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 !