Croydon v Ashford United. Southern Counties East Football League. 22nd of April 2017.

Croydon   0      

Ashford United 4

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

Today’s trip to the Croydon Sports Arena, to take on Croydon, was a monumental occasion for Ashford United Football Club. All Ashford fans will know what the situation was in the League, as we approached the penultimate game of the season. Ashford United and Crowborough Athletic were neck and neck, on points, but with Ashford having a goal difference that was so far superior to that of The Crows that two wins from the final two matches would give Ashford their first championship since 1949.

So two hurdles to negotiate, then, and, with Rochester United coming to Homelands on the final game of the season, today’s game was expected to be by far the more difficult for Ashford. Croydon have had a very solid, mid-table season, and have pulled off some notable victories – including a win against Crowborough, quite recently, which helped our cause a great deal !  The Trams were also fresh from a 6-2 victory in their previous game, on Easter Monday, so, all week, I had been anticipating this game with a certain amount of trepidation.

What I could not have known, of course, was that the home side would be simply dreadful throughout the whole of the 90 minutes. Their apparent disinterest almost matched their incompetence, so that what was meant to be a major test for the visitors turned out to be as close to a formality as you are likely to see in a match between two teams from the same league. It was a fairly “ugly” performance from Ashford, and some of the players occasionally looked a little embarrassed to be there – but concentration levels rarely faltered, and the lads got the job done, with few alarms.

Another general observation I will make is that this was comfortably the worst game that I have seen this season, and a candidate for being one of the worst games involving Ashford of all time – but, in common with most of the good number of away fans in attendance, who made up the vast majority of the crowd of 108, my focus was on nothing more than the result, this afternoon.

A contributing factor to how poor the game was, as a footballing feast, was the state of the pitch. I love coming to Croydon Arena. I have been doing so since the 2004-5 season, (when Croydon beat us 2-1, and Byron Glasgow scored our only goal with a brilliant, curling free-kick). There is always a great view from the large stand, and I find the fact that the pitch is surrounded by an athletics track to merely add to the variety of life at this level of football. The people here are always friendly and helpful, but I can’t hide the truth that the playing surface was very bumpy, and bare patches could be seen from halfway up the stand.

In fairness to Danny Lye and his boys, I think that Ashford summed up the situation of the pitch pretty well, as, at no stage did they try to get the ball down and play pretty football. Ashford seemed to have three main modes of scoring, this afternoon. There was the long ball aimed in the direction of the tall twin strikers (Adrian Stone and Shaun Welford), there was a whole succession of Shaun Welford long throws into the goal mouth, and there were frequent quite appalling kick-outs from the Croydon goalkeeper.

The identity of the Croydon goalkeeper was the first surprise of the day, as he was listed as being Jeff Duah-Kessie, who started the day as the fourth-highest goal scorer in the Southern Counties East Football League. I had considered him to be a major potential obstacle to Ashford United’s title ambitions. I later found out that he was being used as an emergency goalie, in the absence of other options for the home side. The need for such a drastic reorganisation might go some way to explaining The Trams’ distinctly end-of-term performance, this afternoon.

There were some relatively minor surprises in the Ashford line-up. With George Savage on the bench, skipper Stuart West played at right-back, in a solid, 4-4-2 formation. Richard Armitage took West’s place in central defence, alongside Pat Kingwell, with Frazer “Dad’s Army” Walker at left-back. Danny Lye opted for just the one wide man, in Rory Hill, leaving Ryan Palmer on the bench. The men entrusted with controlling the midfield for Ashford were Ben Davisson, Dan Stubbs and Jason Goodchild, who today showed his versatility, in a fairly deep central midfield role. Given the nature of the game, it was difficult for any one player to stand out above the rest, (Shaun Welford, with his hat-trick, notwithstanding), but, if I were forced to name a Man of the Match, then Dan Stubbs would probably be the one. He did a lot of good work in breaking up the few attacks that Croydon tried to put together, and passed the ball as well as anybody, in difficult conditions. The presence of this strong, three-man midfield enabled Rory Hill to get forward to support the front two, so it might be argued that Ashford were often actually playing in a 4-3-3.

Ashford’s bench was very strong, today. As well as Savage George and Ryan Palmer, there was defensive cover in the shape of Joe Vines, plus arguably our two most talented players: young Millwall star Matt Day and David Botterill.

One thing which Ashford did well today was to take control of the game, and dominate possession, right from the start. It should also be said that the long-ball tactic was fairly successful, with passes from deep twice putting Adrian Stone through on goal, during the first half, but Adrianho was not in great finishing form, this afternoon. In fact, including the occasion when one of Duah-Kessie’s goal-kicks went straight to him, he had three one-on-one situations in the first 45 minutes, and should have had a hat-trick.

However, it was a Stone v Duah-Kessie situation that led to Ashford’s opening goal, in the 21^st minute. Although Adrianho’s attempted lob was readily beaten away by the ‘keeper, Shaun Welford caught up with the loose ball, only to be clumsily bundled over by the pursuing Duah-Kessie. The young referee, who had a pretty sound game, had no hesitation in pointing to the penalty spot. There were calls from the very vocal Ashford support for a red card to be shown, but Welford was running away from the goal at the time, so the colour of the card shown was always going to be yellow.

Shaun’s first task was to trot across the eight-lane running track to retrieve the ball, but, once he had returned with it and placed it on the spot, he stuck it away with what has become a trademark penalty – low and hard to the ‘keeper’s right, hitting the corner of the net knee high.

The opening goal settled some Ashford nerves in the crowd, but, on the pitch, the team failed to add to the score during the remainder of the first half. In fact, the game became scrappier as half time approached – although there was a distinct sense that the visitors were more than happy to sit on the lead. Nothing was getting through Ashford’s midfield, Pat Kingwell got his head to anything that came near him in the air and George Kamurasi was untroubled in goal.

The general sloppiness and sleepiness continued in the early part of the second half, and there continued to be few alarms for the Ashford defence. The one chance that Croydon did have was when their centre-forward used his pace to round Richard Avery, but Big George came out and made an excellent save, taking the ball cleanly from the man’s feet.

Danny Lye made a couple of substitutions, fairly close together, either side of the hour mark. After 56 minutes, Adrianho was replaced by Matt Day. Then, after 61 minutes, David Botterill replaced Ben Davisson, who looked like he might have picked up an injury.

The succession of long throws from Shaun Welford came at about this time, all bar one of them from near to the corner flag on the right. There were at least half a dozen of them, each one being launched into the Croydon goalmouth, having the clear intention of putting pressure on the stand-in ‘keeper – and each one of them failing to produce a goal. The closest that this tactic came to bearing fruit was in the 66^th minute, when Matt Day rose high, at the far post, to meet a headed flick-on, but he could do no more than head the ball against that post, from point-blank range.

It was Dave Botterill’s wand of a left foot that set up Ashford’s second goal, in the 69^th minute, but not before there was a moment of farce, when the referee, either on his own or in collaboration with his lino, changed his mind about which side a corner should be taken from. It was not at all out of character with the pace, and nature, of the game that several seconds seeped away as Botterill made his way from the corner flag on the right side of the pitch, to the corner flag on the left. Anyway, the cross from Botts was met by the head of Stuart West, who came charging in, ramming the ball into the top corner of the goal.

That really was the clincher for Ashford, as the home side never looked like reducing the deficit. And this was in spite of the fact that star striker Jeff Duah-Kessie switched from his goalkeeping duties to play as a striker, being replaced by a considerably shorter outfield colleague.

This is actually the first time that I have seen this happen in a game of football, and I’m not sure what the relevant law says about the goalkeeper’s attire in this situation. Although the two players swapped shirts, JD-K continued to wear black shorts and orange socks, whilst his teammates were in royal blue shorts and light blue sockies. It didn’t make much difference, and the referee seemed unconcerned, but I just wonder what the situation would have been if Duah-Kessie had started the game in all bright pink, or dayglow green.

More to the point, it was the switch to a more vertically-challenged, and presumably less experienced, goalie that played a part in Ashford’s third goal, and Welford’s second. David Botterill supplied a long, searching, diagonal cross, from a free-kick, and Welford simply rose above the approaching goalie, who had rushed out of his goal in vain, and planted his header into an empty net. In fact, this was very much a carbon copy of the goal that Welfs scored a fortnight ago, to win the Kent Senior Trophy for Ashford – except that the cross came from the left, instead of the right.

That third goal came in the 81^st minute, and there were 91 minutes up, on my watch, when Welford completed his hat-trick. Again, it was a deep cross from the left that set up the chance, which Shaun, unmarked beyond the far post, headed back into the penalty area. There, he found David Botterill, who manoeuvred the ball back to him. From close range, Welfs lashed the ball into the roof of the net, with a shot that was as ruthless as it was unstoppable.

That’s now 45 goals for the season for the big fella, and his fourth hat-trick. Your defence should indeed be terrified – Shaun Welford’s on fire ! 

This is also a reminder of a very important sub-plot to the promotion campaign, as Shaun has, for some time, been on course to break Stuart Zanone’s record for the most goals in a season for Ashford. Stuart’s record stands at 47, which he achieved in the 2014-15 season. So Welford needs to score three goals against Rochester United, next Saturday, to break that record – but he needs EIGHT to break Stuart’s record for the most goals scored for Ashford in a match !

But the main issue concerns the SCEFL Championship, and promotion to the Isthmian League. Although this was an awful, painfully one-sided match, which was a pretty poor advert for Step 5 football, Ashford United did a thoroughly solid job in securing all three points. Down in Sussex, Crowborough again managed to scrape through their match, scoring the only goal from the penalty spot, against ten-man Beckenham Town, meaning that The Nuts & Bolts still need three points against Rochester United to be sure of Ashford’s first title since Clement Attlee was Prime Minister. (That’s actually quite an appropriate remark, as Attlee is almost certainly the only Prime Minister of Great Britain to have played nonleague football – he played for Fleet Town !).

Without wishing to tempt fate, I would be very surprised, (not to say devastated), if the lads were to let their grip on the title slip now – not because they beat Rochester 0-8 in the corresponding fixture, but because the focus appears to be very strong now. This was very apparent in the way in which the whole squad went about their business today. Also, as the players made their way, in ones and twos, from the changing room to the bar, which is situated just outside the Arena, they all repeated the same mantra: “Just one more game. Just one more game”.

And, finally, an apology for the absence of fine detail in this report, and for my failure to identify one or two of the Croydon players. That’s because, on a day that otherwise went absolutely swimmingly, Your Correspondent managed to leave his notebook and team sheets behind on the train, when he got off at Milton Keynes.

Ashford United v Cray Valley Paper Mills. Kent Senior Trophy Final. 9th of April 2017.

Ashford United  2

Cray Valley PM  1                

The Kent Senior Trophy Final

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

J.R.R.Tolkien invented the word “eucatastrophe”. It’s meant to describe something that is the opposite to a “catastrophe”. We are all familiar with catastrophes, when the whole shooting match (figuratively) suddenly goes completely pear-shaped. Well, a eucatastrophe, which Tolkien often used in his fictional stories, is when all appears to be lost, and there is no hope of avoiding a dark and utterly terrible doom – but then, unexpectedly, there is a very sudden good turn of events, which leads to a happy ending.

I mention this because the concept of eucatastrophe has been very much in my mind, over the past few days, because of the recent turn of events that has affected my football club. In spite of a continuing run of good results, and some sparkling football, on the field, there have been plenty of reasons to be fearful concerning events off the field. The club had lived under the cloud of receivership for some time, but the recent news that the 3G pitch at Homelands had failed an FA inspection, and that dispensation had just about been granted for football to continue there until the end of this season, came as a bitter blow. Add to that the fact that Crowborough Athletic were refusing to drop a point, and the lack of a guarantee of a ground to play at next season, and the prospects of promotion were starting to look bleak.

Then, in the space of a few days, the long-running dispute over ownership of the ground was solved, and, beyond all hope, Ashford United FC owned Homelands, once again. In the same week, the pitch passed its FA inspection, and the whole stadium, including the floodlights, which had been rumoured to have had a problem, received its ground grading certificate up to Ryman Premier League level.

Strangely, these happy tidings coincided with the lads’ form collapsing, on the pitch, with a dreadful performance away at Sevenoaks, in the league, fully deserving a 4-0 defeat. The crisis deepened with a 0-3 defeat at home, to the same opponents, the following Tuesday. But Ashford United’s general upward curve continued, when, just four days later, the lads pulled off a crucial 3-1 victory in the crunch promotion showdown, against Crowborough. Considering what was at stake, and the alarming dip in form that preceded it, I reckon that that must have been Ashford’s greatest ever victory !  Tolkien’s favourite device for effecting a eucatastrophe was to send a squadron of giant eagles to rescue our heroes. (He played that card three times). Danny Lye sent out Rory Hill, who scored a brilliant hat-trick.

Just as importantly, the players and management, who must have been physically, mentally and emotionally drained after the Crowborough game, dragged themselves together once more and overcame Whitstable, away, on the following Tuesday evening. That 0-2 win was just as important as the monumental victory on the Saturday – and it meant that Ashford went into a six-point lead over Crowborough, with The Crows having two games in hand, but a far inferior goal difference.

So the bottom-line outcome from the dramatic turn of events is that Ashford United now just need to win their final four league games to be able to play Ryman Division 1 South football, at Homelands, next season.

But the recent revival in fortunes has had a more profound affect than that, in my view. A tangible feel-good factor in and around the club is now very much in evidence. The attendance of 457, for Saturday’s big game, was the highest at Homelands for a league game since the optimistic days of the 2008-9 season. It was a record for Ashford United, since The Reformation. That single gate might be put down to the fact that the match was very much the match of the season for the Southern Counties East League – but it is undeniable that the supporters have gradually started to be lured back to Homelands. The average home crowd for league games currently stands at 239 – that’s better than any of the Kent teams currently playing in the Ryman Division 1 South. It also compares favourably with average attendance at Homelands from the previous two years – 199 for the 2015-6 season, and 184 for the season before that.

But it’s not just a question of numbers. Less tangibly, although the recent off-the-field gains were secured by our silver-haired titans, who continue to run and fund the club, they are now supported by a new generation of younger volunteers, who promote the club by ingenious means online – using “social media”, (whatever that is) – and support the club very vocally, home and away. These lads have improved communications no end, and have certainly raised the profile of the club.

Added to that, there is an unprecedented youth team structure that can underpin the club’s activities for years to come. I gather that the youngest age group team is the U-11 team, but the Ashford United flag has well and truly been borne, recently, by Jason Whitmore’s richly talented U-18 squad. What has been especially pleasing is that Manager Danny Lye has embraced the U-18s by giving at least half a dozen of the lads experience of first team football, this season. That has really added to the “one club” spirit about the place.

Very recently, of course, the potential that exists within the town’s youth ranks was advertised by the astonishingly impressive debut made by young Matt Day, in the crucial victory at Whitstable, last Tuesday. By all accounts, he was brilliant, particularly in the first half, and scored a vital, and well taken, goal. Surely, that must have been the most exciting debut for an Ashford player since Jimmy Bottle’s first start, in the 2007-8 season, when he scored with two long-range shots, with his first two touches, away at Cray Wanderers. Matt Day is actually a Millwall player, but is a product of the Ashford United youth system, having been part of the set-up as a 14 year-old – so is one of our own !

All told, I must say that the vibe around the Club is as positive as I have ever known it – and the ethos of togetherness, and the complexion of a club that is ready to move forward, were further reinforced at today’s FA Trophy Final. It wasn’t just because of the number of Ashford supporters that were present, and the green & white balloons. It was also the good turn-out of mascots, all in their specially-ordered outfits, that really made a statement. It’s having the bedrock of parents who are prepared to put their children forward for this role, and there being the willingness from within the Club to organise such a gesture, that provides grounds for optimism for the future.

And to emphasise the fact that the Gods have started to smile upon Ashford United, the weather for today’s match was wonderful. A warm, sunny day, under a flawless, blue sky, which wouldn’t have been out of place in July during the cricket season. In fact, as I drove down the M1 this morning, and the dashboard thermometer touched 25.5°C, I decided that, today, the result of the game wouldn’t be the most important thing.

As it turned out, of course, the result of the game was extremely important – because we won ! 

The Club is very much focused on promotion to the Isthmian League as a prime objective, but Ashford United lifting silverware for the very first time is a very important landmark. For those of us who take less notice of the birth of a new club in 2011, and tend to regard the history of football in Ashford as a single narrative, this was the first trophy that we have won for 21 years. Due to personal and geographical circumstances, I was unable to get to matches during the 1990s, so, when Stuart West raised the Kent Senior Trophy aloft, it was the first time that I have ever seen an Ashford captain do such a thing. It is something that will remain in my memory for a long time – probably for longer than the video that I recorded remains on my smartphone.

On the subject of “firsts”, this was a first trophy win for Danny Lye as a manager, in the second year of what promises to be a successful career. Lyzee remained on the pitch, with the trophy, long after the Ashford players had returned to the dressing room – having his picture taken with the silver cup and some of the mascots, and clutching the silverware as he was being interviewed by a reporter. Of course, this was a victory that also belongs to Assistant Manager Shaun Welford, who also scored both goals – his 40^th and 41^st of the season. Both Shaun and Danny are former Maidstone United players, and both will be well known to Stones supporters.

If the occasion was wonderful, the game itself wasn’t particularly memorable – a typical cup final, in as much as it was fairly nervy, with neither side really settling down to play good, flowing football. What should be remembered, though, is the Ashford United starting line-up, as this is the roll call of names that will go down in history, and be remembered in songs and bed-time stories for many years to come. Mark them well:

1. Kamurasi, G.
2. Savage, G.
3. Walker, F.
4. Botterill, D.
5. West, S. (capt.)
6. Kingwell, P.
7. Palmer, R.
8. Stubbs, D.
9. Welford, S.
10. Goodchild, J.
11. Hill, R.

Adrian Stone came on as a substitute for Dan Stubbs, in the 70^th minute. The unused subs were Luke Eldridge, Brandon Williams, Harry Lavender and Danny Lye.

For children being encouraged to learn this line-up for their prayers, it’s quite OK to refer to the goalie as “Big George”, if “Kamurasi” is difficult to pronounce. It’s also OK to refer to Adrian Stone as “Adrianho”, as God knows him by that name.

So there was no Matt Day in the side today, as he was ineligible for this competition. Also, recent signings Richard Avery and Joe Vines were “cup-tied”. However, Ashford started with what looked to be pretty much a full-strength team, the only exception being the suspended Ben Davisson, who had to make do with a seat in the main stand – but Dan Stubbs proved to be a very able replacement.

So the sun-drenched afternoon began with the teams marching out together, with the Ashford United mascots being carried, or led by the hand, by the Ashford players. Ashford, in this match between two teams belonging to the Green Fellowship, had clearly won the toss for playing in the holy green & white, as they were kitted out in the dark green shirt with the striking, and soon to become iconic, white chevron. Cray Valley Paper Mills were also decked out in a new change strip – sky blue shirts with a single, off-centre vertical stripe, and black shorts and sockies. Their goalkeeper, Jordan Carey, also wore black shorts and socks, but retained the same bright orange shirt that he wore on “Soccer am”, recently, after his goalpost-butting antics during Cray Valley’s most recent meeting with Ashford – a 2-5 defeat, at home – had made the young lad a social media celebrity.

It’s also fair to say that Maidstone United’s Gallagher Stadium was a cauldron of noise during the preliminaries and the early part of the game, and almost all of this noise was being made by the Ashford fans who made up the vast majority of the 726-strong crowd.

To the fans’ credit, the noise level didn’t drop a decibel when Cray Valley PM took a surprise lead, in the second minute of the game. The first attack of the game was halted by a fairly unnecessary foul by Stuart West. The initial cross from the resulting free-kick was cleared, to The Millers’ left flank, but the ball was then fired back into the penalty area, where central defender Laurence Collins turned the ball into the net. So a great start for the team that started the game in fifth place in the Southern Counties League – and I should imagine that many Ashford fans would have been fearing that it might be “Sevenoaks all over again” !

Happily, there was to be no repeat of that 4-0 nightmare, and Ashford gradually asserted, having much the better of the first half. Some dithering in the Cray Valley defence, in the sixth minute, presented Rory Hill with a good opportunity inside their penalty area, but his shot was deflected behind. The resulting corner, and a follow-up corner and a Shaun Welford long throw soon after, all came to nothing.

For a good 15 minutes, Ashford struggled to play with any rhythm, with errors and misplaced passes preventing them from taking advantage of their dominance of possession. Ryan Palmer had one embarrassing moment, in the 17^th minute, when he miscued a cross so badly that he sent the ball careering over the stand behind the goal, in the direction of Maidstone Town Centre – but Palms’ blushes were spared when a corner was awarded, with Referee Ben Bowles assuming that the ball must have taken a deflection.

Ashford finally got the ball down, and passed it around, in the 19^th minute, and this produced a good chance for Shaun Welford. Dave Botterill, the class act in our midfield who is capable of making a magical, Hoddle-like pass, with his educated left foot, picked out Welfs on the edge of the penalty area, but the big man side-footed his volley wide.

Three minutes later, it was heart in mouth time for the legions of Ashford fans, as big Jason Thompson, almost certainly The Millers’ best player, put Aaron Rhule through on goal, with a great through-ball. George Kamurasi came charging out of his goal, the ball was pushed beyond him, and Rhule crashed to the artificial surface. The awarding of a penalty at that point might easily have changed the course of the game – but Referee Bowles did no more than award a corner.

I have to say that Ben Bowles had an excellent game. I was very impressed that he had the balls to book Enoch Adjei, as early as the fifth minute, for a blatant and theatrical dive, about five yards from the Ashford penalty area. Bowles and his assistants received a rousing reception from the crowd when they collected their medals at the end of the game – which I hadn’t heard before.

Anyway, it wasn’t a penalty, and the resulting corner was cleared – and then Ashford scored the crucial equaliser, in the 25^th minute. A not particularly good clearance fell to Jason Goodchild, who knocked the ball into the path of Shaun Welford. From just inside the Cray Valley area, Welford wrong-footed the one defender in front of him, when transferring the ball onto his right foot, and then calmly slotted the ball into the bottom corner of the net. So that was the 40-goal mark for the season achieved by Shaun. What on earth will we do without his goals ?  Come to that, how will Shaun ever replace the buzz of scoring goals, when he does eventually hang up his boots ?

In the 27^th minute, Ben Francis, Cray Valley’s young centre-forward, was allowed to tee off with a shot, from just outside the area, by retreating Ashford defenders – and it was a relief to see his low shot go straight at George Kamurasi. A minute later, however, and Shaun Welford had a chance to put Ashford into the lead. Jordan Carey appeared to have matters under control as Savage George sent a long, floated ball forward, but, instead, the ball fell at the feet of Welford. After a neat turn by the Ashford striker, Carey found himself on the wrong side of his man – which is bad news for a defender, and even worse news for a goalkeeper !  But Welford’s left-footed shot hit the knee of the first of two defenders who had rushed back to defend the empty net, and went out for a corner.

In the 32^nd minute, Georgie Savage was again the provider, this time heading a clearance from The Millers’ defence back in the direction from which it came. Laurence Collins made a terrible hash of trying to deal with the ball, and was no doubt horrified to see it break to Shaun Welford, of all people – but Welfs fired the ball into the side-netting, from a tight angle.

From the 34^th minute, there was a sustained period of Ashford pressure. First, Ryan Palmer beat his man with ease, out on the right wing, but Shaun Welford was unable to get high enough to be able to head Palmer’s cross downwards. Then, Pat Kingwell went on a Maradona-like run through the Millers’ half, before setting Jason Goodchild up for a shot, which was hit low and wide.

So no cigar for Ashford, during this period, and Cray Valley very nearly hit back with a goal of their own, in the 37^th minute. Aaron Rhule once again ran onto a through-ball into the penalty area, which beat the Ashford defensive line with alarming ease, but Big George came out to make a very important save. A minute later, and Shaun Welford was seen at his best, when he controlled a long ball on his chest, held off his marker and then played a controlled lay-off to Dave Botterill. The bearded No.4 again showed his value to the side in being able to pick out a chance-creating pass, this time presenting Rory Hill with an opportunity, putting last week-end’s hat-trick hero through on goal – but Rory slid his low shot just wide of the far post.

Ashford continued to play with good rhythm and intent for the remainder of the half, but The Millers, like a battered boxer really needing to hear the sound of the bell, kept the score at 1-1 until half time.

It took Ashford some time to re-impose themselves on the opposition in the second half, but The Millers certainly found themselves under some pressure on about the hour mark. Ryan Palmer, who was making the left-back’s life a misery, over on the right, seeming to be able to beat him at will – I am sure that Palms was well aware that today was Palm Sunday – sent in a good cross towards Welford, but, again, the target man was able to do no more than head the ball up in the air. Seconds later, Rory Hill hit a good, swerving shot, that Jordan Carey did well to beat away, and, soon after, Rory managed to get behind The Millers’ defence, but his cross from the by-line failed to find an Ashford head.

The period of Ashford dominance was interrupted by a Cray Valley attack, in the 61^st minute, which ended with a shot from outside the area, which went wide, but nevertheless had George Kamurasi diving desperately to his left. But, if either side was going to take the lead, then it was most likely to be Ashford, who were back on the attack with Ryan Palmer, in the 63^rd minute. Again, Palms easily beat his man, to create the opportunity for the cross, which was cleared, but only as far as Rory Hill. This time, Rory hit his shot sweetly, and it needed a great, diving save from Jordan Carey to keep the scores level.

As the game entered its final quarter, the pace of the play began to slow markedly, due, to some extent, no doubt, to tired legs created by the artificial surface under foot, and the effect of the burning sun that was beating down from above. There were several stoppages for Ben Francis having to receive treatment. He went down three or four times, without being tackled – and I wouldn’t be surprised if he had been having problems with sunstroke – before he was finally replaced by ex-Ashford Town left-back Steve Springett, for the final ten minutes of the game. These interruptions made for a very soporific atmosphere, during this period of the match, and, given the fact that Cray Valley showed little inclination to get on with the game, it appeared that there was every chance of the Final being settled with “kicks from the penalty mark”, for the second season running.

But that prospect was removed when Shaun Welford scored the winning goal, in the 80^th minute. It was a trademark powerful header from Welford, but goalkeeper Jordan Carey, who has become very popular with the Ashford fans, will be disappointed with his contribution to it. The move began, yet again, with Ryan Palmer, wide on the right. For once, he passed up the chance to skin the left-back, and laid the ball back to Savage George, who was charging up to join him, from the right-back position. George sent in a long cross, towards Welford, who was waiting beyond the far post. Jordan came out for the cross, and just missed it, leaving Shaun to plant his header into the empty net.

The Millers never really looked like equalising, during the remaining ten minutes, plus four minutes added on at the end. In fact, the best chance in what remained in this Final fell to Rory Hill. Picking the ball up on the half-way line, Ryan Palmer beat one man, with a typically neat piece of footwork, and then beat a second blue-shirted player with sheer pace, to put himself well inside The Millers’ area. Palms’ cross fell at the feet of Hill, whose rocket of a shot rather hit Carey on the body, before spiraling out for a corner – I’m not convinced that he actually saw it !

So 2-1 was the final score. On the balance of play, Ashford might have been value for one or two more goals – but, in a Final, all that matters is which team lefts the cup, and today, for the first time since 1996, it was the Ashford captain !