Seven Acre & Sidcup 0 Ashford
United 1
From Ashford United’s
Milton Keynes Correspondent
Today,
this Kent Invicta League odyssey took me to Sidcup, in South East London, for
the game away to Seven Acre & Sidcup. This was the latest leg in the
campaign to will our boys on to finish as high as possible in the KIL, in order
to maximise our chances of gaining promotion to Step 5 of the non-league
pyramid at the end of the season. We lay in third place, this morning, just a
point behind Hollands & Blair. In a “normal” year, Ashford United’s current
record of 42 points from 18 games – that’s an incredible average of 2.33 points
per game – would probably be good enough to see them top the table. But this
season has been like no other, with Phoenix Sports setting a cracking pace,
with 17 wins and a draw from 18 games, and Blair have reeled off win after win,
for what seems like months and months, now. Today’s game, against sixth-placed
Sidcup, was the first of three very tricky-looking games for Ashford, all of them
away, with Sutton United (5th) and Bearsted (4th) to come
next. Points dropped in any of these matches might just make a top-two finish
look very remote !
This
week’s trip was made by public transport – a one hour and 52-minute journey
costing £28 for a return ticket from Milton Keynes Central comparing favourably
with using up half a tank of petrol queueing on the M25 and then crawling
through South East London. London Bridge was the usual place to stop off for a
salt beef bagel and a coffee – and as on the last occasion that I did this, the
whole place was full of fans clad in the red & white of Arsenal, (the
world’s most appropriately-named football club). I met just as many Arsenal
fans on The Tube on the way back, and on the train going North out of Euston.
All very glum-faced, and moaning and groaning, they were – which told me that
their team had just been beaten at home by Blackburn, in The Cup. (I must say that
I was surprised, and quite appalled, at the number of Gooners that actually
stepped off at Milton Keynes !).
It’s
just a 25-minute ride, through Sarf London, from London Bridge to Sidcup. The
South Eastern Trains service passes close to Canary Wharf, which had been
visible on a distant horizon from Crockenhill, just a fortnight ago. There is
then a walk of about a mile – uphill – to the ground in Oxford Road, via
Sidcup’s narrow High Street. This is the same ground that used to be home to
Cray Wanderers, the world’s second-oldest football club. (Seven Acre &
Sidcup FC was itself founded in 1900 – so is some 111 years older than Ashford
United). Cray played here for 25 years, from 1973 to 1998. Their main reason
for leaving was the lack of floodlights at Oxford Road, which became a breach
of Kent League rules, and it remains very much a Step 6 ground today, lacking
the turnstiles, seating and other facilities that are required for football at
a higher level.
There
is, however, a fairly large stand on one side, painted out in Seven Acre
colours of red and black, which is tiered with four levels, and would
accommodate more standing spectators than the 102 that attended today – our
hosts’ largest crowd of the season. The only other covering available is a very
low shelter with a corrugated roof, adjacent to the dug-outs, which I could
just about walk through without bumping my head. A major feature of the ground
is a substantial grassy bank behind the goal at the top end – and it is truly
the “top” end, as it looks down on a pitch that has a steep slope that runs
away from the changing rooms.
The
pitch itself was very muddy, and difficult for the players, today. It was sticky
and slippery, and wasn’t very different to the pony fields that bordered the
pitch on two sides. It was actually quite amusing to see two muddy worlds
co-existing side by side – a pony field in February and non-league football.
I’m
sure that the pitch played a part in the day’s proceedings. It would be
simplistic, and probably quite wrong, to describe the conditions as being a
“leveller”, as Acres are a good side. However, the combination of the slope and
the mud made the game fairly attritional, and there was never very much between
the two sides – and there was never going to be the 5-2 scoreline that Ashford
achieved in the corresponding game at Homelands, earlier in the season.
There
were no surprises in the Ashford United line-up, which turned out in Paul
Chambers’ new 4-2-3-1 formation – although new signing Ashley Porter was absent
from his right-back position, with Sam Marsh being a more than adequate
replacement. Luke Cuthbert was at left-back, as usual, with Ben Jordan and Roy
Guiver in the centre. Lee Coburn, who had previously enjoyed an extended run of
starts as one of three centre-backs, once again had to settle for a place on
the bench. Ashford’s midfield is looking very strong these days, with Gary
Clarke and skipper Ollie Finch the “sitters”, and Kieran Byrne (wide left),
Adam Cuthbert and Gary Mickelborough (wide right) having the freedom to press
forward in support of Mo Takaloo, in attack. There were three outfield players
on the Ashford bench – Lee Coburn was joined by Richard Quigley and Sam Conlon
– with goalkeepers Tom Carr and Mo Munden both named.
The
Ashford line-up was completed by mascots Ben and Cameron Kennaird, aged 8 and
7, who did a great job in representing the Club, today. The boys accompanied
the players out to the middle – before spending the rest of the afternoon with
the ponies.
Ben
and Cameron looked marginally older than the three officials that were in
charge of the game. I’m sure that most of my shirts are older than today’s
referee, but it must be said that all three had a pretty flawless game. The
only remark I would make is that the eventual tally of yellow cards was quite
high, considering that the game was played in a good spirit, and would never have
been described as being “dirty” at any stage – ignoring the fact that everyone
and everything was soon covered in mud.
One
further gripe, before I get on with the business of the day - (cue: the sound
of hobbyhorse hooves galloping into ear-shot). Seven Acre and Sidcup play in
red & black shirts (sleeves reversed), black shorts and socks, so that,
particularly from behind, they were dressed in pretty much identical kit to the
three officials. If an Ashford player had worn black cycling shorts beneath his
green shorts, which protruded by more than half an inch, he would have been
told to change them. Am I the only person who finds this anomaly irritating ?
Ashford
played up the slope during the first half – but this wasn’t the only reason
that they struggled to get out of their own half during the early exchanges, as
the home side made a very positive start. As early as the fourth minute, the
Ashford goal was put under pressure from a corner, on the left, when Sidcup’s
Tom Gamblin put an inswinging cross right under Joe Mant’s crossbar – but Sam
Marsh did well to head clear. In the sixth minute, Tony Ecuyer picked the ball
up in the inside-left position, cut inside and sent in a fairly weak,
right-footed shot, which went straight to Joe Mant. In spite of plenty of
pressing from the home side, this was the last time that Joe was called upon to
make a save in the first half, as the yellow & green defence dealt with all
threats.
Ashford’s
preferred mode of attack appeared to be the long ball into the Sidcup penalty
area, particularly from free-kicks, with Roy Guiver galloping forward at every
opportunity. There was a chance to implement this line of attack in the ninth
minute, when Chris Steadman was late with a tackle on Kieran Byrne. Gary Clarke
sent in a high free-kick, deep into the home side’s penalty area. The ball was
scrambled away, and broke to Byrne, who shot over the bar. In the 15th
minute, the same player tried a diagonal shot from about 25 yards out, but his
effort went just wide of the post, being helped on by goalkeeper Charlie Martin.
Kieran was in inspired form, at this time, and, three minutes later, he found Gary
Mickelborough, wide on the right, with a great cross-field ball. Kieran carried
on, into the Sidcup penalty area, and received a return ball, but, once again,
his shot went over the bar.
There
was little to choose between the two sides in the opening 45 minutes. The home
side arguably had a slight territorial advantage, concentrating their attacks
down the left, but, judging by the nature of the encouragement that was coming
from the Ashford bench, Paul Chambers was happy to concentrate on containment
and the conservation of energy during the first half, with a downhill assault
expected in the second period.
Gary
Clarke again looked to be Ashford’s playmaker in midfield, and there were
indications that Seven Acre & Sidcup recognised this too, as Gary appeared
to be singled out for some harsh treatment at times. The first of a litany of
yellow cards in the match was shown to right-back Jermaine Brown, in the 36th
minute, but this was probably more due to an accumulation of offences than to
the severity of the foul that eventually led to his booking. Gary took a much
harder knock, just seconds later – which did not result in a caution – and he
received a yellow card himself, in the 39th minute, presumably for
something he said to the referee. In the 41st minute, Sidcup skipper
Tom Dennington was the latest player to go in late on Gary – causing the ref to
show his yellow card once again.
So
the players trooped off, up the hill, to the dressing rooms, at half time, with
the game still goal-less.
Ashford
made a more urgent start to the second half. In a moment that was out of
character with a fairly dogged game, Adam Cuthbert, Gary Clarke and Kieran
Byrne exchanged quick, neat passes on the edge of the Sidcup penalty area, and
this resulted in a shot on target from Kieran Byrne, which goalkeeper Charlie
Martin was required to save, diving to his right and getting safely behind the
ball. However, it was Acres that had a more clear-cut chance, at the other end,
in the 50th minute. Shortly after Luke Cuthbert had seen a yellow
card for a late tackle on Ecuyer, Joe Mant managed to fluff a goal-kick
straight to No.9 Sam Prett. With nobody between him and the Ashford goal, Prett
chugged on up the sticky hill – but the visiting defence soon crowded him out,
to save Mant’s blushes. Within a minute, Prett was replaced by Anthony Fenech,
evidently due to injury.
Gary
Mickelborough was the next player to be booked – in the 53rd minute,
for a late, but hardly vicious, tackle – and, four minutes later, was the
target for what had become Ashford’s main offensive weapon, namely an early Joe
Mant punt, down the hill and into wide areas of the pitch. Mickelborough picked
the ball up on the right wing, made it to the Sidcup by-line, and then pulled
back a low cross, which found Mo Takaloo in the penalty area. This was to prove
to be last week’s hat-trick hero’s only sniff of a chance, and his shot was
blocked, at point-blank range, by the Sidcup defence. On the hour mark,
Mickelborough was again sent off down the right wing – this time by an Ollie
Finch throw-in – and he again found a yellow shirt with a low cross, but Adam
Cuthbert’s first-time shot was always sailing over the bar.
A
minute later, it was the home side’s turn to attack, and young Joe Mant was put
under plenty of pressure from a deep cross from the right, but Joe just managed
to finger-tip the ball behind for a corner. The resulting right-footed kick,
from the left, from Tom Gamblin, who looked to be Sidcup’s best player, was too
long.
As
a gruelling game entered the 65th minute, Paul Chambers decided that
fresh legs were required, and he replaced Gary Mickelborough with the pace of
Sam Conlon, on the right wing. But Ashford’s next chance came from the
left-hand side of the pitch, just two minutes later. Roy Guiver, so often a potent
weapon at set-pieces, lost his marker at Gary Clarke’s corner, but glanced his
header just high and wide.
From
the 68th minute, Ashford had to endure a period of sustained
pressure from the hosts. This began with a break down the left, from a
goal-kick, but Marlon Thomas’s cross was blocked by the solid Sam Marsh. The
resulting corner was met by a great header by centre-half Sam Hayes, and it
needed a great save by Joe Mant, flying to his right, to prevent Sidcup from
taking the lead. The corner was again from the left, and Joe dealt with it,
with a good punched clearance – but the ball was fed back into the mixer, and
Sidcup won a third corner, again on the left. This time, the cross was high and
deep, and Joe palmed the ball out to the left-back area, where a free-kick was conceded.
This was taken by Marlon Thomas, who whipped in an in-swinging cross, with his
left foot. Adam Cuthbert made the clearance, at the near post.
So
Ashford could breathe again. In fact, they did better than just breathe, as
they then scored, in the 71st minute – and this is certainly one for
the Goals of Dubious Intention Panel, on Monday. After a patient build-up down
the left side, the ball was played short to Kieran Byrne, on the corner of the
penalty area. With the Ashford bench imploring him to get the ball into the
area, he chipped the ball towards the far post, and it looped over Charlie
Martin’s head, and settled in the far bottom corner of the net. The good number
of Ashford fans present will log debate whether Kieran intended this as a
cross, or an intelligent chip over the ‘keeper. I might be in the minority, but
I’m sure that it was intended as a cross. To be fair to Byrnesy, it wasn’t a
miss-hit. He was aiming for the far post, but I think the intention was for one
or two Ashford players to converge on the ball and make it difficult for the ‘keeper.
If there was, as I suspect, am element of good fortune about the goal, then it
was no more than Kieran deserved, after a performance that included a great
deal of effort, and plenty of quality.
What
was not in doubt was the fact that Ashford had taken a vital lead, in a tight
game – but that was not the end of the story, as Seven Acre & Sidcup really
should have equalised, just five minutes later. Tom Gamblin attacked down the
right wing, and Roy Guiver was unable to prevent him from getting in his cross.
This was met by Tony Ecuyer, just six yards out, and with the whole of the goal
in front of him. Joe Mant would have had no chance if Ecuyer had got his header
on target, but he put his effort over the bar.
So
maybe that was all there was in the game, where the pitch was very much the
dominant factor – a slightly jammy goal at one end, followed by a bad miss at
the other. It was certainly not the end of the day’s work for United’s players,
as they then had to dig deep, to hang on to the one-goal lead, but they managed
to do this fairly comfortably, using the usual tactics of holding the ball in
the corner, drawing fouls from the opposition, etc.. The biggest scare came in
the 79th minute, from a corner, on the right. The in-swinging cross
appeared to glance off the head of Roy Guiver, but Sam Conlon was in the right
place, and cleared off the line.
Mo
Takaloo had a very quiet game. In theory, the 4-2-3-1 formation should provide
him with plenty of support, with three midfielders getting forward.
Unfortunately, when those three become part of a five-man midfield that scraps
away in the mud in the middle of the park, then Mo can be left as an isolated,
one-up-front man – and I think that’s what happened today. Mo was replaced in
this lone target man role by centre-back Lee Coburn, in the 80th
minute.
Richard
Quigley replaced the hard-worked Kieran Byrne, in the 87th minute,
in a ploy that was clearly designed to run down the remaining time that was
available. Because of several head injury stoppages during the course of the
match, nearly six minutes of injury time were played – providing time for Richard Quigley to pick up a yellow
card during some skirmishing for possession near the corner flag, and for
Sidcup’s Rob McMahon to get booked for a foul on Adam Cuthbert.
Eventually,
the referee blew his whistle for the final time, and Ashford were grateful to
have held on for a very important, and hard-earned three points. There was a
brief period, that evening, when those of us who had checked the Kent Invicta
League web-site for the Hollands & Blair result thought that Ashford had
moved up to second place in the table, with an unlikely 4-0 win for Eltham
Palace reported – but this turned out to be the cruellest of hoaxes, as the
result should have been reported the other way around ! However, Paul Chambers and his team should be
encouraged by the fact that Blair, Phoenix Sports and Bearsted all have to come
to Oxford Road this season. As Ashford found out today, this is not an easy
place to come and get a result.