Corinthian-Casuals 3
Ashford United 0
from Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent
The third game of the
season for me, this. And whereas my first game of Ashford United’s return to
the Isthmian League involved a visit to a ground and a club that I hadn’t seen
before (Carshalton Athletic), and the second was a return to familiar, ‘Kent
League’ surroundings (a trip to Badgers Sports Ground, now the home of
Greenwich Borough), today’s match was the other type of fixture. This was a
return to a once very familiar haunt - King George’s Field, in Tolworth, in
South West London, which has been the home ground of Corinthian-Casuals since 1988.
For
some younger supporters of Ashford United, brought up with a team winning most
weeks, and eventually lifting silverware, the quite dreadful run of results, this
season, has probably come as something of a shock. For us more seasoned fans,
the ones with grey hair, there has been something almost nostalgic about our
heroes’ tribulations, as following a team struggling at the bottom of the
Isthmian League used to be pretty much the norm. In fact, along with the likes
of Rothwell Town, St Leonards, Molesey, Walton Casuals and Fleet Town, I
remember Corinthian-Casuals as being fellow perennial strugglers, and among the
few teams that Ashford Town, in the final years of the old Club’s existence,
could beat.
In
fact, looking through my dusty archive of match reports, I see that I went to
the match at King George’s Field in each of Ashford Town’s last five seasons,
from 2005-6 to 2009-10. To provide a history lesson for our younger friends,
and some nostalgia for those old gits who have suffered with me over the years,
here are the opening words of my reports on some of those games here, (to
demonstrate that collective misery is not a new thing)….
The
report on the 2005-6 match began with:
“All chance for valour has now gone. Whether or
not we manage to scrape through this season without getting relegated, this
will still go down as being an abysmal season.”
We
ended up winning that game 0-1, thanks to a goal from Stuart Playford.
In
2006-7, it was:
“Although we are only in mid-November, this was
a must-win game; not just because …. everyone else seemed to have been taking
the points away from King George’s Field, but also because we were lying in
third-bottom position at the start of play, just two points above the
relegation zone, having played a game more than Walton Casuals.”
We
also won that game, 0-3, and returned to Tolworth the next season with a 0-2
victory – but then, in 2008-9, this happened:
“This was three easy points thrown away. Ashford
Town were cruising in third gear, 0-2 up, after an hour here at King George’s
Field, but we somehow contrived to lose this game, against a team that I’d
expect us to beat nine times out of ten.”
Worse followed in
2009-10, Ashford Town’s final season, when the lads went down 5-1:
“It’s extremely disappointing and deflating to have to report that, this
afternoon, I witnessed what I think was our worst performance of the season.
This was a massive step backwards. It also appeared to be a hugely dispiriting
experience for the exasperated management team of Steve Lovell and Hugo Langton.”
Well, nobody could
question the quality of our management team on that occasion ! And we didn’t just lose that game because
Danny Lye was playing at left-back !
Happy days ! (Yes, really). And one thing that we can say
is that we avoided relegation that season, and in all those other seasons of
struggle, so that we never went downwards in the pyramid due to performances on
the pitch.
[ And finally, before I
deal with the events of this afternoon, here is the usual disclaimer. The
nickname of Corinthian-Casuals FC is “The Pink & Chocolate”. I report that
without further comment. You can make up your own dirty jokes. ]
One thing that has
certainly changed in the intervening seven years is that today’s hosts are now
far from being relegation fodder. In fact, they began today’s game in second
place in the league, having recorded an impressive 1-6 victory away at South
Park on Tuesday. As such, this was a challenge that Jason Whitmore’s improving
side could have done without. With new coach Paul Barnes having been on board
for a handful of games, and with a whole raft of new players in the process of
bedding in, Ashford put in what was, by most accounts, by far their best
performance of the season, on Tuesday, in spite of it ending in a 3-5 defeat at
home to Herne Bay. It was the first time this season that we had actually
managed to get in front after being behind – but, more importantly, it
appeared, on Tuesday, that we were, at last, actually COMPETING. What is
desperately needed, however, is for the new group of players to get a win under
their belt, and so it would have been nice for them to have had a simpler task
today.
In terms of the
situation at the bottom of the league table, the hideous prospect of relegation
has become less imminent of late, with bottom club Shoreham having been docked
six points for the heinous crime of having made a clerical error of some sort.
That meant that, this morning, Ashford had a cushion of seven points over The
Musselmen, albeit having played two games more. The pressure was further eased,
as kick-off at Tolworth neared, by the news that Shoreham were already trailing
3-0 at half time in Guernsey, in the 2pm kick-off.
So, with the odds
stacked against Ashford, in this second-versus-second-bottom match, my hope today
was to see Jason Whitmore’s boys show some improvement on the performance they
turned in a fortnight ago, against Greenwich Borough. Just like today’s opponents,
Greenwich were challenging at the top of the table, but it was a concern that
there was such an obvious abyss between the two sides.
In that context,
although today’s 3-0 victory was as straightforward for the home side as the
score line suggests, Ashford’s performance this afternoon represented a
definite improvement. It soon became obvious that Casuals had two strikers who
would be a handful for any defence – Reyon Dillon, who was strong and skillful,
and looked the biggest man on the pitch, and Gabriel Odunaike – and Ashford’s
back four of Frazer Walker, James Fitchett, John Difford and Tommy Cooney did
well to contain them for most of the match. Two weeks ago, it was noticeable
that the Ashford players were losing their personal battles all over the pitch.
The lads today held their own much more effectively, (although a boxing referee
would probably have given the verdict to the home side by a couple of rounds
!).
Ashford were generally
fairly solid, this afternoon. Jason Whitmore set the team up in a 4-2-3-1
formation, with Aaron Lee-Wharton behind the back four and Jack Healey and Ben
Davisson generally just in front of them. Andrew Dalhouse was up front as the
target man, with Max Watters, Joe Bingham and Ira Jackson forming a sort of umbrella
behind him. Pat Kingwell was again absent. I understand that he missed Tuesday’s
game against Herne Bay because of concussion, so it’s a fair bet that this was
the reason for him not playing today. Ben Davisson again took over as captain,
and led by example, with a typically committed performance.
There had been much
talk, since Tuesday’s 3-5 defeat, about individual errors costing the team
goals, and so this was probably very much the focus of Jason Whitmore’s
pre-match team talk. If that was the case, then the game plan lasted for
approximately nine minutes, as it was at this point that Frazer Walker, quite
inexplicably, allowed the ball to run under his foot. It went straight to Reyon
Dillon, who gave notice of the quality of Ashford’s opposition by taking one
touch before firing the ball low, into the net.
In spite of this early
reverse, there was not a great deal between the two sides for the remainder of
the first half. It is also to Ashford’s credit that, in spite of Corinthian-Casuals’
potent attacking force, this turned out to be a game of few clear-cut chances.
On the debit side, almost all of these chances were created by the home side,
who were confident on the ball, and mobile and inventive when going forward.
Ashford, on the other hand, still tended to favour the long ball forward. This
is a ploy that is more readily forgivable now that we have a genuine target man,
in Andrew Dalhouse, but almost everything aerial threatening the Casuals’
goalmouth met the head of a home defender, and most attempted through balls
were easily dealt with.
One of Ashford’s best
players this afternoon was Max Watters. Although he rarely threatened with a
telling cross, he showed good composure on the ball, and good control. He was
responsible for a rare Ashford shot on target, shortly after the home side had
taken the lead. Having beaten his man on the corner of the penalty area, he had
a clear sight of goal, but his shot went straight at Casuals goalkeeper Danny
Bracken. The only other recognisable first-half chance for the boys in yellow
came in the 20th minute, when John Difford met a Ben Davisson
free-kick from near the right touchline, but Difford miscued his header
hopelessly wide.
The home side, playing
in pink and chocolate halved shirts, with sleeves reversed, and chocolate
shorts, created rather better chances. In the 26th minute, Reyon
Dillon went on a mazy dribble, being prepared to take the ball in the direction
of his own goal if it meant keeping possession, but eventually turned and hit a
well-struck shot, which required a good save from Aaron Lee-Wharton. In the 40th
minute, Dillon left Jack Healey trailing in his wake, as he turned inside him,
before putting Gabriel Odunaike through on goal. There were loud appeals for a
penalty, as Odunaike went down in the area, but the referee gave nothing. With
two minutes to go to half time, a Josh Uzun corner, from the right, led to a
bit of a scramble in the Ashford six yard box, but Tommy Cooney managed to
clear the ball from close to the Ashford goal line.
As a first half that
was played in constant drizzle, and to a backdrop of non-stop singing from a
small band of Corinthian-Casuals supporters, entered the one minute of injury
time, Ashford did finish on the front foot, forcing a late corner, but the
score remained at 1-0 at the break.
The drizzle appeared to
intensify during the interval, but King George’s Field offers plenty of shelter
for spectators. The only seated accommodation can be found in a low and narrow
stand, consisting of three rows of seats, extending for almost the length of
the pitch on one side, but there is shelter for the whole of that side, and
also for the width of the pitch behind one of the goals. It also looked to be a
nice, flat, turf playing surface.
The Pink &
Chocolate took control more noticeably during the second half, with Aaron
Lee-Wharton having to make the best save of the match, as early as the 48th
minute. He drew applause from the 182-strong crowd as he first parried a
well-hit shot from the right flank, before plucking the ball out of the air.
Two minutes later, Aaron had a free-kick in a dangerous, central position to
deal with, after Ben Davisson was penalised, (when it actually appeared to me
that he was the one who had been fouled). Josh Uzun went for goal, but Aaron
gathered the ball fairly comfortably, near to his left-hand post.
On the hour mark, Jason
Whitmore made his first substitution, replacing Ira Jackson, who was fairly
ineffective today, with new signing Stefan Cox, who thus became Ashford’s 58th
player to be used this season. And within seconds of the change, Ashford had a
squeak of a chance, when Ben Davisson put Max Watters through in the
inside-right channel – but Max pulled the ball across the face of goal, with
what may or may not have been a shot.
Jason made his second
change after 65 minutes, and this appeared to be a tactical change with the
objective of increasing Ashford’s goal threat. He withdrew Frazer Walker,
allowing defensive midfielder Jack Healey to replace him at right-back, and
threw on Mohamed Mohamed; (at least I am assuming that that was not just an
echo in the King George’s Field PA system). But this move proved to be to no
avail, as Casuals effectively secured the three points when they made it 2-0,
in the 69th minute. Having had the ball in the net in the 64th
minute, only for the ‘goal’ to ruled out for offside, Casuals opened up the
Ashford defence with a diagonal ball that found No.11 Max Oldham free, on the
left flank. Aaron Lee-Wharton came out of his goal to meet the attacker, but
Oldham calmly slid the ball between the ‘keeper’s legs, and into the net.
I am not sure whether
it sensed that it was ‘game over’ at this point, but my biro chose this moment
to run out of ink ! (Note to self: take
a spare biro, in future). I am therefore relying on memory to describe
Corinthian-Casuals’ third goal, but I will do my best to do so, given that it
was one of the finest goals that I have seen at this level. Coming in the 82nd
minute, it was a brilliant team goal, the sign of a talented team that is full
of confidence. It was also a fitting way for the home side to cap a commanding
performance. The move started with the ball being played forward from the half-way
line, before being flicked on by the outside of someone’s boot to set a
team-mate off down the left touchline. A cheeky dink over the head of Jack
Healey took him out of the game, and then I think it was Reyon Dillon who skillfully
lifted the ball over Lee-Wharton’s head. There were Ashford defenders
desperately trying to scramble the ball off the line, but Dillon was there to
turn the ball into the net, for his second goal of the match. A third goal was
a little harsh on the Ashford lads, who had fought hard to compete with a very
good side, but the inspired move really deserved to result in a goal, which was
acknowledged with applause from both sets of supporters.
Ebun Odubonojo had, by
this time, replaced Andrew Dalhouse, (in the 71st minute), and this
change did, briefly, liven things up for Ashford in attack, particularly when
he combined with fellow substitute Stefan Cox, but Danny Bracken was rarely
troubled, in the Casuals’ goal.
Elsewhere, Lewes were
held to a 2-2 draw, meaning that today’s victory at King George’s Field put our
old friends on top of the table. They seem to be nice people here, so that’s
all good.
In spite of the
improved showing by Ashford, this afternoon, results continue to look dreadful.
Since beating Guernsey at home, the subsequent 13 games have yielded just two
points, with the eleven defeats ALL being by at least two goals. Nevertheless,
things appear to be going in the right direction, and I don’t think it will be
long before the lads will start picking up points. However, it might not be in
our next game, which is a difficult trip to face Cray Wanderers. Next Saturday’s
opponents moved up to third in the table, with a 0-7 victory at East Grinstead.
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