Orpington v Ashford United. Kent Invicta League. 2nd of February 2013.

Orpington 0                 Ashford United 5

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

 

Football returned to our life, today, after all the snow, and then the rain. In fact, it was just a three week break for Ashford United’s players and fans, but, as I have seen written elsewhere, it seemed like a new start in many ways. We’re roughly halfway through the season, with 14 of the scheduled Kent Invicta League matches remaining – but the second “half” of the season promises to be very different to the first. There was a lot to like about the pre-New Year campaign, with typically brief cup runs including victories away at Kent Premier League teams Deal Town and Holmesdale, and a very good showing against Tunbridge Wells, at home. League performances were also more than satisfactory. Up to the end of the year, the record was eleven wins, two draws and a defeat, from 14 games.

 

In a normal year, that sort of record would see Ashford on top of the league, or at least very close to it. Unfortunately, United’s problem this season has been that the leading two – Phoenix Sports and Hollands & Blair - have set a freakishly relentless pace at the top of the table, reeling off win after win after win, meaning that Ashford’s aspirations for being promoted to the Kent League as Champions of the Invicta League are already looking remote. However, in spite of the oft repeated position from the powers that be that only one team will be promoted from the Invicta League at the end of the season, there is enough doubt shrouding the issue of next season’s Step 5 and 6 structure of football in Kent for many of us to feel that second place will probably be enough to secure promotion – somehow. With Phoenix’s lead looking fairly unassailable, then, and no more cup games remaining, the only item on the agenda for the remainder of the season appears to be overhauling Hollands & Blair for second place. Both teams have a similar run-in – we both have to play Phoenix and Bearsted, and then the remainder of the games appear, on paper, to be fairly straightforward.

 

Ashford trailed Blair, this morning, by four points, with a game in hand. As the top two were playing each other in the semi-final of the League Cup, this afternoon, today’s game away to Orpington was that game in hand.

 

Orpington actually play in the small village of Crockenhill, at the Green Court Sports Ground, which they share with Eltham Palace. Crockenhill is situated on the other side of the A20 to the town of Swanley, which is, in turn, located at the junction of the M20 and M25 motorways. This facility is just up the road from Wested Meadow, where Crockenhill themselves play – so this village with a population about the size of that of a medium-sized secondary school is home to three football teams at this level, compared to Ashford’s one !

 

I have to say that I was rather impressed with the set-up here. The clubhouse is undoubtedly the nicest I’ve seen in non-league football. It has the appearance of a cottage, from the outside, but this is deceptive, since there is a fairly spacious lounge-type bar within. It is decorated to a standard that suggests that it has just been featured in one of those DIY programmes that our wives like to watch on the telly. There are the home comforts of leather sofas and plenty of screens showing live footy, with friendly bar staff serving cold beer to the well hard punters, or hot tea in china mugs for us wimps. All very impressive.

 

In the context of a ground grader’s check-list, of course, Green Court Sports Ground would be defined as being fairly basic. There are no turnstiles, and little else besides one stand, which is located in one half of the pitch, and a white rail enclosing the playing area. The stand is, in fact, quite sizable, and its four tiered rows of dark blue, plastic seats can probably accommodate just over 100 people under cover. Oh, and there’s also, a few yards from this stand, and set back a little from the touchline, the curio of a short strip of concrete, flanked by two leafless shrubs, behind black, metal railings, on which probably about a dozen people could lean – if they were fairly good friends.

 

I rather liked the location. The ground is situated on a flat site on top of a little hill, which provides a wide panorama of views, from the stand, across South East London – as far as a distant, but spectacular horizon, where Canary Wharf and The Shard can clearly be seen. The one drawback, I suppose, with being perched on top of a hill is that, on days like today, it is apt to get a bit parky – and, although the weather was mercifully dry and bright, it was perishingly cold in the strong, northerly breeze.

 

Ashford played into this breeze, attacking the half in front of the stand, in the first 45 minutes. From the sheltered row of seats in the fourth tier, about one third of the other half of the pitch is obscured by the dug-outs – but this mattered little in the first half, as this was one of the most one-sided games of football that I have seen for a long time, with the visitors dominant, and in full control, throughout. It was also probably the best exhibition of patient, passing play that I have seen from an Ashford team. With the greatest respect to Orpington, who looked outclassed, today, this might have been because little was done by the opposition to throw the visitors out of their stride, but I suspect that it might also have had something to do with the input of new Assistant Manager John Ovard, who spent the game offering quiet encouragement from the touchline.

 

The three-week break since the 4-4 home draw with Rusthall had provided time for knocks to heal and aching muscles to recover, and so Ashford were pretty close to being at full strength – with the suspended Liam Whiting being the one notable absentee. It may or may not have been due to the rare absence of Clive from the terraces, but Manager Paul Chambers sent his team out in 4-4-2 formation, today, instead of his preferred three-at-the-back set-up. Ben Jordan and Roy Guiver played in central defence, in front of goalkeeper Joe Mant, with Luke Cuthbert at left-back and Ashley Porter, just signed from Hythe Town, making his début for Ashford at right-back. A strong-looking midfield quartet consisted of skipper Ollie Finch, recent returnee Gary Clarke, Adam Cuthbert and Sam Conlon, with Mo Takaloo and Gary Mickelborough in attack. On the bench were Lee Coburn, Richard Quigley, Tom Scorer and Kieran Byrne, with Mo Munden in attendance as goalkeeping cover.

 

There were no team sheets available at the ground, and no public address announcements, so I have no information on the identity of the Orpington players. Therefore, they will remain anonymous – apologies for that.

 

As previously stated, Ashford dominated this game from the start, aided to some extent by a number of early free-kicks awarded in their favour, and it was no surprise when they took the lead, in the 11^th minute. Shortly prior to this, however, it was the home side that had a good opportunity to score. Orpington No.8 put Orpington No.9 through on goal, with what seemed worrying ease, at the time, but the No.9 pulled his shot tamely wide of Joe Mant’s goal.

 

United’s opening goal was pure text book. Mo Takaloo, who worked hard, without having anything resembling a sight of goal, in the first half, controlled the ball well, on his chest, and spread play wide, sending Gary Mickelborough away down the right flank. Gary went past the full-back, and sent in a low cross which found Sam Conlon, beyond the far post, who controlled the ball and planted it firmly into the net. This was Sam’s 17^th goal in Ashford colours – which puts him ahead of Walid Matata, and just one behind George Fenwick, Mark Lovell and Joby Thorogood.

 

Ashford’s second goal came in the 21^st minute – and originated from an error in the O’s’ defence. A pass back to Orpington No.4 was well short, and this enabled Adam Cuthbert to nick the ball off him. Adam squared a cross to Gary Clarke, in the centre, who did well to guide a side-footed volley into the corner of the net. This was a great reward for Gary, for a first-half performance in which he pulled the strings from a deep midfield position, won plenty of tackles and never wasted possession. Scoring is something that he doesn’t do very often. During his 2005-6 season with Ashford Town, in the Ryman League, he managed three goals in the equivalent of nearly 35 games – and he didn’t score at all the following season, in spite of making 28 appearances.

 

In the 24^th minute, more Ashford pressure resulted in a throw-in, right next to Orpington’s right corner flag. Sam Conlon, who had usually been Ashford’s wide man in midfield, received the throw well inside the O’s’ penalty area, on the by-line. He attempted to turn and cross the ball, but his effort was blocked, for a corner. Sam took the kick himself, sending in a high, looping cross, and the Orpington goalie - Sam l’Anson ? – just managed to tip the ball behind, for another corner, under much pressure. The second corner was cleared, and the home defence could breathe again. Three minutes later, Adam Cuthbert shot just over the bar, from a little outside the penalty area; then, in the 31^st minute, the visitors were presented with another chance from a defensive error. Orpington No.4 trod on the ball, leaving it at the feet of Gary Mickelborough. The Ashford No.10 attempted to curl the ball around the ‘keeper – who appeared to make a good save, low to his right, but he was actually slightly fortunate to see the ball trickle just wide of the near post, after it squirmed under his body. Gary had another good chance – and probably should have scored – in the 34^th minute. Mo Takaloo chipped the ball across to him, from inside the penalty area, where he had a free header, in a central position, but Gary looped the ball over the bar.

 

Ashford were full value for the 0-2 lead that they held at the half-time break, and the home side was already beginning to show signs of being rather demoralised. It must have been a difficult half-time team talk for Orpington Manager Sean Glover, a former Ashford Town goalkeeper who was a team-mate of Gary Clarke’s during that 2005-6 Ryman season.

 

The balance of possession was a little more even during the early part of the second half, but it remained comfortable for Ashford, with ‘keeper Joe Mant little more than a spectator. Fewer clear-cut chances were created, but this appeared to be very much an exercise in the visitors maintaining possession, and keeping control of the game – and this was never seriously threatened. The one player who did look quite lively for the home side was Orpington No.8, but he was kept well under control by Roy Guiver.

 

All of the Ashford midfield looked good, today, but, if Gary Clarke stood out in the first half, it was Adam Cuthbert who came to the fore in the second. Adam looked increasingly impressive as an attacking midfield force. In the 52^nd minute, he began and finished the move that led to Ashford’s third goal. He fed the ball through to Gary Mickelborough, in the penalty area. GazMik showed good strength to maintain possession, and fed the ball back, whereupon the visitors attempted to pass their way through the centre. Cuthbert was probably a shade fortunate to find that the ball had broken to him, inside the Orpington area, but he made no mistake with the simple task of thumping the ball into the corner of the net.

 

With matters seemingly well in hand, Paul Chambers made a substitution, in the 59^th minute, replacing the excellent Sam Conlon with Kieran Byrne, who subsequently played wide on the left wing, getting plenty of white paint on his boots.

 

Adam Cuthbert had quite a hand in United’s fourth goal, which came in the 70^th minute. He was put through on goal with a perfectly weighted pass, which left him with just the ‘keeper to beat. The goalie actually did well to intercept, diving at Cuthbert’s feet – but the ball popped up in the air, and Mo Takaloo, following up, had the simple task of tapping the ball into the empty net.

 

So it was a typical Mo Takaloo performance, in as much as his ledger showed one goal from one chance, and Paul Chambers substituted both Mo and Gary Mickelborough in the 75^th minute, giving Richard Quigley and Tom Scorer a run out. The formation remained the same, with Quigley taking up his usual position, at left-back, and the versatile Luke Cuthbert switching to the right wing.

 

In the 80^th minute, Kieran Byrne chased a long through ball from Ben Jordan, into the home side’s penalty area, but was foiled by a good saving tackle from the Orpington right-back. However, Kieran managed to get himself on the score sheet, with a good, solo effort, in the 90^th minute. Picking the ball up, wide on the left, he carried it infield, and along the edge of the 18-yard box. Spotting an opening, he then found the bottom corner of the net, with a diagonal shot – and it was 0-5.

 

So just about the perfect match day for Ashford United – five goals, a clean sheet, no yellow cards and no injuries; not even a paper cut ! 

 

The lounge bar in the Green Court Sports Ground was a welcome refuge from the cold, after the game. There we learned that Hollands & Blair had beaten Phoenix Sports 2-1 in the League Cup semi-final – evidence, finally, that Phoenix are only human, but also, ominously, confirmation that Blair are still in tremendous form. The manner of Ashford’s performance, this afternoon, was very encouraging, but they’ll need to add consistency to their game if we are to secure that runners-up spot, and have at least a chance of promotion at the end of the season.