Fisher v Ashford United. Southern Counties East League. 5th of March 2015.

Fisher        1                

Ashford United 4

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

After the glorious FA Vase run, with trips to Gateshead and Salisbury, it was back to the Southern Counties East Football League today – Fisher away, at Dulwich Hamlet’s Champion Hill Stadium. But this was not a return to the mundane routine, with fulfilling the season’s fixtures the one remaining objective, because Ashford United still have every chance of silverware this season. At the start of play today, Ashford had the incentive of knowing that they will win the league if they win their remaining twelve league games.

The last time I saw our boys play Fisher was in the 2003-04 season. In those days, we were Ashford Town and they were known as Fisher Athletic (London), and both clubs were in the Ryman League. The match took place in the 5,300-capacity Surrey Docks Stadium. Gary Abbott had just taken over as Player-Manager of Fisher – and we won 1-2. Fisher FC is now a very different outfit, ground-sharing at Champion Hill, but with designs on soon having their own stadium again.

The Fish are currently struggling a little, in the bottom third of the table.  With the greatest respect to them, I think it’s fair to say that they are a few classes below our previous two opponents, Dunston UTS and Salisbury – which is just as well, as Ashford did not set the world alight, this afternoon, in a performance that was very shoddy in places. In fact, none of the three teams out there today covered themselves in glory – and that includes Referee Ron Abbott and his two assistants, who copped dogs’ abuse from players, management and fans alike. That the visitors actually ran out comfortable victors, after an error-strewn game, is a reflection of the considerable gulf between the two sides.

It was disappointing not to see Gary Clarke on duty, this afternoon, after his recent return to the side after several months out with a knee problem – but that disappointment was made up for by the fact that young Tom Fagg was given what I’m sure must have been his first start in a league match for Ashford. Ciggy was partnered up front by Shaun Welford – and so could not have had a better tutor – with the service provided from wide areas by Taser Hassan on the right and Ryan Palmer on the left. Mickey Phillips was back, after a short injury break, to both captain the side and try to run things from central midfield; his partner in the centre was new signing Ben Davisson, making his third appearance for Ashford. The back five had a familiar look about it, with Big George Kamurasi in goal, Pat Kingwell and Luke Cuthbert in the centre, and Adam Cuthbert and Charles Dickens in the full-back positions.

The Ashford bench was exceptionally strong, consisting of Paul Booth, Jon Pilbeam, Chris Saunders, Mikey Dalton and Jack Healey. It was also good to see Josh Woolley accompanying the squad – he joined in with the kick-about with the sub.s at half time.

Champion Hill is one of my favourite away grounds. It has a large, brick-built main stand, which provides an elevated view of the pitch. It was a decidedly parky day today, with a chilly wind coming down from the north, but it was almost cosy in the shelter of the south-facing stand.

The light rain that accompanied me on my short walk to the ground from Denmark Hill Station had just about eased by the time the game started. I was interested to see how new-boy Ben Davisson would shape up in midfield – but his first act, in the opening minute, was to attempt a deft lay-off from a throw-in, but instead somehow managed to kick the ball out of the ground. Generally, Ben seemed to struggle in the early part of the first half – maybe this was down to nerves. However, he did set Shaun Welford up with the first chance of the match, as early as the second minute. Tom Fagg, wide on the left, fed the ball infield to Davisson, who sent in a deep cross to beyond the far post. Welford was unmarked and had a free header – but somehow managed to plant his header well wide of the post.

The Player-Assistant-Manager made amends just five minutes later, however, when he put Ashford ahead. Luke Cuthbert, who can be excluded from any criticism, given that he looked imperious at the back throughout the game, won the ball in the centre of the pitch and found Taser Hassan, near to the right touchline. Hassan sent in a deep cross which found Shaun Welford, again unmarked, in the penalty area. This time, Welford made no mistake, and headed the ball down, into the net – aided by the fact that Fisher goalkeeper Joel Hannington was rooted to the spot and made no attempt to dive for the ball.

Welford had another opportunity from a header in the 17^th minute, which did rather suggest that The Fish had a vulnerability in the air at the back. This time, the chance came from a free-kick, delivered by Mickey Phillips. The big Ashford centre-forward was barely challenged as he headed the ball down, but Hannington did well to save, on the goal line.

Up to this point, the play had been fairly scrappy, with little of merit from either side – but that was until the 19^th minute, when, suddenly, Ryan Palmer produced a moment of pure quality. Picking the ball up on the left flank, Palms played a speedy one-two with Tom Fagg, to give himself a sight of goal from some 22 yards out, and let fly with a screamer that went just over the angle of post and bar.

If Ashford were failing to impress in Fisher’s half of the field, they did, at least, appear to be very comfortable at the back – but the home side did create its first chance, in the 21^st minute. Centre-forward Shelton Gooden managed to slip past Pat Kingwell when running onto a through ball. Gooden checked, transferring the ball onto his right foot, but then shot straight at George Kamurasi. Suitably encouraged, the home side had an even better chance, just a minute later, when Kamurasi had to work a little harder to save a shot, from outside the penalty area, from Fish skipper Alfie Nunn. Diving to his right, George parried the ball as far as Chan Quan – who should have scored, but instead managed to dink the ball over the bar.

Aside from these chances, the Ashford defence also appeared to be determined to cause their own problems during this period. An example of this was in the 25^th minute, when a long back pass from Charles Dickens was a little too short, meaning that George Kamurasi was forced to come out of his penalty area. The ‘keeper’s first touch was a poor one, and he almost gave the ball straight to Chan Quan, but just managed to toe-poke the ball away from the Fisher No.10, with Pat Kingwell completing the clearance.

In the 27^th minute, The Fish were on the attack again, through Shelton Gooden, on the left. As before, he cut inside, showing a clear preference for his right foot, but his low shot was always going wide of the near post.

The home side also had a couple of corners, as the game entered its second quarter, so it was not a complete surprise when they equalised, although the goal actually came after a period of Ashford pressure. Mickey Phillips took a free-kick, from near the right-hand corner flag, after Shaun Welford had been floored by a late tackle by Fisher left-back Harry Bogden, (which earned Bogden a yellow card). Again, Welford managed to get on the end of the cross, but aimed his header straight at Joel Hannington.

It was when the play was immediately switched to the other end that Fisher equalised. A quick break enabled the home side to progress as far as the right corner flag, and the ball was pulled back to Chan Quan. He sent in a shot, from just outside the penalty area, that George Kamurasi did well to save, diving to his right, but Will Agbo was there to pick up the rebound. He calmly jinked inside an Ashford defender, before firing in from close range.

Agbo’s goal came in the 41^st minute, and that was how the score remained until half time. After a half in which both teams were poor, with many mistakes and misplaced passes, 1-1 was a fair enough reflection of what we had seen.

The visitors began the second half on the front foot, with captain Mickey Phillips having a chance in the 49^th minute. This came about from a clearance from Charlie Dickens, which Shaun Welford ran onto, down the left flank. Welford found Phillips inside the Fisher penalty area, but the skipper’s shot was deflected wide.

The turning point of the game came just a minute later, when Ashford retook the lead, in very controversial circumstances. Taser Hassan took a corner, on the right, and Pat Kingwell met the ball with a downward header that fell into the path of Ryan Palmer, whose shot was blocked, for another corner. Again it was Taser Hassan with the kick, and, this time, the outcome was a scramble in the Fisher six-yard box. From the halfway line, seven rows back, it appeared that the ball at least went very close to going in, and then it ricocheted down off the crossbar, before being cleared. Play continued for a few seconds, but then the Ashford players began to celebrate, as the lino on the stand side had indicated that the ball had crossed the line.

The result was prolonged arguments on the touchline, involving the said lino and half a dozen of Fisher’s players, led by goalkeeper Joel Hannington. I have to say that the vehement protests had the appearance of certainty about an injustice. On the other hand, the lino was right on the spot, being positioned for the corner, and so must have been in a good place to see. There was also considerable doubt about the identity of the goal scorer, with the man on the excellent PA system admitting that he had no idea. The best information that I have been able to get since the game is that it was Charlie Dickens’ goal.

What is not in dispute is that Ashford were back in the lead, and the home side showed few signs of getting back into the game after this.

Danny Lye made a double substitution in the 55^th minute, with Paul Booth and Mikey Dalton replacing Tom Fagg and Ben Davisson. As the number boards were raised, to inform the crowd of the change, some wag, (obviously a Fish fan), shouted: “You’re off, lino !”.

Ten minutes later, Fisher made their first change, with Deshane Dalling replacing Max Rothwell.

With their collective nose in front, the visitors started to take some semblance of control. After a probing period of pressure, around the hour mark, Shaun Welford, after combining well with Paul Booth, sent in a cross from the right. This found Mickey Phillips, about eight yards from goal, who chested the ball down to Ryan Palmer, but Palms hit the ball straight at the ‘keeper, from close range.

Fisher’s Danny McKone came on for Daniel Lawson, in the 68^th minute, and tried an ambitious shot, from just outside the Ashford area, just two minutes later, but his effort was always going too high.

In the 71^st minute, home goalie Joel Hannington made a hash of things after coming well outside of his area to clear, with the ball falling to Paul Booth. With the goal unguarded, Booth might have tried a lob for glory, but, instead, he carried the ball forward. He beat three Fisher players, but was forced wide, out to the right, as he did so. Nevertheless, he managed to send in a deep cross to Shaun Welford, at the far post, who calmly nodded the ball down, into the net.

With Chris Saunders replacing Taser Hassan in the 75^th minute, it appeared to be a case of how many Ashford could score – although Shelton Gooden did have a chance in the 79^th minute, running onto a ball in the penalty area, just ahead of Pat Kingwell, before shooting wide, from an acute angle. A minute later, though, the home side made a complete mess of an attempt to take a free-kick quickly, with Mikey Dalton pouncing and putting Ryan Palmer through on goal. Palmer was cynically chopped down, when in full flight, by centre-back Rob Curtis, who had already been showing some signs of frustration. He received a yellow card for that, when a different ref might have viewed the incident as a red card offence.

Ashford’s fourth goal, coming in the 85^th minute, rather typified the overall performance, in as much as it was born of errors, but still the ball found its way into the Fish net. Pat Kingwell conceded a corner, on the right, and George Kamurasi, coming to claim the resulting cross in a crowded penalty area, rather flapped at the ball, with both hands. Somehow, the ball went about a foot in the air and then plopped into George’s hands. He then rolled the ball out to Adam Cuthbert, who initiated a break. Paul Booth was the obvious candidate for the through ball, and he was using all of his experience, delaying his run so as to avoid being caught offside. When Adam eventually fed the ball forward, it was too late, as Booth was stationary, having aborted his run. Nevertheless, the pass still found Ryan Palmer, at which point there was no doubt as to the outcome. Palms took a touch to push the ball wide of the goalkeeper, and then his second contact rolled the ball into the net.

As tiredness crept in, and gaps appeared in the home side’s half of the field, Ashford might have ended up with five or six goals, but 1-4 was the final score.

All of the Ashford players received a good ovation from the fans and Management who gathered at the players’ tunnel at the end of the game – but the loudest and most prolonged applause was for Ron Abbott and his two linos. I report that without further comment, and you can make of that what you will………

It would be churlish to describe this as “a bad 4-1 win”, but the lads will need to buck their ideas up before travelling to 5^th-placed Corinthian, next Saturday, as they will present a far sterner test. Two previous games against The Hoops have produced two 1-1 draws, with the most recent of these being the Kent Senior Trophy semi-final, which Ashford won on penalties, so that will not be an easy fixture.