Ashford United v Tunbridge Wells. Kent Senior Trophy Second Round. 29th of December 2012.

Ashford United  2       Tunbridge Wells   3

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

Ashford United’s final fixture of 2012 was a Kent Senior Trophy Second Round tie against local Kent rivals Tunbridge Wells – an eagerly awaited match-up that had already been postponed twice due to the unusually wet weather that the whole country has been experiencing recently. Hopes were high that the pitch would be playable, after Homelands had staged Ashford’s 7-2 pasting of Lydd Town on Boxing Day, just three days previously. However, the go-ahead that was given early on Saturday morning was far from a formality, with there being some concern as to the safety of under-foot conditions. As it turned out, Steve Hackett’s pitch, which looked a picture, as ever, with barely a blade of grass missing, presented no problems.

 

This first-ever Kent Senior Trophy tie to be played at Homelands was a welcome distraction from Ashford’s Kent Invicta League campaign, after a run of seven consecutive league games. It also provided the home side with a fifth opportunity this season to be measured up against Step 5 opposition. So far, the record had been defeats at the hands of two solid mid-table Sussex County League sides, in Lingfield and St Francis Rangers, and victories away to the Kent Premier League’s Deal Town and Holmesdale, (who currently lie ninth and 15^th, respectively).

 

In spite of the latter two encouraging results, it was expected that Tunbridge Wells would provide a sterner test. Although Wells were no higher than eighth in the table, this morning, and a respectful 14 points adrift of second-placed Erith Town, today’s visitors have looked a formidable cup side, this season, particularly in the FA Vase. A very important upcoming date for them will be a last-32 home tie against last season’s Vase winners, Dunston UTS, which is a massive game, coming up on the 19^th of January. In addition, Wells have won the Kent Senior Trophy on four occasions, most recently in 2006 and 2011.

 

A major boost for Ashford United fans was the availability of leading goal scorer Mo Takaloo, after a three-game suspension – although Manager Paul Chambers started Mo on the bench, possibly being influenced by the fact that the team had managed to score seven in his absence, last time, with Boxing Day’s striking duo of Gary Mickelborough and Sam Conlon having scored four between them. Roy Guiver was also absent due to suspension, sitting out the second of two games – but seemed happy enough with a pint in his hand, in the bar. The other notable absentee for Ashford was Dan Morrison, who might be out for up to two months, with a hamstring injury.

 

Those on parade, today, were Joe Mant, in goal, behind a back three of Ben Jordan, Luke Cuthbert and Lee Coburn; Liam Whiting, Richard Quigley, Adam Cuthbert, Ollie Finch and Kieran Byrne in midfield, and Sam Conlon and Gary Mickelborough up front. On the bench, alongside Mo Takaloo, were youngsters Jamie Collado, Jordan Wright and Tom Scorer, plus reserve goalie Tom Carr.

 

Tunbridge Wells lined up as, in number order, Chris Oladogba, Jason Bourne, Stuart Thorley, Jason Barton, Scott Whibley, Perry Spackman, John Pilbeam, Keelan Mooney, Jack Harris, Carl Cornell and Josh Stanford. So neither of Wells’ former Ashford Town favourites, Joe Fuller or Richard Sinden, started the game, today – although Sinders was on the bench, and, of course, it was a welcome return to Homelands for TWFC Manager Martin Larkin, who previously did such a good job as Manager of Ashford Town Reserves.

 

Visiting goalie Chris Oladogba needed a last-minute wardrobe adjustment, having to slip a white T-shirt over his yellow kit, once it became clear that the home side was to play in the yellow & green away kit. (With Tunbridge Wells in their usual all-red strip, it looked rather like Norwich City v Liverpool, out there).

 

Given that the visitors are far and away the best supported team in the Kent League Premier Division, and there were several matches involving Kent clubs postponed, this afternoon, including those of Hythe Town, Folkestone Invicta and Sittingbourne, the attendance of 222 was slightly disappointing – and, coincidentally, the same as for the Lydd game, on Boxing Day.

 

Some sensitive souls might have been deterred by the weather. It was not particularly cold, for the time of year, but the stiff breeze and the light rain made conditions not particularly pleasant. The clouds of horizontal drizzle, under heavy, overcast skies, were plain to see in the floodlights, which were switched on from the start of the match. Ashford played into this drenching wind, which came from over the golf course, in the first half.

 

It took just seconds for the visitors to reveal what appeared to be their most potent weapon, almost immediately funnelling the ball out to No.11 Josh Stanford, who looked to be a skilful winger. He immediately gave the impression of being a potential handful for the Ashford defence – and this first impression was not wrong !  The visitors did not, however, have their first sight of goal until the sixth minute, when Keelan Mooney tried an optimistic shot from long range, which was always going wide. Almost immediately, Ashford had a chance at the opposite end. The Wells defence was surprisingly slow to react to a long ball from the heart of the home side’s defence, and Sam Conlon latched onto this before goalkeeper Oladogba. Having beaten the goalie, and the defence, to the ball, Conlon probably should have steered the ball into the empty net, but he put his shot wide. Nevertheless, Sam worked tirelessly throughout the ninety minutes, and his pace was as likely as anything that Ashford possessed to trouble the Wells defence.

 

In the ninth minute, Kieran Byrne showed good pace himself, charging down the left wing, in splendid isolation, but with only Gary Mickelborough to aim at in the middle. Disappointingly, Kieran planted the ball straight into the arms of the ‘keeper.

 

The early exchanges were characterised by both sides launching plenty of long balls – some of them aimless – and the home side’s next chance came in the form of another shot from long range. Liam Whiting has made a name for himself, during his time with Ashford, as a scorer of spectacular, long-range goals, and had produced another screamer, on Boxing Day – but this time his low shot was well saved by the competent-looking Chris Oladogba, who got down well at the near post. A minute later, Josh Stanford played the ball into Jack Harris, in the Ashford penalty area, and Harris went to ground under a challenge, but won no more than a corner. This was taken by Jon Pilbeam, on the left, playing it short to Perry Spackman, at the near post. Spackman played the ball back to Pilbeam, and then connected with Pilbeam’s cross with a looping header, which went well over the bar.

 

In the 24^th minute, Josh Stanford played an inch-perfect, diagonal ball into the path of Carl Cornell, deep inside the Ashford area. This appeared to be typical of the work of Martin Larkin’s side, and the Ashford defence had to constantly be aware of this threat. On this occasion, Joe Mant did well to swiftly come out to smother the danger. A minute later, Keelan Mooney picked up a clearance from Oladogba, and put an excellent through-ball into the path of Cornell – and it was Lee Coburn, this time, who was there with the saving tackle.

 

Both sides gave the ball away more often than the respective managers will have liked, and there was not much to choose between the two sides, in the first half. The visitors looked dangerous when having the ball in advanced areas, moving the ball quickly, and looking to pick their passes carefully. Ashford showed some good passing movements, from time to time, but mostly in midfield, with little threat on the Tunbridge Wells goal. The home side had a half-chance in the 29^th minute, when Oladogba came for a free-kick, taken from the far touchline, but never looked like getting there. The ball fell to Luke Cuthbert, who side-footed his shot well over the bar. Ashford had another opportunity from a free-kick, in the 34^th minute, after a good move had ended with Lee Coburn being flattened by Stuart Thorley. Kieran Byrne, who has been known to score direct from a free-kick, aimed a low, hard shot, which beat the red defensive wall, but the ‘keeper once again got down well, to save. Liam Whiting managed a diagonal shot, from long range, in the 39^th minute, but his effort went wide.

 

As the breeze dropped noticeably, towards the end of the half, Tunbridge Wells took the lead, and it was rather against the run of play. In the 42^nd minute, a long, cross-field ball was slightly too long for Josh Stanford, at the far post, but the left-winger had enough desire to retrieve the ball before it went out of play. He found Carl Cornell, in the Ashford area, who smashed the ball into the net, from close range.

 

With a minute remaining in the first half, Gary Mickelborough connected with a cross from the left, but his weak header was easily gathered by the ‘keeper – so Ashford trooped off, at the interval, a little unfortunate to be a goal down.

 

Whereas the visitors’ best work in the first 45 minutes had tended to come from the left, Wells opened the second half with a threat from the right, through Jon Pilbeam, (who was later named, on the Wells web-site, as their Player of the Match). Pilbeam whipped in a hard, low cross, along the Ashford six-yard line, but two red-shirted players converging on the Ashford goal failed to make a connection.

 

Ashford continued to press forward, but, in truth, looked less threatening up front in the (continued) absence of Mo Takaloo, and also appeared to miss the aerial presence of Roy Guiver at set pieces. There was an opportunity, however, in the 51^st minute, when a deep cross from the right was well met by Liam Whiting. He headed the ball into the centre of the area, where Sam Conlon attempted an ambitious overhead kick, which was always going up and over the bar.

 

Shortly after Scott Whibley had headed a Tunbridge Wells corner over the bar, at the near post, in the 57^th minute, Sam Conlon had a much clearer chance – the best that Ashford had had, to date. He latched onto a long ball from the Ashford back four, using his pace to sprint clear of the visitors’ defence – but his shot, with the outside of his right foot, was always curling wide of the far post. The constant threat posed by this Tunbridge Wells side was once again demonstrated, as play was quickly switched to the other end. The Ashford defence appeared stretched, as a slick and measured passing movement found Jon Pilbeam in the penalty area, but his shot was blocked.

 

Just past the hour-mark, Kieran Byrne was replaced by Jamie Collado, as Paul Chambers made the first of his three substitutions. It was a surprise switch, as Kieran had played well, and had pushed well forward, on the left, during the second half – but it was good to see Jamie having a decent opportunity for the first team.

 

In spite of the change, it was not long before the Tunbridge Wells lead was doubled. The home side continued to press forward, and had a free-kick, near the Wells by-line, in the 64^th minute. This rather resembled a short corner in hockey – but the chip into the goal mouth was cleared. Two minutes later, an Ashford corner, again from the right, led to another quick break by Wells, who very soon had a two v two situation. Ashford were again indebted to the alertness of a defender, as Luke Cuthbert put the ball behind for a corner, (but only just wide of Joe Mant’s left-hand post). Martin Larkin substituted Jack Harris with Richard Sinden – five goals for Ashford Town and Ashford United, between 2005 and 2011, but at a rate of a goal every 3.25 games – before the resulting corner could be taken, and the shaven-headed No.15 had a hand in his team’s second goal. Joe Mant looked a little vulnerable beneath the initial cross, just managing to get finger tips to the ball. Josh Stanford picked up possession on the far side of the pitch, and carried the ball cross-field, with a diagonal run. He fed Sinden, in the area, who laid the ball out wide. The resulting cross was headed down, into the net, by Carl Cornell, and it was 0-2.

 

The second Wells goal was timed at 69 minutes, and, a minute later, Paul Chambers finally introduced Mo Takaloo into the game, replacing Richard Quigley. This was a signal that the home side was not just going to roll over, with a shrug of the shoulders, and accept defeat – and this was one of several positive things to emerge from this match.

 

I don’t think Mo Tak will claim to have played a major part in Ashford’s first goal, which came in the 73^rd minute, but it was his first touch of the game which started the move which led to Ashford having two players over, on the right side of the visitors’ penalty area. A diagonal ball found the wider of these two, who sent in a low, hard cross, which Gary Mickelborough bundled in, from point-blank range. This was no more than Gary deserved, as he had worked hard and held the ball well, leading the line with Sam Conlon.

 

The home side’s next chance came in the 77^th minute, and this came as a result of goalkeeper Chris Oladogba making a complete hash of a goal-kick. He fluffed the ball to the nearest player – which was one Mohammed Takalobighashi – and it seemed odds-on that Mo would now equalise. He took the ball on for a few strides, but then surprised most people by shooting early – but Oladogba still had to make an excellent save, diving to his left, to prevent the ball from nestling in the bottom corner of the net.

 

In the 79^th minute, a shot from Tunbridge Wells’ Jason Barton, from outside the penalty area, was deflected wide, by an Ashford head, for a corner. A minute later, a great long ball from deep inside the Ashford half, by Liam Whiting, was well controlled by Sam Conlon, inside the visitors’ area, but the ball was taken off his toes, and put behind for a corner. In the 83^rd minute, it was Gary Mickelborough’s turn to have the ball nicked from him, when in a good position, in the area, but Ashford were not to be denied their equaliser. The resulting corner was whipped into the goal mouth, with pace, and was thumped into the net with what looked to be a great header. Eventually, the PA system announced that this was an own goal – and, later, this was “credited” to Jason Barton.

 

So Ashford were deservedly level, and the prospect of Extra Time, and maybe settling the tie with “kicks from the penalty mark”, became a distinct possibility.

 

Just a minute later, and the impressive Jon Pilbeam attacked the Ashford defence through the inside-right channel – and Liam Whiting did well to put the ball behind for a corner. The resulting attempted cross was a poor one, and the first man at the near post, Adam Cuthbert, was easily able to side-foot the ball clear. But Adam wasn’t finished. He chased the ball towards the touchline in front of the main stand, won a tackle, and then put Sam Conlon clean through on goal – but Sam was flagged offside.

 

Disappointingly, for the home crowd, having done the hard work by coming back from a two-goal deficit, against higher-league opposition, Ashford conceded a goal with just two minutes of normal time remaining. It might have been due to a lapse in concentration among the home defence, but the Ashford left looked very exposed, as Richard Sinden found Jon Pilbeam in plenty of space. The Wells No.7 had a free run on the Ashford goal, and could probably almost see the whites of Joe Mant’s eyes as he slotted the ball home, to make it 2-3. Paul Chambers’ immediate reaction was to replace Ollie Finch with Tom Scorer, but it made no difference, as Tunbridge Wells had secured a Quarter-Final tie, at home to Cray Valley Paper Mills, in a last-eight that lacks any Kent Invicta League teams, (which is slightly surprising, given Hollands & Blair’s heroics in winning the Trophy last season).

 

At this point, there were probably more positives than negatives to be taken from the game for the home side, in spite of the team’s efforts ending in defeat, and elimination from the last of the season’s cup competitions. The boys showed good spirit to come back from two goals down, both Gary Mickelborough and Sam Conlon looked the part, up front, and there rarely looked to be a whole division between the home side and what is certainly one of the better sides in the Kent Premier League. However, there was to be one major negative to come, as the game moved into the little time that needed to be added for stoppages. The influential Ben Jordan launched into a typically whole-hearted challenge, which the young ref, who generally had a very good game, had no hesitation in interpreting as being dangerous – so he produced a red card from his pocket, and Ben now joins Liam Whiting in waiting to begin a suspension for being sent off. Both players will be sorely missed, for however long they are going to be absent, as Ashford now focus their attention on gaining promotion, in what remains of the league campaign.

Bridon Ropes v Ashford United. Kent Invicta League. 29th of September 2012.

Bridon Ropes   1                 Ashford United 1

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

 

Today, we had a trip to South London. By “we” I mean me and my note-book – Mrs Milton Keynes Correspondent “doesn’t do” public transport, and this afternoon’s plan was to travel from Milton Keynes Central Rail Station, (the other “MKC”), to Charlton Station, in the London Borough of Greenwich. This was for Ashford United’s seventh Kent Invicta League game of the 2012-13 season, away to tenth-placed Bridon Ropes, who ground-share with Meridian FC at the Meridian Sports & Social Club.

 

It was a bright, sunny, late-September day, and, with dry weather and a temperature of 15ºC forecast, we ventured forth without a coat – probably for the final time before the Autumn really sets in.

 

There is something magical about Saturday afternoons in the football season. Little tribes of people marching off to temples of various sizes, all over the kingdom. In years gone by, it was possible to play the game of “spot the footy car” whilst driving down the M1, guessing which match each overloaded car with a scarf flying from the window was travelling to. That’s largely a thing of the past, now – rather like standing for the National Anthem in the cinema – as it appears to be a dying practice. Today was more about anticipating which fans I might share my Virgin train carriage, or tube train, with.

 

A glance at the fixture lists, and the 3pm kick-offs, revealed the prospect of Manchester City fans travelling down to Fulham, Accrington aficionados descending on Wimbledon, and – uh oh – hoards of Blackburn Rovers fans converging, en masse, on Charlton Station, on the way to The Valley, which is just the equivalent of a punt up-field from the station. It would be interesting to see how many followers of the now-managerless Rovers I would see making the journey South from Blackburn, (which is, lest we forget, a town only marginally more populous than Ashford).

 

The first indication that it was Saturday afternoon came, actually on the stroke of noon, when I arrived at Milton Keynes Central, when I was met by a handful of men and women wearing red, white and black scarves – MK Dons were at home to Crewe Alexandra, today, and I was very happy to be travelling in the opposite direction ! 

 

After the now-familiar drag down to London, the shared footballing experience continued when I spotted a man in a Fulham shirt going through Euston Station. Soon after, I heard drunken chanting from some Man City fans on the underground – which always makes me feel proud to be British !  I then sat next to a girl with very large breasts, as I travelled on the Northern Line towards London Bridge. I cannot provide an estimate of her bra size, as it’s not my area of expertise, but it looked like hat size eight-and-three-quarters, twice, to me. (There’s an obvious dirty joke, here, concerning the Bakerloo Line, but I won’t bother with it).

 

The next football fans I saw were at Charlton Station, and all of them were clad in red – so no sign of the masses of Blackburn fans that I expected to be jostling with, nor was there any silent vigil held by the Steve Kean Appreciation Society, (although that was always an unlikely prospect). However, there was a wonderful, big-match buzz about the place, which I felt as soon as I stepped off the train. Football humanity thronged the platforms and the street outside, and there were police officers standing quietly by, some of them on horseback. This was Saturday afternoon – but not as I usually experience it.

 

I briefly fantasised about the Police presence being there in anticipation of the arrival of the Ashford United faithful – but this didn’t last long, as I spilt out onto Charlton Church Lane, with the rest of the shuffling herd. After just a few yards, the main crowd turned left, into a side road that led straight to the big stadium, and I soon found myself walking, not just up a steep incline, but also against the flow of red Charlton Athletic shirts.

 

Again, I was perfectly happy to be going against the flow – as that’s what we non-league fans do, isn’t it ?  I’ve never been lucky enough to visit The Valley, but I should imagine that it’s a facility that is the diametric opposite to what I was soon to find at Meridian Sports & Social Club. But no matter. Supporting a team at this level isn’t a lifestyle choice. I’ve actually rather considered it to be more of a curse – but one I’ve always been happy to live with.

 

I was finally able to stop dodging the shoal of red & white coming towards me, when I turned eastwards, into Canberra Road. I was now very much in South London’s Suburbia, with some expensive-looking semi-detached houses on the right-hand side of the road, looking out onto an immense playing field, in which three football matches were already underway, but there was room for a few more. As Canberra Road merged into Charlton Park Road, there were now open playing fields on both sides. Our appointment today was at the Meridian S&SC, on the right.

 

The ground was pretty much as I had been led to expect. The site is dominated by a very large, partially whitewashed building – I’ve never seen the inside of a sports club of this nature, but I presume that it houses all sorts of equipment and facilities for a range of sports, (but probably not roulette, which is the only ball game that might interest me). The adjacent, outdoor facilities for football – and there were three matches simultaneously taking place here, this afternoon – were unashamedly basic. It’s a pitch with a rail around it, with a goal at each end and two small dug-outs on one side. I have to say, however, that the pitch looked good – well manicured, and with just a slight slope from one end to the other. I should also point out, in fairness, that there was a distinct absence of turnstiles here, so that admission was, in effect, free – but many of the visiting fans purchased a programme for £2.

 

Ashford United, in their Norwich City yellow & green, played down the gentle gradient in the first half, with the starting line-up being pretty much as expected. Joe Mant was in goal, ahead of the back three of Guiver, Coburn and Jordan. Danny Morrison, having been singled out by Manager Paul Chambers for special praise during the week, retained his place as one of the wing-backs, as well as Luke Cuthbert. The midfield trio was Ollie Finch (the skipper), Adam Cuthbert and Liam Whiting, with Mo Takaloo and Gary Mickelborough up front. The subs were Sam Fisher, Sam Conlon, Matt Hadlum and Tom Scorer, (who was a very welcome sight).

 

There was no team sheet posted for Bridon Ropes, so, having paid my two quid for the programme, and being disinclined to knock on the dressing room door for confirmation, I’m taking the home side’s team and shirt numbers as published in the programme to be an accurate guide to reality, for the purposes of this report.

 

The talk in mid-week, prior to this match, had been about two 100% records, namely Ashford United’s opening run of the season of six straight league wins, and Mo Takaloo’s admirable record of having scored in all six of them. Both of these perfect records, (inevitably, I suppose), came to grief in the South London sunshine, this afternoon – but there was no sign of this happening during the first 15 minutes or so of the match.

 

After Bridon’s Nick Dunsdon had hit a long-range shot straight at goalkeeper Joe Mant, in the second minute, Liam Whiting had a good opportunity, just a minute later. Mo Takaloo controlled the ball well, and tried to turn, with the ball breaking to Liam, who side-footed wide of the post. However, the visitors soon took the lead, in the seventh minute – and this involved the first of several touches of comedy in the game, (most of which were provided by the officials !). Ollie Finch took a free-kick, from a couple of yards inside The Ropes’ half. He floated his kick deep, into the area. A hapless defender got an unconvincing head to the ball, almost heading it into his own net. Goalkeeper Michael Manchester looked to get a slight touch on the ball, as it hit the angle of post and bar, and then landed at the feet of Gary Mickelborough, who smashed it into the net.

 

So a good start for Ashford, and there were early signs that the forward combination of Gary Mick and Mo Takaloo was going to cause the home defence plenty of problems. In the eleventh minute, Gary flicked the ball to Mo, who scuffed a weak shot wide of the post. Seconds later, it was Gary who ran onto a through-ball, but his angled shot went wide of the far post.

 

Bridon Ropes did get the ball to the by-line, in the 16^th minute, but a good chance was squandered, as Ben Williams headed a chipped cross over the bar. However, the first real sign of the day beginning to turn against Ashford United came in the 18^th minute, when Dan Morrison sent out a distress signal to the bench, with what looked to be a hamstring injury. He was replaced by the very capable Matt Hadlum, a minute later, but not before he was obliged to chase after a ball that actually went out for a throw-in – which must’ve done his hammie a power of good !  Matt took up a position over on the Ashford right, (whereas Danny had been operating on the left).

 

In the 21^st minute, Gary Mickelborough ran onto a long ball, launched from a defensive situation, and played a diagonal ball that was just too far in front of Mo Takaloo, and a defender put the ball out for a corner. From the resulting cross, Roy Guiver rose well, at the far post, but put his header wide. At that precise moment, a roar was heard, close by. Presumably, Charlton Athletic had just taken the lead !

 

In spite of the early lead, Ashford didn’t really take control of the game, and Bridon Ropes were beginning to come back into it. In the 24^th minute, the home side, in all blue, had a corner on the left. This was taken short, and a through-ball found Sam Fullilove, in the area. His shot was blocked, for another corner. This time, the ball was delivered into the heart of the Ashford box, and this caused an almighty scramble, with the ball becoming lodged under a Ropes player’s legs, at one point. Finally, an Ashford defender’s clearance hit another Ashford player, and bounced up into Joe Mant’s hands.

 

In the 29^th minute, there was an incident that swung the game decidedly in the home side’s favour. Ollie Finch jumped in with a tackle with both feet off the ground, and caught his opponent very badly, if the injured party’s reaction was anything to go by. There was nothing intentionally nasty about the challenge, and it was not one of those where the player has both feet together, and studs showing. Ollie went for the ball with one foot, and caught his opponent with the other – but he was not in control, once he had both feet off the ground. It was one of those tackles that draws a red card nine times out of ten, on the telly, and, after waiting for several minutes whilst the stricken player was being treated, Referee Waters sent Ollie off.

 

Ashford United then endured a period of considerable uncertainty, leading up to half time. In the 32^nd minute, the defence gave the ball straight to Leighton Thomas, who was now clean through on goal, but his shot lacked conviction, and Joe Mant was able to make an easy save. A minute later, Bridon’s Dean Walker tripped Luke Cuthbert, for what was an automatic yellow card, but certainly no more – but this had the Ashford bench howling for a red card, which set the tone for the visitors’ attitude towards the officials for the remainder of the game.

 

In the 39^th minute, a good cross from the left was headed wide by Jamie Williams, with Joe Mant rooted to the spot, just watching and hoping. Three minutes later, a cross from the Bridon right, this time, eluded one Ropes player, but was met by Williams, who came sliding in at the far post, and Joe had to make a good save. The visitors desperately needed the half-time whistle, and, with a minute to go to the scheduled break, Ricky Hepburn had a long-range shot deflected wide, for a corner. Ashford continued to hang on, repelling a succession of crosses, as Bridon Ropes finished the half strongly. With 46 minutes on my watch, Leighton Thomas had a weak shot straight at Joe Mant – before both teams retired to the Clubhouse with Ashford leading by one goal to nil.

 

Paul Chambers had an important 15 minutes in which to reorganise and galvanise the team – and when the second half began, it was very clear to see that Chambo had decided to hold on to what he had, and sent the team out with Mo Takaloo up front as a lone striker. It was questionable as to how long the visitors could hang on, being a man short. The answer was that the Ashford lead lasted for just another nine minutes, but the equaliser resulted from a very innocuous incident. Adam Cuthbert – who looked the best footballer on the pitch – faced up to the ball as a Bridon Ropes player attempted to send in a cross. The ball struck Adam on the arm, from very close range, and the referee immediately pointed to the penalty spot. Adam’s arm was slightly away from his body, as he turned away from the ball, so the decision was technically correct – but there was no imminent danger to the Ashford goal, so it seemed a very soft penalty to concede. Nick Dunsdon made no mistake from the spot, sending Joe Mant the wrong way.

 

Ashford became a little more enterprising after the equalising goal, and things were fairly even for the remainder of the game, with half-chances coming at both ends. In the 59^th minute, Mr Waters awarded Ashford a free-kick, for hand-ball. This was quickly taken, to Gary Mickelborough, who squared the ball to Mo Takaloo, who aimed a shot, from 20 yards, at the top corner of the net, but his effort was just high and wide. A minute later, Joe Mant came out to punch a through ball, but got little distance on his clearance, which fell at the feet of Jimmy Doherty – but the Bridon Ropes No.10 failed to capitalise on the chance, slicing his shot wide. In the 64^th minute, Mo Takaloo controlled the ball in classy fashion, straight from a Joe Mant kick-out. Mo fed the ball wide to Gary Mickelborough, who bore down on goal, before being foiled by a Sam Fullilove tackle.

 

Another little set-back befell Ashford in the 65^th minute – and this, I’m afraid to say, involved a moment of pure farce from the officials, who rarely inspired much confidence. It was bad enough to see Liam Whiting limp slowly off, forcing Paul Chambers to make his second enforced substitution - but there was more to come. Chambers had replaced Whiting with Sam Fisher, at the same time that Jason Elliott came on for the home side, in what appeared to be a regulation double-substitution. Play proceeded for at least five minutes, after which the official running the line in front of the Ashford bench asked Chambo whether he had actually made a second substitution (!!). Admittedly, Paul’s terse response was fairly unhelpful, but it was obvious to everyone, including the confused Lino, that there were two Ashford players on the pitch wearing a shirt number that exceeded 11 !  The Lino called the referee over, who stopped the game and showed Sam Fisher a yellow card. This did nothing to reduce the derision that the officials received from the visitors’ bench – and it did seem very harsh on Sam to receive a card for what was clearly the officials’ mistake.

 

Whilst some of the refereeing decisions were difficult to understand, Ashford did have a fair share of these decisions in their favour – and our best chance of nicking the game appeared to be from one of Lee Coburn’s floated free-kicks, from the right. One such opportunity came in the 73^rd minute, when Roy Guiver met Lee’s cross with a glancing header, which he put wide of the post. It was a head-in-the-hands moment for Roy, which told the story of how good a chance it was.

 

In the 78^th minute, Sam Conlon replaced Mo Takaloo, a like-for-like substitution, with Sam taking over as the lone striker. He was to come into action just four minutes later, after Referee Waters made another very strange decision. Lee Coburn floated another free-kick into the box, and four players challenged for the ball – two from each side. The ball was headed clear, and the ref blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. A Bridon defender asked him: “Are you serious ?”, which summed up the bewilderment at the decision. The problem for Ashford United concerned who would take the penalty, with Mo Takaloo having been substituted, and Gary Mickelborough having had the previous penalty he took saved, (although he did manage to head in the rebound, on that occasion). It was Sam Conlon who stepped up to take the kick. It wasn’t a badly-struck penalty, but goalkeeper Michael Manchester managed to parry the ball away, diving to his left.

 

There was actually quite a rousing finish to the game, with both teams striving for a winner. With a minute remaining of normal time, Nick Dunsden shot over the Ashford bar, from just outside the area. Then, with the game having gone into injury time, Sam Conlon had a chance to make amends for his late penalty miss. Matt Hadlum, who can almost certainly expect to have a run in the side, now, with Danny Morrison injuring his hamstring, attacked down the right. He switched inside, going past a defender in the process. He sent in a good, low cross into the Bridon area, where Conlon was the only target available. Sam got a touch, which might have been enough to divert the ball past the ‘keeper on another day, but Manchester managed to get an arm in the way of it, and so foiled the Ashford substitute for a second time.

 

So 1-1 was the final score.

 

I took the opportunity to walk back to the station by a different route, so that I passed by The Valley – and once again had to pick my way through the red tide. I managed to find out from one red-shirted pedestrian that the final score in that match was also 1-1. There would undoubtedly have been the same discussions about whether it was points lost, or a point gained, among the Charlton fans, as there probably were between the Ashford faithful. My view at the final whistle was that it was a decent point for the visitors, away to a team that were no mugs last season, and who are very likely to be better than this morning’s tenth place in the League suggested. The ambitious Ashford Management will have been disappointed to have let the 100% record go – but a draw was always going to be a reasonable outcome once both of Ollie Finch’s feet left the ground as he hurled himself into that tackle.

 

Having said that, this afternoon’s result was put into perspective by the results of the games involving our main rivals for the title this year. Hollands & Blair won 5-0, Bearsted won 7-0 and Phoenix Sports won 0-9 at Crown Alexandra – which rather puts to bed the discussion of whether Ashford gained a point, or dropped two, today.

 

Hollands & Blair v Ashford United. Kent Invicta League. 8th of September 2012.

Hollands & Blair       0            Ashford United         2

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

 

September the 8^th 2012; and this was my first game of Ashford United’s second campaign, now that all commitments to the Cricket Season have been honoured. It was ironic, but no surprise to anyone au fait with the British climate, that, after a Summer in whites when we’d been largely treading on sodden outfields, watching the rain come down, our first excursion of the football season took place beneath clear, blue skies and a hot sun !

 

It was rather fitting that our seasonal debut should be made at Star Meadow Sports Club, Gillingham, home of Hollands & Blair FC, since the corresponding fixture last season was where it all began for the “reformed” Ashford United. After 15 months without a football team to support, and all the bullish optimism during the 2011-12 pre-season friendlies, the 1-0 defeat of a youthful Ashford side at the hands of Blair came as a stark reality check to many. It turned out to be the start of a very difficult season for Ashford, who slumped to as low as 13^th in the 16-team league, before eventually finishing strongly, ending up in fifth place.

 

It was, of course, also a learning experience for Hollands & Blair, who had just come up from the Kent County League (Step 7 in the non-league pyramid). Having won the County League twice in the previous three years, Blair were arguably the benchmark for how strong the new league was going to be. I think it’s fair to say that they had a fairly mixed season, with inconsistency preventing them from finishing higher than third in the league – but there was the wonderful achievement of winning the Kent Senior Trophy, for the ex-Rochester & District League club, which made it a highly successful season for them.

 

Last season’s fact-finding and water-testing activities are now a thing of the past, and both teams have hit the ground running, this time around. Anyone who has bothered to read this far will already know that this was the game where two 100% records were on the line, with Ashford having won four from four, and Blair five from five – and lest any suggestion be made that this season’s Kent Invicta League will be a two-horse race, Phoenix Sports have also made a strong start to the season, having won four and drawn one, from five games.

 

For a match that had been so eagerly anticipated, it was pretty disappointing as a spectacle, and was generally low on quality, particularly in the first half, when the whole thing was anything but a good advert for the Kent Invicta League. There were rumblings last season – and again this afternoon – about the bumpiness of the ground here. Well, it certainly looked very flat to me, and the grass was very short – but the pitch certainly “played” bumpy, with players on both sides struggling with their touch.

 

The other feature of the Star Meadow Sports Club ground is its pronounced slope, which has a steep gradient from one corner flag to another, but mostly from flank to flank. It’s the most sloping pitch that I’ve seen for a long time – and I’ve visited a fair number of non-league grounds. Regardless of the impact the pitch had on the players’ performance, I reckon that the slope actually gives a ground some character, and enhances the experience for the spectator.

 

Star Meadow is already a nice place to come. This impression would undoubtedly have been influenced by the fact that today’s match was played out in warm sunshine, but there was a lovely atmosphere at the ground throughout. At one end, there is a large and very nice bar, which has a number of beer garden-style benches aligned in a row, behind one goal. Next to this, and protected by the same high, wire mesh fence, is an enclosed children’s area, complete with bouncy castle and playground. It’s probably the most family-friendly ground I’ve been to – and the bar was well populated when we arrived at 2.30pm, and was full and buzzing when we left at 5.45pm.

 

Otherwise, there is little to report in terms of facilities at the ground. As is the norm in the Kent Invicta League, there are no stands here, no PA system – just a rectangular pitch surrounded by a single rail. Having said that, it was no surprise to hear that the club has plans to install a 150-seat stand before the end of the current season, and Ashford fans who had attended the inaugural match last season pointed out that there had been several noticeable improvements. These included an expensive-looking set of 3-G practice pitches on one side of the ground. There was also a consensus that the playing surface was a big improvement on the one witnessed last year.

 

There is little doubt that the Ashford United squad is much improved from the one that concluded the 2011-12 season undefeated in the final ten games. Whilst the nucleus is still there, quality has been added all over the pitch, with the addition of wing-backs Matt Hadlum and Luke Cuthbert, Luke’s brother Adam in central midfield, and the experienced Gary Mickelborough in attack. I think that another key addition has been 17 year-old Joe Mant, in goal. He has been talked up more than any Ashford goalkeeper since – well, probably since Tony Godden, who went straight into West Brom’s first team when he left us, in the 70s. As expected, young Joe looked confident with his handling, and commanded his area pretty well – but this was to be a game in which he was not going to be called upon to make a save.

 

One surprise was that Joe did not have Paul Chambers’ favoured three-man defensive formation in front of him. Maybe it was a measure of Chambo’s respect for today’s opposition, who were widely expected to be the lads’ sternest test of the season to date, but Ashford took to the field in 4-4-2 formation. Dan Morrison was at right-back, playing in his first game of the season, and Richard Quigley was making his first start. (If this had been something of a gamble for The Management, then it has to be said that both played well, with Morrison being particularly impressive). Ben Jordan and Lee Coburn put on their usual assured display in central defence. The midfield quartet of Luke and Adam Cuthbert, Ollie Finch and Liam Whiting played fairly deep in the first half, far removed from Mo Takaloo and Gary Mickelborough up front. Sam Conlon, Aaron Firth, Sam Fisher, Liam Walsh and ‘keeper Tom Carr made up a very strong-looking bench. I am unable to shed any light on the whereabouts of Matt Hadlum – mainly because I wouldn’t recognise him from a bar of soap – but Roy Guiver was in attendance, as part of the crowd of 126.

 

The visitors made the brighter start, but had little to show in terms of clear-cut chances – their best effort being Liam Whiting’s shot on the turn, in the opening minute, which was too high. Both teams had opportunities from corners and free-kicks, which came to nothing, but it was the home side that gradually started to assert. The first recognisable chance for Blair – playing in all red, so that the match rather looked like Liverpool v Norwich City – came in the eleventh minute. A high ball over the Ashford defence found Sean Hetterley, just inside the Ashford penalty area and free of his marker – but the No.10 sliced the ball wide, to his obvious frustration.

 

Blair waited until the 17^th minute for their first corner, and this was swung in from their right, left-footed and in-swinging, close to the Ashford goal-line, with Dan Morrison having to hoike the ball clear. A minute later, a good passing movement resulted in the ball being pulled back from the visitors’ by-line, and a defender had to be alert with a saving tackle, just in front of goal. The resulting corner was hit too long. In the 21^st minute, a cross from the left was met by an unchallenged Stuart West, but the tall No.8 nodded the ball wide. A minute later, Blair had what turned out to be their best chance of the game, when another corner from the right was curled in towards the near post. This was met with a diving header, and the ball thumped against the post.

 

Quite sensibly, Referee Neil Baker, a man with Ryman League experience, now agreed to a request from both benches for a general water break. I don’t know what the temperature on the pitch will have been, at the time, but it was still 26ºC when we drove through Rochester at 6pm. However, the break rather benefited the visitors, as Blair had been showing signs of taking control, and had started to look dangerous. After the unscheduled break, neither side produced a great deal leading up to half time. Ashford created nothing up front, and were guilty of several silly off-sides; Hollands & Blair tended to favour the long ball, a tactic that was generally well dealt with by the Ashford defence. There was a flurry of activity around about the 38^th minute, when, after an H&B corner was headed clear by the first defender, Luke Cuthbert led a break-out. He was clear of the chasing home defence by about half a length, but was let down by a poor finish. Moments later, centre-forward Ricky Freeman picked the ball up on the left corner of the Ashford penalty area, cut inside onto his right foot and let fly with a shot that was just too high and wide.

 

So it was 0-0 at half time – and it wasn’t clever !

 

The second half began with a needless yellow card for Lee Coburn. Ricky Freeman was shielding the ball, trying to ensure that it would go out for a corner – an annoying little charade that is played out in almost every game, all over the world. It’s irritating when players do that, but there was no need for Coburn to throw his opponent to the ground, and the yellow card was a formality. During the melee in the penalty area that followed the resulting corner, Freeman was adjudged by the ref to have lunged in on Dan Morrison, and so collected a yellow card of his own.

 

The whole complexion of the match was changed in the 53^rd minute, by a moment of brilliance from Liam Whiting. Ashford were awarded a free-kick, some 15 yards inside the Blair half. Ollie Finch tapped the ball square to Whiting, who hit an absolute screamer, with his left foot, which was still rising as it hit the roof of the net, giving goalkeeper James Smith no chance. Suddenly, in a game that was already looking like it had “0-0” written all over it, the visitors had something to hold onto. The mantra now repeated by Manager Paul Chambers was “Squeeze !!” – but, if his intention was for the team to close ranks, to protect the precious lead, then this was not apparent in his next move, which was to replace Richard Quigley with a forward, Aaron Firth, in the 56^th minute.

 

After both sides had failed to make anything of a free-kick in a dangerous position – Ashford’s near the right corner flag, and Blair’s on their right touchline – Liam Whiting sent Gary Mickelborough off down the left flank, with what was a hopeful, hooked clearance. Bearing down on the Blair penalty area, Mickelborough crossed the ball to Mo Takaloo, in the centre, and there were howls from the Ashford players and bench for a penalty, for Takaloo being pulled back – but nothing was spotted by Referee Baker or his lino.

 

H&B Manager Paul Piggott responded, in the 66^th minute, with a double substitution, replacing skipper Marc Chapman and Jack West, with Steve Hafner and Cliff Eldridge. This move failed to change the course of the game, but Blair had a half-chance, just two minutes later. Lee Coburn conceded a corner when forced to hook a cross, from the right, over his own crossbar. The resulting corner, swung in, left-footed, found Ricky Freeman, beyond the far post; his header back into the centre was nodded goalwards by another Blair forward, but this effort was easily caught by Joe Mant, on his line.

 

Aaron Firth then had a mad five minutes or so. He was given a stern talking to by the referee, in the 70^th minute, after a spat with a Blair player. The bickering session continued immediately, resulting in a yellow card for the Ashford substitute – I don’t think the ref was going to show the card, but Firthy rather talked him into it. More worrying moments followed for the Ashford bench, as Aaron still refused to let the matter rest – resulting in another extended interview with the referee. Eventually, the red mist cleared, but there had appeared to be a real danger that Aaron would either be sent off, or need to be substituted before he was.

 

The main impact of this little episode was to cause some minutes’ delay, and to break up play in a way that suited the visiting team. From here on, the Blair players became more tetchy, and there was the odd late tackle and snide elbow. Ricky Freeman was guilty of one such incident in the 73^rd minute, with an unnecessarily late challenge on Dan Morrison – and was possibly a little fortunate not to add to the yellow card that he earnt earlier in the half.

 

Up until the 76^th minute, Ashford’s archgoalscorer, Mo Takaloo, had contributed very little – but then showed his class when he pounced upon a half-chance as soon as it was presented. The Hollands & Blair defence, probably as much due to mental and physical fatigue, in the warm conditions, as anything else, made a real mess of what should have been a simple clearance. A touch from Aaron Firth richocheted to Mo, on the edge of the area, with only the goalkeeper to beat – and so there was only going to be one outcome !  For the umpteenth time in his career, Ashford’s No.9 rounded the goalie with ease, and did what he’s paid for – thumping the ball into the net. He has now scored in every league match this season, and in six consecutive games altogether. I cannot verify whether the latter is a Club record – but it feels like it ought to be !

 

And that was that. The three points were secure. All that was required, for the remainder of the game, was for the Ashford defence to repel what appeared to be increasingly desperate H&B attacks, consisting mainly of long balls forward. Ross Brookes replaced Sean Hetterley, for the home side, in the 78^th minute, and Paul Chambers replaced Mo Takaloo and Gary Mickelborough with Sam Conlon and Sam Fisher, with just five minutes remaining – but the visitors successfully saw out the remaining time, to ensure that theirs was the 100% record that endured.

 

So not a classic match, and probably not a classic performance from Ashford, but they looked pretty solid throughout, easily holding the league leaders at bay, and walked off with a clean sheet and three points. That’s the sort of performance and outcome that usually delights the Manager – and we, as fans, shouldn’t complain either.

 

It’s very rare that being an Ashfordian is something to boast about – but it’s been quite a few days for the town. First, Ashford-born Sam Northeast scores 165, in Kent’s victory over Derbyshire; then former Ashford Town right-back Roy Hodgson leads England to a 0-5 victory in Moldova – and now this !

 

Anorak's Corner - the 2011-12 Season

from Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

So here is a brief review, based on a few key statistics that I am sad enough to keep, of Ashford United’s 2011-12 season – which has been the inaugural season for both Ashford’s born-again footy club, and the Kent Invicta League. The first, and most important, statistic concerns the number of teams we’ve had to support – and the figure of 1 compares very favourably with last season’s figure of zero, for which we are grateful to Tony Betteridge and Ernie Warren, and all the other people who helped to make it happen. Die hard Ashford fans – of whom there are several – will point out that that number of teams should be at least 2, because Ashford United has a Youth team to be proud of, which once again performed with a great deal of credit in an international Youth Tournament in France. With negotiations at an advanced stage for a merger between the respective youth set-ups of Ashford United and Ashford Borough, it is hoped, and expected, that the number of teams run by the Club will increase further in seasons to come.

One of the great unknowns, at the start of the season, was how well the Ashford public would support the new entity, in a (Step 6) league that is two levels below where the former Club, Ashford Town, eventually withered and died. In that final, 2009-10, season in the Ryman League, which featured yet another escape from relegation to the Kent League, the average gate had slumped to 162, which was viewed as a miserable, all-time low, after this average had built steadily from 208, to 243, to 251, and then to 317, in previous seasons. It’s probably quite pleasing, therefore, that the average home gate for the season just ended was 202 – and crowds at Homelands were fairly consistent throughout the season, with 194 turning out for the final game of the season, on a cold, wet and windy day, with nothing riding on the outcome. A statistic I don’t have is the number of supporters that followed Ashford away, this season, but I reckon that other clubs’ home attendances will have been swelled by 30-40, in a league where the second-best supported team had an average attendance of 65.

As is traditional for Ashford teams, it seems, a half-decent cup run proved elusive. The 2011-12 cups campaign consisted of seven games, (five of which were at home), in three competitions – the league cup, the county cup and the FA Vase. The “county cup” was, not the Kent Senior Cup, which we all know and love, but the Kent Intermediate Challenge Shield. United’s lack of substantial progress in this competition was particularly disappointing, given the opportunity provided by home draws against lower-league opposition all the way to the final. After scraping past Staplehurst Monarchs, our boys faltered at the second hurdle, at the hands of Eltham Palace, who may well find themselves promoted to the Kent Invicta League for next season. It was good to see the Club in the FA Vase, however, for the first ever time – although our involvement ended at the first fence, albeit after a replay, against Shoreham, of the Sussex League. The attendance for the home Vase tie was a very disappointing 124, and the aggregate attendance for the five home cup games was 815. Not a huge total, but considerably better than the 2009-10 aggregate of 208 (from just two home ties), and the 392 during the 2008-9 season. Next season, Ashford United will be entered in the FA Cup – THE cup – and I’m already looking forward to the draw for the opening rounds, which comes out in the second or third week in July.

Another little ruse of mine, at this time of year, is to work out Ashford’s Team of the Year, which is based purely on the number of minutes that players spent on the pitch, in each position, during the season. Here is the 2011-12 team, in the 3-5-2 formation that Manager Paul Chambers seemed to favour for much of the season, with the wing-backs listed as midfielders: -

Billy Rice

Ben Jordan

Roy Guiver

Lee Coburn

Sam Conlon

Ollie Finch

Matt Bower

Liam Whiting

Richard Quigley

Tom Scorer

Gary Lockyer

Subs: Tony Allen, Liam Walsh, Dan Scorer, Kieran Byrne, Peter Williams.

So a blend of experience and youth there, with the emphasis very much on the latter – and let’s hope that the majority of those youngsters will be wearing the holy green & white of Ashford again next season.

Of course, there were many others among the 42 players who turned out for Ashford during the season who made a significant contribution. An individual who made a major impact was the experienced Mo Takaloo, who scored ten goals in 730 minutes on the pitch, (which is equivalent to just over eight games). Regular sufferers of my drivel will know that I have kept a record of Ashford players’ goal scoring rate, (expressed as minutes per goal), since the 2005-6 season – and it’s interesting to compare Takaloo’s scoring rate with those of other stellar strikers that we’ve had at Homelands, (acknowledging, of course, that all comparisons are very tentative, given the differences there have been in the level of football played, the strength of successive Ashford teams, etc.).

Quite simply, Mo Tak is out on his own, in terms of scoring rate. Here are the figures for the top four, during the past six seasons: -

Mo Takaloo               73 minutes per goal

Claude Seanla          106 mpg

George Fenwick        177 mpg

Shawn Beveney        182 mpg

These figures are put into perspective if we look at the mpg numbers of other proven, top-quality strikers, such as Walid Matata (220), Paul Jones (240) and Mark Lovell (286). I’m particularly pleased to see George Fenwick among this select group of four. I’ve always considered George to be one of our most under-rated strikers – and, whilst Takaloo, Seanla and Beveney are clearly high-quality strikers proven at a higher level, who scored goals during a relatively short stay at Ashford, George scored his 18 goals in the equivalent of more than 35 matches, and in a struggling team, so there’s no question of any fluke there. It will be interesting to see whether Mo Tak can maintain this excellent strike rate, if, as we all hope, he is an Ashford player again next season.

One other top quality striker to wear the green & white last season was Jimmy Dryden, who scored four goals in 450 minutes, (mpg = 113), whilst on loan from Hythe Town. It was a pleasure to see such a class act leading the line for Ashford, but Jimmy does not figure in the following list of goal scoring rates for the season, as I have set the qualification cut-off at 500 minutes of football.

Mo Takaloo                73 minutes per goal

Gary Lockyer             196 mpg

Kieran Byrne              204 mpg

Peter Williams            209 mpg

Aaron Firth                 229 mpg

Sam Conlon               277 mpg

Tom Scorer                321 mpg

Roy Guiver                 383 mpg

Another goal scorer, not on this list, worthy of a mention is Mitchell Mannell, a striker from the Youth ranks who scored for the First Team in spite of only playing for a total of 38 minutes. Let’s hope that Mitch gets further opportunities next season. I also cannot resist giving a mention to Jeff Ross, a demigod who yet walks among mortal men. It has been wonderful to see him make occasional appearances, this season, (totalling 109 minutes), and it was absolutely fantastic to see him get on the scoresheet, his only goal meaning that he has now scored for Ashford in each of four decades ! 

The same “minutes per goal” criterion can be applied to the goalies – and the No.1 position has been largely shared between young Tony Allen (1,320 minutes) and old Billy Rice (1,350 minutes). Their respective mpg figures were 69 and 56 – and here is how their records compare with the best of previous Ashford ‘keepers: -

Josh Willis                 123 mpg

Jamie Riley                71 mpg

TONY ALLEN            69 mpg

Jake Whincup            61 mpg

Simon Overland         60 mpg

BILLY RICE               56 mpg

So Tony Allen jumps in at No.3. (The complete list goes down as far as Darren Ibrahim, who let one in every 40 minutes). Continuing the theme of legends, it was also good to see Mo Munden between the sticks again. He kept goal for us in six games, (i.e. 540 minutes), conceding ten goals, so had an identical record to one Jani Seitsonen.

So that’s the fine detail – what of the bottom line, which is our final league position ?  Well, we finished fifth of 16 teams, thanks to a late rally which saw the team unbeaten in its final ten league games. Whilst fifth was not as good as some people had hoped, it was quite respectable in the context of a very disappointing first half of the season, which actually saw us slip to as low as 13^th place. It should also be pointed out that this is the best finishing position to be achieved by an Ashford side since 1995-6, when Ashford Town finished second in the Southern League Division One South, and were promoted to the Premier Division. We then achieved 19^th and 21^st in our two seasons in The Big Time, and subsequent finishing positions have been: 7^th, 6^th, 12^th, 14^th, 11^th, 12^th, 20^th, 21^st, 18^th, 8^th, 7^th, 20^th and 5^th (this year).

Generally, this season has set firm foundations for the new Club, in a League where it has been generally accepted that playing standards have been higher than expected. Now that The Management knows what to expect, and what is required, I think that we can be hopeful of an improvement on this league position next season – and let’s hope that the average league attendance and the aggregate cup attendance can also be improved upon.