VCD Athletic v Ashford United. Isthmian League Division 1 South. 7th of March 2020.

VCD Athletic 3

Ashford United 1

from Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

The latest installment of Ashford United’s bid for promotion to the Isthmian Premier Division took us to Oakwood, in Crayford, just west of Dartford. This afternoon, we took on VCD away – or, to be exact, Vickers, Crayford & Dartford Athletic.

This promised to be a very different match day experience to the one that Mrs Milton Keynes Correspondent and I enjoyed a fortnight ago, when we had a weekend away in Guernsey. That involved a very relaxed day of socialising in the bar with the islanders, with an occasional glance outside to see how many goals the lads had scored. (We ended up winning 0-6, which was an astonishing score line, against a good side). Today, however, I was ‘on duty’, and so it was just me and my notebook. Also, whereas the journey to Footes Lane, in Guernsey, had been by car, ‘plane, taxi and bus, today I kept things simple and drove. With the spread of the corona virus gathering momentum in the UK, I didn’t really fancy being cooped up with a load of people on a coach or a train. (I’m actually amazed that humans can get a virus from lemonade).

Looking through my archive of match reports – (I don’t go out much; about as often as the Olympic flame, in fact) – I was a little surprised to find that I have only done a couple involving VCD. The first of these was from about ten years ago, on the 19^th of January 2010. This was a Kent Senior Cup tie, when Vickers were in the Isthmian League Division 1 North and Ashford Town had been going through a period of playing very little football - this was partly due to The Homelands pitch having been unplayable, mostly because of waterlogging, but at one time because of being under six inches of snow. The previous match had been on Boxing Day, with the game before that taking place on the 12^th of December. Ashford, then managed by Steve Lovell, won that match 1-2, with goals from Tom Murphy and Mark Lovell, who was scoring for the first time following a 14-month injury lay-off. Skipper Danny Lye played in central defence on that occasion, due to a fairly severe injury crisis.

I was back at Oakwood a couple of seasons later, just after The Reformation, when we played a Kent Invicta League game against Erith & Dartford Town, who were ground sharing with VCD at the time. That game ended 2-2, and Erith & Dartford went on to change their name to Kent Football United.

My next trip here was not until the 2017-18 season, the day before Christmas Eve, and this was actually Ashford’s first ‘proper’ game away to VCD, having never before had a game here in the league or in the FA Cup, FA Trophy or FA Vase. Jason Whitmore was Ashford’s Manager at the time, and the match was memorable for a last-minute equaliser scored by Andrew Dalhouse, who rose at the far post at a corner, and powered a header in off Joe Mant’s crossbar.

Ashford spent most of that 2017-18 season very close to the bottom of the league table, but we arrived in Crayford today as league leaders, albeit purely due to having a better goal difference than Hastings United, who were level on points and with two games in hand. It would seem that Hastings are warm favourites for the title and the one automatic promotion spot, which would mean Ashford having to settle for the promotion play-offs for the second consecutive season – in which case it is extremely important to finish either second or third, to at least guarantee a lucrative home tie for the play-off semi-final, and maybe the final. Our hosts today had been in and around the play-off zone during the early part of the season, but have slipped away of late, starting today’s game down in ninth, all of 20 points behind Ashford.

One thing that Tommy Warrilow has in common with Steve Lovell, apart from being among the best Managers we’ve had, is that he came to Oakwood having to deal with a bit of an injury crisis, particularly in central defence. To add to the injuries, Ashford’s best central defender, Mo Kamara, began a suspension today as a result of the red card he received against Chichester City last Saturday. It was good news, therefore, that the experienced Matt Bourne returned in the centre of the defence, this afternoon. In fact, the team sheets that were scattered around the Oakwood bar before the game indicated that Tommy Warrilow had been able to put out a strong side, and with a full complement of substitutes, in spite of the squad being pretty much down to the bare bones. Bourne was again partnered in the centre by Jake McIntyre, whom we have got to know more as a left-back. The full-backs today were Ben Wilson on the left and Tariq Ossai on the right.

Our midfield looked strong, with Lee Prescott in the defensive position in front of the back four, and three creative midfielders in the form (from left to right) of Aaron Conlon, Tom O’Connor and Tommie Fagg. In the continued absence of Jay May, there was a second start in a week in attack for Adrian Stone, alongside relatively new signing George Purcell. That meant that top scorer Dave Smith, who has scored 23 goals so far this season, again started the match on the bench – as did Tashi-Jay Kwayie, Theo Osinfolarin and reserve goalie Lee Hook. Josh Wisson was also named as a substitute and took part in the half-time kick-about with the other subs, but it’s likely that he is not yet fit enough to play, following an injury to a metatarsal bone. Sam Mott was in goal, and wore the skipper’s arm band, as usual.

It was a largely overcast, but dry, day, and there was scarcely a breath of wind. Also, the Oakwood pitch looked immaculate, so there was no excuse today for not playing good football. Unfortunately for the Ashford faithful among the crowd of 120, most of the good football came from VCD, this afternoon. In fact, the home side looked a pacier and slicker side from the outset and might have put the match to bed very early on. As early as the second minute, a quick passing movement put ex-Ashford midfielder Bode Anidugbe (21 appearances for The Nuts & Bolts last season, including both play-off games) clean through on goal. Bode managed to chip the ball over the advancing Sam Mott, but wide of goal. There were pleas for a penalty, as Anidugbe tripped over Sam after releasing his shot. There was definitely contact, but the referee was not interested.

Just three minutes later, right winger Alex Gaggin rounded Ben Wilson, inside the Ashford penalty area, and pulled the ball back from the by-line, but Ali Fuseini managed to miss the target from about 12 yards out. In the eighth minute, Vickers were very nearly through on goal again, when a couple of slick passes put the prolific Charlie MacDonald behind the Ashford defence. There were some rather hopeful appeals for offside – although it was clear from the halfway line that MacDonald was onside – before Tariq Ossai came across with a covering tackle.

In between these scares, Ashford did try to get the ball on the ground and play some passing football. In fact, the boys looked like they might create something going forward during the early part of the half, but always looked vulnerable at the back to VCD’s pace and ability to spring swiftly from defence.

Ashford’s first glimmer of a chance came in the ninth minute when, after a good passing movement, the ball was pulled back from the by-line to Tommie Fagg. Although Ciggy put in a good shift today, he was unable to provide any end-product, and on this occasion his low shot was easily saved by Nick Blue (who wore orange) in the VCD goal. Two minutes after that, Adrianho was off target with a shot from a tight angle, after latching onto a diagonal pass from Lee Prescott – but I’m rather scraping the barrel for Ashford half-chances to describe.

Vickers took a deserved lead in the 21^st minute, and the goal came about as a result of some sloppiness in the Ashford back five – rather making a mess of a goal-kick, and demonstrating the folly of ‘playing it out short from the back’ at this level. Sam Mott played the ball to Matt Bourne (I think), who appeared a little surprised to receive the pass and had few ideas as to how he was going to use possession. He played the ball back to the Ashford ‘keeper, who was now already under pressure and was forced into a fairly aimless clearance. As soon as the ball went to a VCD player, the visitors were in trouble, and, a couple of quick passes later, Ainsley Everett had the ball on the angle of the six-yard box and was able to chip the ball over Sam Mott and into the net.

Ashford responded with an attack in the 24^th minute, which resulted in a corner, on the left. Matt Bourne met Aaron Condon’s cross with a side-footed volley, which George Purcell put wide of the goal with a swiveling shot from close range – Bourne’s shot was on target, but would have been either comfortably saved by the goalkeeper or cleared by a defender. Three minutes later, however, VCD doubled their lead, and this time the goal was fairly typical of the sharp passing game that had made them look dangerous throughout the first half. A brief flurry of slick passes ended with a dinked through-ball putting Charlie MacDonald behind Ashford’s defensive line. MacDonald is very much a class act at this level, and has an impressive goal scoring record, so it was no surprise to see him, Jimmy Greaves-like, round the advancing goalkeeper and tuck the ball into the net.

The home side should have gone further ahead three minutes later, with MacDonald this time being the provider, taking possession of the ball near the by-line, nipping in front of an Ashford defender who was trying to allow the ball to go behind for a goal kick. The Vickers captain pulled the ball back to Ali Fuseini, who just needed to hit the target from close in, but somehow managed to steer his first-time shot wide. Seconds later, it was Alex Gaggin’s turn to be put through on goal, but he rather fluffed an attempted chip over Sam Mott’s advancing frame, from a similar position from which Ainsley Everett had opened the scoring.

During a fairly nerve jangling first 45 minutes for Ashford supporters, I felt that Jake McIntyre’s performance at the back provided the main source of comfort. He looked calm and self-assured, and seemed to deal with everything fairly well. In the 33^rd minute, he popped up in the VCD penalty area, at a corner that was delivered by Aaron Conlon, but his looping header went just over the bar. However, it was when the home side broke out from defence that Ashford looked particularly shaky, and this was seen in the 37^th minute, when losing possession very quickly saw the visitors back-peddling and struggling to contain a 3 v 3 situation. Eventually, Charlie MacDonald’s attempt to dink the ball over Sam Mott went just wide of the post.

In truth, VCD could easily have scored four or five goals in the first half and were in complete control – but then came a moment of sheer, inexplicable madness, in the 39^th minute. Lee Prescott floated a ball forward towards Adrianho, who was deep inside Vickers’ penalty area, but too close to the by-line to present a real danger to Nick Blue’s goal – which is why it came as a complete surprise to see Raphe Brown reach up with a gloved hand to tip the ball into touch. The referee was well positioned and had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. A little while ago, Brown would have been sent off for the deliberate hand ball, but the current interpretation of the law is that the award of a penalty together with a yellow card is a sufficient punishment. George Purcell stepped up to take the kick, and hammered the ball, low and hard, into the middle of the goal. That was George’s fourth goal for Ashford, in as many starts.

So Ashford climbed the long slope to the dressing rooms at half time just 2-1 down and very much in the game, when 4-0 or 5-0 would have been a fairer reflection of the first 45 minutes’ play.

Within five minutes of the restart, VCD went 3-1 up, and this effectively ended the game as a contest, but there was a very small window of opportunity for the game to have turned out rather differently. Within the first minute of the second half, Jake McIntyre found himself in an advanced position – well inside the VCD penalty area, in fact – and managed to deliver a cross from the by-line. This was met with a powerful header from Adrianho, which cannoned off the outside of the post. Although there is no doubt that Vickers thoroughly deserved to take the three points from today’s game, it’s impossible to say what would have happened in the parallel universe where that header sneaked just inside the post.

Whilst on the subject of mitigating facts, it should also be put on record that the home side’s third goal included a large element of good fortune. Ainsley Everett made a good run down the left wing, and his cross found Raphe Brown, who turned and shot in an effort to atone for his earlier ‘brain fade’ that had gifted Ashford a goal. The shot was on target, but Sam Mott had it covered and was about to make an easy save when the ball deflected off Alex Gaggin and into the net. It was one of those random deflections that often comes off a defender – but the fact that it came off Gaggin means that the young winger was credited with the goal.

Within a minute of the restart, there was a deflection in the other penalty area that just might have resulted in a goal to Ashford – but it was not to be. After a free-kick was taken short, Tom O’Connor crossed the ball into the VCD goalmouth, resulting in a booming clearance thumping against Robert Hylton-Bartley’s head from point-blank range. Any ensuing scramble was halted by the referee, who, quite correctly, halted the game, given current concerns about concussion injuries in sport. Hylton-Bartley was down, receiving treatment, for some time, and was replaced by Michael Aziaya 18 minutes later, quite possibly as a concussion-related precaution.

Ten minutes prior to being substituted, Hylton-Bartley talked himself into a pretty daft yellow card, in an incident that could well be used as an advert for the FA’s ‘Respect’ campaign. It began with Hylton-Bartley quite clearly calling the lino a “prick”. Unsurprisingly, both the lino and the referee felt that this was unacceptable.

“You can’t call my assistant a ‘prick’,” said the ref, waving a yellow card.

“Why not?” replied Hylton-Bartley.

No doubt the reason for the caution entered in the referee’s report was “for being a complete dick head”.

As for the game, VCD very comfortably managed the match to its conclusion, with few alarms. Like most teams protecting a two-goal lead, they took plenty of time with free-kicks and throw-ins. (The player taking every kick and throw appeared to be mentally reciting Happy Birthday twice – I’ve no idea where that idea could have come from). Tommy Warrilow replaced Lee Prescott with David Smith, in the 78^th minute, to play with three up front, and threw Tashi-Jay Kwayie on in place of Aaron Condon, for the final two minutes plus seven minutes of added time, to play with four up front, but it was all to no avail.

As well as being, by common consent among the travelling fans, Ashford’s worst performance of the season, this was also a costly loss, given that all of our rivals at the top of the table won. That means that, with eight games remaining, there is still plenty of work for Tommy Warrilow and the boys to do before a play-off position is secured.