding – and it was from Grantham’s left side that their second
goal came, after 41 minutes. Left-back Darren Dye crossed long to the far post,
where Gary Bull slid in low to head past John Whitehouse.
So the boys found themselves 0-2 down at
half-time – that seemed a little unjust at the time, but, on reflection, the
Grantham ‘keeper hadn’t had a shot to save, and the home side had put
themselves in control with two very well-taken goals.
Apart from a cup of tea and a Mars bar,
the half-time interval was noteworthy only for the announcement of the day’s
attendance – 301. I reckon that must’ve been a disappointment for the home side
– the corresponding gate last year was 361, and the season was then virtually
over for them.
Ashford also made a tactical
substitution during the break – Jeff Ross came on in place of new-boy Ian Moss,
to give us some width up front on the left, with Aaron O’Leary dropping back
into a more orthodox left-back position. Curiously, Tim made a second
substitution only three minutes into the second half, with a sixth new face,
Shauni Obini, replacing the beleaguered Paul Hobbs. Once again, it looks like
we’ve got a quality addition to the squad – Obini is a strong and stocky target
man, who holds the ball up well. He immediately went up front to accompany Simon
Elliott and Trevor Riddick.
But it was Grantham who had the first
chance after the restart, on the 52 minute mark. Centre-forward Rick Ranshaw
committed a foul, but somehow had the decision go his way; the free-kick to the
right of Ashford’s penalty area was quickly taken, but O’Leary came across to
cover at the near post, putting the ball behind for a corner. It really
should’ve been 3-0, as the cross found Grantham’s Brendon McDaid totally
unmarked in the six-yard box, with John Whitehouse rooted to the spot, but the
header somehow went wide.
We were finding it hard to get out of
our own half at this point, but, after 55 minutes, we at last got the ball wide
on the left to Jeff Ross. Rossy’s flat cross found Tony Eeles just outside the
penalty area, and the skipper swivelled and shot well over the bar.
A minute later the home side went
further ahead, with the best goal of the game. It was a flowing, one-touch move
down the left-hand side, which ended with a cross finding McDaid in the middle,
who side-footed firmly past Whitehouse. Three - nil.
Two minutes later, the visitors tried to
hit back, and Tony Eeles did well to earn a free-kick on the left side of the
Grantham half. The cross, taken by Jeff Ross, was readily headed clear,
whereupon Ross White blasted well over the bar – it was one fairly ropey moment
in what was otherwise a very impressive club debut by the shaven-headed White.
Ashford hardly had time to regroup, as
Grantham broke down the left, straight from the goal-kick, with Stuart Wilson.
Wilson’s cross-cum-shot was allowed to run all the way through the Ashford
penalty area, and just crept in off the far post.
That made it four goals to nil, with
still about half an hour to go, and our boys briefly looked very ragged and
dispirited. A very poor kick-out by John Whitehouse – whose kicking was
generally fairly poor throughout the match - soon after the fourth goal didn’t
help matters, the ball going tamely out for a throw-in, inviting howls of
derision from the home fans. In the circumstances, with a landslide a distinct
possibility, it was probably just as well for our new-look side that Grantham
appeared to declare at four-without-loss !
On the 62 minute mark, the home team felt relaxed enough to make a
double-substitution, replacing Darren Dye and playmaker Lee Marshall, who had
had one of his less influential games. A minute later, Tim Thorogood made
Ashford’s third substitution, throwing on the ever-popular Steve Smith in place
of Trevor Riddick.
After 65 minutes, we were on the attack,
with Jeff Ross probing (rather slowly, it has to be said) down the left.
Unsurprisingly, his attempted cross was blocked, but, at least, he won a
corner. Tony “Miss Machine” Eeles took the kick, and his cross fell to Pete
Mortley, six yards out, and his shot forced Mario Ziccardi to at last make his
first save of the game. Another corner. Again, Eelesy took the kick, and once
again found Mortley in the six yard box, but he volleyed, from almost
point-blank range, just over the bar.
Eeles generally had another fairly quiet
game, but he was in action again two minutes later, dribbling towards the home
side’s penalty area, only to be brought down; (he actually played for the
free-kick a little, but it paid off, so all credit to him). He took the kick –
in “Beckham Country” – himself, but curled his shot over the bar.
So three chances in as many minutes for
the boys, to show that they had resisted the urge to collapse completely. In
fact, we probably played some of our best football of the match during this
period, as if there was a conscious effort being made to lay some foundations
for the future by developing some kind of understanding. There were definite
signs of a pattern of play emerging, and the team genuinely applied pressure on
the home side – unusual for a team trailing 4-0 away from home !
[After 72 minutes, my wife dozed off
– it wasn’t the greatest of games, and was never much of a contest, but it
wasn’t that bad !]
In spite of Ashford’s brief spell of
ascendancy, Grantham’s defence held firm, and showed who were the guv’nors
after 73 minutes, with a fast, flowing, cross-field move which looked as if it
was going to put them further ahead. Fortunately for the boys, though, the move
ended with Stuart Wilson shooting across the face of the goal.
The visitors continued to play some good
football, with no end product, so it was a little ironic that the consolation
goal, when it came, actually came out of nothing. Even more ironic was the
identity of the goal-scorer : in a match where Tim Thorogood had introduced six
quality new recruits it was local-boy Steve Smith, in and out of the team for
several months under different managers, and once again in danger of being
marginalised, who did the trick. A long, hopeful ball out of our half seemed to
be an easy mop-up job for the Grantham defence, but Smudger gamely chased the
lost cause, shrugging off the defender and gaining possession of the ball near
the by-line, to the left of goal. Switching the ball onto his left foot, Smith
deftly curled the ball over the ‘keeper and into the net. Do you want a
hat-trick of ironies ? The goal was very
nearly a carbon-copy of the goal that Smithy scored in the corresponding match
last season : same end, same position, same curling finish, and once again no more
than a consolation in the face of a caning !
It was the striker’s first goal since September the 22nd, but
he’s still comfortably the Club’s top scorer this season, with seven goals, and
continued his excellent scoring record.
By now, the home side had just about
switched off – star player Gary Bull was substituted with just eleven minutes
of normal playing time to go – but Ashford still pressed forward looking for a
second. On 81 minutes, however, it was Grantham who broke dangerously, with
Stuart Wilson “on the overlap”, and unmarked, on the right. Ross White charged
across to cover, and lunged in with one of those “I’ve got to make this one”
tackles – unfortunately, he mistimed the tackle, so, being fully committed,
made the foul look worse than it really was. Nevertheless, he was pretty late
by the time he got there, and it looked a bad foul – bad enough to earn him a
yellow card.
With 89 minutes on the clock, there was
still time for Ashford to score, and Smith, Eeles and Jeff Ross combined in a move
which culminated in Ross carrying the ball into the penalty area, from the
left. Again, he made rather ponderous progress, and the defence easily blocked
the attempted cross, putting the ball behind for a corner. Ross recently
returned to the Club with a towering reputation as an excellent crosser of the
ball – in the two games I’ve seen him play in now (OK, so it’s a small sample
!), he clearly doesn’t have enough pace left to enable him to go past
defenders, but he really needs to get those crosses in quicker if he’s going to
be at all effective. Skipper Tony Eeles took the corner, and did all he could
be expected to do in putting the ball almost under the Grantham crossbar, but
the cross was easily headed clear – and that was just about the last action of
the game.
So the lads duly made it a fourth
successive defeat – with, as I’ve already mentioned, the prospect of taking on
Chelmsford on Tuesday night to try to prevent five-in-a-row – and a fairly
comprehensive one at that. The message to give to the Ashford faithful out
there, however, is that too much shouldn’t be read into the bare results, or
the lowly league position – the players that Tim has just brought in look real
quality, so the future’s looking very bright. I’ll probably make a fool of myself
if it turns out that the new players have been drafted in from Herne Bay and
Bromley Green, but I’ll stick my neck out by saying that Ross White looked a
particularly classy act, and it was a sight for sore eyes to see a player like
young Rocastle performing in a green & white shirt.
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