Phoenix Sports v Ashford United. Kent Senior Trophy, Quarter Final. 22nd of February, 2014.

Phoenix Sports     1       Ashford United 1

(1-1     after 90 minutes)

(1-1     after Extra Time)

(Ashford United win 3-2 on penalties)

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

 

The final Saturday in February, 2014. The day that has very much marked the return of non-league football in the South East, and in many other parts of the country, after what has been widely publicised as having been the wettest winter in 250 years. The Southern Counties East Football League has virtually been mothballed for the past two months, with some football grounds having been under water, and others waterlogged – but Ashford United’s bid for promotion has had to wait for at least a further week, as today’s encounter was the last Quarter-Final of the Kent Senior Trophy, against Phoenix Sports, in Barnehurst, in the London Borough of Bexley.

 

The day began with bright sunshine, in our corner of Central Bedfordshire, and it was easy to forget that the flooding crisis that has ruined the lives of many people, in the first two months of the year, was far from over. For some, a fixtures backlog is the least of their worries.

 

To retreat into the tiny world of non-league football, it’s quite amazing that, with March nearly upon us, Ashford United, (and title rivals Whyteleafe), still haven’t managed to get halfway through their 32 league fixtures. In fact, it has been a quite remarkable season for a number of reasons. Firstly, those of us with grey hair find it very difficult to get used to the idea that our team sits on top of the league – of any league ! – but how has fate contrived to enable us to approach the eighth month of the season without having played any of the other teams in the top five ?!  Another extraordinary fact, which has meant that I have been restricted to observing the club’s wonderful journey via a laptop, is that Ashford hadn’t, until today, had to venture North of the Medway on a Saturday. With over half of our SCEFL rivals being located in South London, that’s quite a thing !

 

Most extraordinary of all, however, is the fact that Ashford United entered the New Year still in contention in FOUR competitions. By this morning, the menu of dreams had been reduced by half, with the lads having been narrowly squeezed out of the SCEFL League Cup and the FA Vase – both times to a goal three minutes from time, with an aggregate total of 17 players on the pitch at the end of those two games – but the Kent Senior Trophy represented a good opportunity for silverware.

 

It must be said that, in all four cup competitions this season, United have had formidable obstacles placed in their path. It seems a long time ago, now, but let’s not forget that the 2013-14 FA Cup run was brought to an end by Peacehaven & Telscombe, the team that, at the start of the day, sat four points clear at the top of Ryman Division One South – (and that remains our only defeat away from home, this season). Erith Town were always going to be a tough opponent, over two legs, in the League Cup, and, with the FA Vase draw being regionalised in the Fourth Round, so that we were protected from the really big guns of the Northern League, getting drawn away to Hanwell Town, (P22, W20, D1, L1, in the Spartan South Midlands League), was just about the hardest draw we could have had in that particular competition.

 

The same might be said about the Kent Senior Trophy - drawn away to Phoenix Sports in the Quarter-Final, with a Semi-Final away to Hollands & Blair awaiting the winners. With Fleet Leisure beating West Wickham, and Beckenham Town beating Bridon Ropes, in the other Quarter-Finals, I’d stick my neck out and say that we were in the stronger half of the draw !

 

Being paired with Phoenix, and, potentially, with Blair, did at least provide the possibility for Ashford to gauge how far they had come, since those Invicta League beginnings. There’s little doubt that both teams were better than us last season, with Phoenix Sports being deserved champions, and H&B finishing eight points, and a place, above us, in second. The season before that, those two clubs finished second and third, in the same order, to Rochester United, (then Bly Spartans), with Ashford only fifth. It should also be noted that Phoenix Sports went into this cup tie with a 100% record against Ashford United, having beaten us 3-0 at the Phoenix Sports Ground, and 1-2 at Homelands, in both of those seasons.

 

Optimism, in Ashford hearts, was fuelled by the belief that we have a stronger squad now, than we had when we were failing to set the world alight in the Kent Invicta League. Coming into this first season in the SCEFL hoping that the group of players, which still contained the nucleus of the Kent Invicta squad, would be good enough to hold its own at the higher level, the current record of 14 wins from 15 league games has obviously been heartening for all concerned, even given the quirkiness of the fixture list to date. This morning, we sat four points clear of Phoenix Sports, who were second, with six games in hand of them – which is a sign of some tangible progress.

 

Further cause for optimism has been engendered this week, with two very serious signings being made, in the form of Dave Cook and Pat Kingwell, from Hythe Town – both played in Tuesday’s 1-4 victory at Deal. Ashford have benefitted from some very useful signings using the dual registration system, but these are two permanent signings – in which case, this is a major statement of intent in terms of the club’s determination to win the League Championship at the first attempt. Both players are close to being at the peak of their powers, being aged about 30, and are – sorry, were – arguably Hythe’s best players. Pat Kingwell had won Hythe’s Supporters’ Player of the Year award for the past three seasons, and Dave Cook had been the club’s top scorer in four of the past five seasons, which, for a midfield player, is a major recommendation.

 

Both new signings were in Ashford’s starting line-up, today, a line-up that showed plenty of quality and experience, backed up by a very strong bench, which included Kieran Byrne, Gary Mickelborough, Buster Smissen, and Ollie Finch. It’s hard to understand, therefore, why this Ashford United side rarely showed any creativity going forward, and was second-best to the home side for most of the game, certainly in terms of possession and chances created. After what was generally thought to be Ashford’s worst performance of the season, it was certainly quality that saw them through to the Semi-Finals of this competition, but this was quality that we knew we already had – in the form of Joe Mant, a very special young goalkeeper, who was responsible for keeping his side in the game for two hours, before pulling off the crucial saves in the penalty shoot-out that decided this tie.

 

My own little theory is that we scored too soon, this afternoon – in the third minute – after which there seemed to be an over-emphasis on staying strong and solid, to protect the lead. The scorer of the goal was Jimmy Dryden, which ended a run of two and a bit games without scoring, which, by Jimmy’s standards, is a serious drought. A free-kick was curled into the penalty area, from the right, and cleared – but only as far as Sam Conlon, who headed the ball goalwards. Dryden was in front of goalkeeper Dean Nash, and his flicked header was enough to divert the ball into the net.

 

I remember Pat Kingwell playing at centre-half, as a teenager, for Ashford Town, some time ago, but he was used very much as the front target man, today. He was, predictably, strong in the air, and was effective as a hold-up man when the ball was at his feet – but, I’m afraid, I thought he always looked like a centre-half playing up front. Sam Conlon and Jimmy Dryden both played off, and just behind, the big man, with Dryden spending more time in the wide left midfield position than I would have liked. The midfield engine room consisted of skipper Gary Clarke, Dave Cook and Tom Scorer. Cook looks a big, strapping lad, for a midfielder. He showed plenty of class and strength, when on the ball, but probably played too deep to really influence the side going forward. The back four, from left to right, consisted of Liam Whiting, Jordan Miller, Ben Jordan and Luke Cuthbert, who was playing against his former club. It was a shame that suspension prevented his twin brother, Adam, from also making a return to the Phoenix Sports Club – but it was good to see Adam present at the ground.

 

It was obvious, even before the kick-off, that this Ashford side had a general height advantage over the home team, and this certainly appeared to influence the visitors’ game plan, particularly in the first half, when they were playing with the stiff breeze behind them, and with the setting sun in the Phoenix goalie’s eyes. Centre-half Jordan Miller seemed to go up for every set piece, and he was, on one occasion, the target for a Rory Delap-style throw-in from Jimmy Dryden.

 

The first real chance for Phoenix came in the 16^th minute, and this very nearly resulted in an equaliser. Andy Constable, newly signed, after a brief spell at Tunbridge Wells, and having previously been a prolific goal scorer for Erith & Belvedere, rose well to meet a cross that came in from the right side of the field. His header was on target, and would have sailed in, just under the Ashford crossbar, if Joe Mant had not saved brilliantly, tipping the ball over, for a corner. The young ‘keeper then did well to palm a deep cross out for another corner, before saving well, with his feet, at the near post, after the second cross had found a Phoenix player beyond the far post.

 

Before limping off after 49 minutes, Sam Conlon had looked to be Ashford’s liveliest, and most skilful, player, and he had a sight of goal in the 20^th minute. Dave Cook fed the ball forward to him, and he created a chance for himself by dinking the ball over the head of his marker, and turning – but his shot was always going wide. A minute later, Phoenix’s pony-tailed Aaron Watson intercepted a cross-cum-shot, hooking the ball against the post – but the lino was already flagging for off-side.

 

Ashford then had a couple of long-range shots from Jimmy Dryden, and one from Jordan Miller – all comfortably saved by Dean Nash - to show for their efforts in the remainder of the first half, but it was the home side that generally finished the first 45 minutes on the front foot. A good attacking move by Phoenix, in the 34^th minute, ended with right-back Ryan Andrews sending in a cross, but Sam Corne’s glancing header went wide. Almost on the stroke of half time, a long ball found Andy Constable in the Ashford penalty area. With the ball dropping over his left shoulder, Constable showed great technique to volley the ball cleanly, but Joe Mant was unfazed, catching the ball just in front of his face.

 

A few minutes before this, Aaron Watson had collected a headed flick-on from Constable, turned and shot just over the bar. Seconds later, however, he was felled when the ball hit him in the face. It seemed a fairly innocuous incident, but Watson was unable to come out for the second half, being replaced by top scorer Ricky Freeman. I heard someone say that Watson was having problems with his vision, as a result of the blow in the face.

 

When Sam Conlon’s match ended, in the 49^th minute, he was replaced by Ollie Finch, who adopted a very deep role, almost as a fifth defender. But nobody in the Ashford defence was marking Andy Constable, in the 52^nd minute, when the Phoenix No.10 had a free header, about ten yards from goal. It was always going to be difficult for him to get enough power in the header, but he should have hit the target; instead, he put his effort wide. Constable had another opportunity, just two minutes later, as Phoenix Sports continued with their spell of pressure. Enoch Adjei went on a mazy run, down the right wing, and found Constable, in the penalty area. Constable’s shot was a good one, on target, but Joe Mant pulled off another excellent diving save.

 

The two corners that resulted came to nothing, but the home side soon managed to equalise, in the 58^th minute. Dave Cook conceded a free-kick, near the right touchline. The cross was high and long, and seemed to be in the air for long enough for the Ashford defence to deal with the danger – but defender Chris Hill met the cross with a header, and Joe Mant could do no more than to push the ball onto the far post, on its way into the net.

 

Soon after drawing level, Phoenix won another free-kick, in a dangerous position, wide on the right. Andy Constable again met the ball, above the Ashford defence, but did so with an out-stretched hand, and was probably fortunate to get away with just a yellow card.

 

Kieran Byrne replaced Tom Scorer, in the 63^rd minute, taking up a position on the left side of midfield, and Ashford’s first substitute, Ollie Finch, was yellow-carded for a foul on Richie Hamill, in the 67^th minute – but it was in the 70^th minute that disaster nearly struck for the visitors. Somehow, the normally solid Ben Jordan managed to get himself caught in possession in his own penalty area (!), by Alex Nelson. The Phoenix No.6 had all the time in the world – maybe too much – to either slot the ball past Joe Mant, or square the ball to Andy Constable, but he hesitated, and was soon closed down by the Ashford defence. In the 73^rd minute, following a corner on the left, there was an almighty scramble in the Ashford penalty area, but, once again, a collective defensive effort ensured that there was no way through for the home side.

 

Gary Mickelborough battled hard, up front, after he replaced Jimmy Dryden, in the 78^th minute, but it was the home side that continued to dominate possession, and created the most chances.

 

The best chance for Phoenix to steal the win in normal time again fell to Andy Constable, and this came as late as the 88^th minute. He did well to lay the ball off, and then set off, into the penalty area, to take the return pass. He was through on goal, in the inside-left position, and had time to set himself for the shot – which he pulled across the face of goal. A minute later, the Ashford defence was caught napping, at a corner, which was played short to Richie Hamill, on the corner of the penalty area. The left-back, who looked a very good footballer, hit his left-footed shot sweetly, but another great save from Joe Mant denied the home side. So it was 1-1 after 90 minutes, with extra time required.

 

Ashford’s performance as a team improved, after the short break, and the game was a lot more even for the next 15 minutes. In the opening minutes of this period, Gary Clarke managed to get on the end of an Ollie Finch cross, which came in from the right, but his header was well saved by Dean Nash, diving to his right. The other Ashford chance worthy of note came in the 104^th minute. A kick-out from Joe Mant was flicked on by the head of Kieran Byrne, into the path of Gary Mickelborough. GazMik struck a sweet, low shot, which was deflected onto the post, and away for a corner. Byrne just about had time to plant the corner into the side-netting before the ref blew for the end of the first period of Extra Time.

 

After Phoenix Manager Steve O’Boyle had replaced Sam Corne with the wonderfully-named Nytran Dixon-Baker, for the final 15 minutes, both sides had a chance to take the lead. It was the home side’s turn first, as a header, from a long cross, crashed against the Ashford bar, and down onto the goal line. Was the ball over the line ?  It didn’t matter, as the lino had already flagged for off-side. Then, Gary Mickelborough latched onto a bouncing through-ball. He showed great strength to hold off the pursuing defender, but aimed a rather tame headed effort at goal, when he might have been better advised to take an extra touch – and Nash saved comfortably.

 

The home side again asserted, and finished the match with the majority of possession, pressurising the Ashford defence – but, by now, their work was showing signs of frustration and desperation, and their efforts became increasingly speculative. Ricky Freeman tried a shot from well outside the penalty area, which soared over the bar, and Richie Hamill tried his luck with his left foot, but the ball deflected off a team mate, and went harmlessly behind for a goal kick. Alex Nelson also had an effort from long range, cutting inside, onto his right foot, but his shot was too high.

 

So, with the time approaching 5.30pm, the Referee put his whistle in his mouth – (where else ?) – and brought the game to a penalty shoot-out, which, for a long time, had seemed to be Ashford’s best chance of progressing to the next round of the competition.

 

And this is how the drama unfolded…………

 

Dave Cook was the first man to step up, with Dean Nash defending the goal in front of the bar and the dressing rooms. This was the worst possible start for Ashford, in this mini-contest, as Nash saved low, to his right. The prolific Ricky Freeman hit his penalty high, into the net, to Joe Mant’s right, to consolidate the home side’s advantage. 1-0 to Phoenix Sports.

 

It looked fairly ominous for the visitors when captain Gary Clarke dragged his shot wide of Dean Nash’s right-hand post – but hope was rekindled when Nytran Dixon-Baker followed suit, with an almost identical miss. Still 1-0.

 

The excellent Kieran Byrne then showed how it should be done, putting the ball into the corner of the net, sending the ‘keeper the wrong way – but Andy Constable matched Byrne’s effort, sending Joe Mant the wrong way, hitting his penalty firmly into the net, to Joe’s left. 2-1 to Phoenix.

 

Liam Whiting, who had had a good game at left-back, scored Ashford’s second penalty, hitting the ball straight down the middle, before Richie Hamill, Liam’s opposite number, saw Joe Mant make the first of two excellent diving saves. So it was 2-2, with one of the first set of five penalties remaining, for each side.

 

Pat Kingwell calmly and assuredly side-footed the ball into the corner of the net, so that, when Joe saved from Alex Nelson, diving to his right, he earned Ashford a Semi-Final tie away to Kent Invicta League leaders, Hollands & Blair.

 

Predictably, Joe was mobbed by his team mates – and the bear hug he received from Manager Paul Chambers was as deserved as it was probably unwelcome. No doubt there was an element of relief in the celebrations, as Ashford’s young goalkeeper had contrived to give victory to the side that was generally second-best on the day. However, after having been rather unlucky to be dumped out of two other cup competitions in 2014, Ashford probably finally deserved to have the rub of the green on this occasion.

 

Tunbridge Wells v Ashford United. Southern Counties East Football League Challenge Cup, First Round, Second Leg. 2nd of November, 2013.

Tunbridge Wells  2       Ashford United 3

          (Ashford United win 7-2 on aggregate)

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

 

This was a return to action for your Milton Keynes Correspondent. My first game of the season – for reasons that I won’t bore you with – and my first sight of the lads since we played Eltham Palace away, in the Kent Invicta League, on the 20^th of April, more than six months ago. And what a contrast !  That game came at the end of a season when we had consistently been third-best to Phoenix Sports and Hollands & Blair – but someone left the back-door of the (then) Kent League open, and we managed to sneak up to Step 5 of the non-league pyramid anyway.

 

Since then, in my absence, Ashford have made an unbelievably good start to life in the (renamed) Southern Counties East Football League – seven wins from eight league games, and we’re still in three cup competitions, including the League Challenge Cup, which provided this afternoon’s entertainment. It’s very early days, of course, and, as several people have pointed out, we haven’t yet played any of the top sides in the league – but there have been reports of the boys playing some good football, and we’ve beaten Erith Town in the Kent Senior Trophy, and reportedly outplayed Tunbridge Wells, in a 4-0 victory, in the first leg of today’s tie.  

 

I had been looking forward to today’s match, ever since the draw was made. This always looked like being the first big test for Ashford at this new level. Tunbridge Wells – last year’s FA Vase Finalists and Kent Senior Trophy winners; the team that I thought were clear favourites to be champions this year, and who are showing signs of fulfilling that expectation by sitting on top of the league, this morning. Some edge was taken from the game by Ashford’s comfortable dismissal of The Wells, at Homelands, last week, but this was still an important early-season trial of strength, which neither team would want to lose.

 

I am very much a railway boy, now. Gone are the days of driving to King’s Lynn and the Isle of Wight, following the lads. My roster of away games is very much dependent on public transport links, and Royal Tunbridge Wells is just about on the edge of my travel radius. If all went well, then the day would begin with boarding the 11.22am train from Milton Keynes Central Railway Station, with Virgin Trains returning me back to (the other) MKC at 7.50pm – with a salt beef bagel at London Bridge, in the middle.

 

I am always amazed at how busy the railway network is on Saturdays. As usual, there was a long queue for the ticket machines at the station, and there were people standing in most of the carriages on the way to London. There was the usual high representation of Arsenal fans in evidence – (Arsenal being the world’s most aptly named football team) – in spite of the Gooners not playing until this evening. There was also a lad in a Leicester City shirt, and someone in what looked like it might be a Watford scarf. Both got off at Watford, so I wasn’t surprised to learn later that Watford were at home to Leicester. There were also two proper railway nerds in my carriage, talking loudly about the remarkable size of the gap between the carriages in this particular train. You get all sorts on trains !

 

One benefit (for me) of Ashford playing in the Southern Counties East League is that the majority of its teams play within, or very close to, the M25, so I can look forward to visiting quite a few grounds that I’ve never been to before. This was actually my second visit to the Culverden Stadium, the first being for a pre-season friendly fixture, at the start of what turned out to be Ashford Town’s final season (2009-10). It was our first friendly, after what had been a Summer of upheaval, off the pitch. I remember that the first person I saw, as I entered the ground, was Manager Steve Lovell, carrying a large bag of balls. He told me that it had only been a couple of days previously that he had had confirmation that he was still in the job. My other memory of that game was that a certain Joe Fuller played for Tunbridge Wells, but started the season as an Ashford Town player. Joe was a good player for us, in that final Ryman League Division One South season. He was a member of the side that beat Chatham Town 2-1, in the final game, which saved us from relegation to the Kent League, and scored ten goals, at a rate that was not quite as good as a goal every three games. It was good to see him again.

 

Gary Clarke, who is Club Captain, these days, was also playing against his former team, having played plenty of games in Tunbridge Wells’ midfield, in two spells.

 

The one surprise in the Ashford United line-up was the appearance of Kieran Byrne at left-back – which was presumably due to the unavailability of Liam Whiting, today. Kieran was part of a back-four, in front of goalkeeper Joe Mant, that also included the very tall Jordan Miller at right-back, and Ben Jordan and Ian Wallace in the centre. Sam Fisher played in a very deep, defensive role, just in front of the back four. Otherwise, it was a fairly attacking line-up that Paul Chambers sent out, with Jimmy Dryden, playing his third game of the season for Ashford, leading the line, and Gary Mickelborough the furthest forward in support of him. With Gary Clarke and Adam Cuthbert in central midfield, Tom Scorer was nominally on the left side, but mostly pressed forward as a third striker.

 

Ashford had a very strong bench, this afternoon, which included first-team regulars Luke Cuthbert, Sam Conlon and Buster Smissen, who was returning to the squad after he and Jimmy Dryden had both missed last Saturday’s first leg.

 

Ashford played up the Culverden slope, in the first half. This is a slope that runs diagonally, from corner flag to corner flag. This is a slightly strange ground, in as much as it is very two-sided. All of the seating and the covered standing accommodation is laid out down one side, and runs for almost the length of the pitch. At the highest end of the pitch, behind some steep terracing, are the turnstiles and the bar and the small club shop etc. The other two sides of the ground are vacant, but are lined with tall trees, making it a very attractive ground.

 

In spite of two sides of the pitch being unpopulated, there was certainly no shortage of atmosphere, today. In fact, it was something of a rarity to attend a game, at this level, where both teams are backed by cheering, singing fans throughout the 90 minutes. Tunbridge Wells and Ashford are easily the two best-supported teams in the SCEFL, which was all the more reason for this being an eagerly-awaited two-legged contest. In terms of the attendance figures, the honours went to Tunbridge Wells, with today’s gate of 285 just edging the 279 that were at The Homelands last week.

 

However, the overall result of the cup-tie was never in doubt, this afternoon. The home side really needed to score one or two early goals, if they were to have a chance of shaking Ashford’s confidence and self-belief, and this just never looked likely. In fact, the fate of the tie was sealed by a first quarter of the game in which there was not a single clear-cut chance for either side, with little incident and precious little quality on show.

 

On the subject of quality, Tom Scorer appears to be blossoming into a very accomplished player. He looks strong, and very comfortable on the ball, at this level. He provided the only action worthy of note in this early spell of the game, when, in the 19^th minute, he showed great close control to dribble his way past two defenders, and get to the by-line – but was then closed down by the home defence.

 

It was probably appropriate for Tom to set up Ashford’s opening goal, in the 24^th minute – which effectively confirmed Ashford’s place in the Second Round. Picking the ball up on the left, on the corner of the penalty area, he switched inside, transferring the ball onto his right foot. He hit the ball like a bullet, straight at Wells’ ‘keeper Chris Oladogba, one of the home side’s Wembley heroes, from last May. Oladogba is a good goalie, but could only parry Tom’s shot, and Gary Mickelborough had the simple task of tucking the rebound into the net. That made the score 5-0 on aggregate, and even Lazarus wouldn’t be able to come back from there.

 

Having said that, Tunbridge Wells hit back almost immediately, to level the scores on the afternoon. A ball down the right flank, in the 26^th minute, was squared to the prolific Ross Cable, in the centre. Cable, who would probably score in a convent, took a touch, and then drilled the ball low, into the corner of Joe Mant’s net.

 

These goals in quick succession did liven things up a bit. Ashford certainly continued to commit plenty of players forward, but Jimmy Dryden had a very quiet first half, having almost no service to speak of.

 

Kieran Byrne created a chance for himself, in the 32^nd minute, when he easily robbed Joe Fuller of the ball, when a Wells break looked on – but his shot went straight at Oladogba. Byrnsie had a very solid game at left-back – so, given that he’s a midfielder who has a goal scoring rate that is just a little bit shy of one every other game, he’s not a bad player !  Joe Fuller had an effort on goal himself, just four minutes later. This was a long-range shot, which Joe Mant pushed wide, diving low to his right. Ross Cable latched onto the loose ball, but his attempted cross was put behind for a corner. Before Cable could take the corner, Wells boss Martin Larkin made a substitution, replacing Jack Funnell with Ian Parsons. When the corner eventually came in, centre-half Billy French, who was to be named as the home side’s Man of the Match, glanced his header across the face of the Ashford goal.

 

In the 41^st minute, Gary Mickelborough made a raid down the right wing. His cross found Gary Clarke in the penalty area, and the Ashford skipper managed to flick the ball up in the air, behind him, to Adam Cuthbert – but Cuthbert’s volley went over the bar. A minute later, Sam Fisher was fortunate not to be shown a yellow card. There was nothing malicious about his sliding tackle, in the middle of the park, but he had lost control of his momentum, as he crashed into his opponent. It is a tackle for which, at all levels of the game, referees are instructed to show a yellow card – and, invariably, the player booked doesn’t seem to understand why he has been cautioned. On this occasion, the referee, who I thought was very good throughout the game, erred on the side of leniency – maybe due, to some extent, to the mediation efforts of the Ashford captain.

 

So a fairly even half ended all square, at one each, but with the visitors seemingly home and dry in the tie, at 5-1.

 

Ashford started, after the break, in lively fashion, with Tom Scorer trying his luck with an optimistic, long-range effort which went well wide. After that, though, the second half tended to follow the pattern of the first half, with many over-hit passes going straight through to each ‘keeper. In fact, it was Joe Mant who had the next shot on target !  He raced out of his area to deal with an attempted through-ball – and his “clearance” was taken by Chris Oladogba just inside his right-hand post.

 

The visitors retook the lead in this second leg in the 52^nd minute. A long, cross-field ball was chased down by Jimmy Dryden, into a left-wing position. Jimmy took the ball to the by-line, and his low cross was manoeuvred in, at the near post, by a sliding Gary Mickleborough. This is another player who has really found his form, lately. That’s three goals in the last two games for Gary. His previous goal was in the game away to Eltham Palace, about six months ago !

 

In the 56^th minute, Jimmy Dryden had his first sight at the Wells’ goal. Gary Clarke, who showed one or two flashes of sublime skill, this afternoon, to show that he’s more than just a tackler, put Jimmy through in the inside-left channel, but the master finisher’s low shot went straight at the ‘keeper.

 

The first yellow card of the game was produced just after the hour mark. Billy French earned this for a late tackle on Jimmy Dryden, just as Dryden was putting Gary Mickelborough through, on a break. Former Ashford Town Reserves Manager, Martin Larkin, took the opportunity of making a double substitution, replacing Lee Radford and Carl Cornell with Brett Ince and Andy Irvine. (It was appropriate that Andy Irvine wore the No. 15 shirt, as a Scottish rugby union full-back of the same name used to wear that number !). Mickelborough took the free-kick, spreading the ball wide to Tom Scorer, on the left. Tom’s cross was met by Jimmy Dryden, at the near post, but the header was wide. This was Scorer’s final touch of the ball, as he was subsequently replaced by Sam Conlon.

 

In the 63^rd minute, it looked odds-on that Tunbridge Wells would equalise for a second time, as Ross Cable raced clear of the Ashford defence. The Cable guy should have scored, but he put his shot wide, from about 16 yards out. This was a significant miss, as, just three minutes later, what should have been 2-2 was turned into 1-3. The visitors broke down the right wing, and, as the ball was fed into Gary Mickelborough, in the Wells’ penalty area, the Ashford No.11 beat Perry Spackman with a deft piece of footwork, and was tripped. Spackman seemed not to like the decision, but the ref awarded a penalty. Adam Cuthbert easily scored from the spot, with Oladogba going the wrong way, to notch his twelfth goal of the season, and his 18^th in Ashford colours. This puts Adam level with past strikers Mark Lovell, George Fenwick and Joby Thorogood.

 

So, with an aggregate score of 7-1 in Ashford’s favour, the travelling faithful afforded themselves the luxury of an “Easy, Easy” chant – but the match continued to be lively enough, with neither team losing interest in going forward in search of more goals, and the home side kept Ashford honest by pulling a goal back, in the 72^nd minute. Knocking the ball around quite nicely, the team playing in all red – for the purpose of visualising the teams’ colours, imagine Liverpool playing Norwich City – manoeuvred the ball out to the right flank, and the resulting cross was met, on the full, by the left foot of Andy Irvine, giving Joe Mant no chance, from close range.

 

Sam Fisher’s ration of goodwill from the referee ran out in the 77^th minute. He was late with a tackle, as Tunbridge Wells streamed forward. The ref did well to play an advantage, but, before Brett Ince could take the corner that had resulted from the attack, Sam was shown a yellow card.

 

Buster Smissen was given a run-out by Paul Chambers in the 79^th minute, replacing Gary Mickelborough, and there was a chance to see 16 year-old prospect Ira Jackson, when he replaced Sam Fisher, five minutes later – but it was the other substitute, Sam Conlon, who had a wonderful chance to seal a victorious afternoon for Ashford, with a fourth goal. A careless error by Joe Fuller, deep inside his own half, in the 89^th minute, gifted Conlon a one-on-one with Oladogba, but the ‘keeper made himself into a formidable barrier, and there was no way through for Sam’s shot.

 

In truth, a two-goal margin might have been slightly flattering for Ashford, and the one-goal lead was almost rubbed out, in the second minute of added time, when Wells once again had the ball in the visitors’ net. Joe Mant made a good save, from a long-range shot, and Andy Irvine tapped in the rebound – but the lino was flagging for off-side. This incident made little difference in the tie, as this was still a right Royal thrashing for promotion hopefuls Tunbridge Wells, over the two legs, but it was important for Ashford to keep their winning run going. This afternoon’s victory made it eight wins on the bounce for Paul Chambers’ improving side, since that careless reversal at home to Lordswood, in the league.

 

It’s difficult to assess where Ashford stand in relation to the other top teams in the SCEFL, on the evidence of today’s performance, as this second leg did lack a little in intensity, with the Nuts & Bolts having effectively killed the tie in the first leg. However, it can’t be ignored that the lads brushed aside one of the teams that are supposed to be one of our promotion rivals this year, and did so fairly comfortably, over the two games. Wells will be considerably strengthened by the addition of prolific striker Andy Constable to their squad, so I wouldn’t like to predict which way the two league games between these sides will go – but Paul Chambers and John Ovard must be delighted with how the season has gone, so far.

 

Eltham Palace v Ashford United. Kent Invicta League. 20th of April 2013.

Eltham Palace   2       Ashford United 2

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

 

We were awoken this morning by the clock-alarm blaring out “Mr Blue Sky” – and that turned out to be very appropriate, as FINALLY this season, we were able to watch a footy match in relatively warm and sunny conditions. There was still a fairly chilly breeze at Green Court Sports Ground, up on top of the hill in Crockenhill, by the side of the A20, just South of Swanley – but there was a cloudless sky throughout the day, which was more like what we expect at the end of the season.

 

And it’s probably true to say that it’s been a season tinged with disappointment for Ashford United, even if the consensus among the travelling faithful has been that it’s been another hugely enjoyable experience in the Kent Invicta League. Ashford are almost certainly nailed on for third place, with Phoenix Sports having made sure of the title, and promotion to Step 5, with a 1-0 win over second-placed Hollands & Blair, during the week. Third place is just about what we deserve, this season, with both Phoenix and Blair consistently being the best two teams on the league, throughout. Third is an improvement on last year, when we finished fifth, but it does seem a disappointment, with so much emphasis being placed on finishing in a promotion place, at the start of the season – which, officially, is the same thing as winning the championship – and with a substantially stronger squad than last year. Of course, there is still a chance that Ashford will be placed in the higher division for next season anyway – but that’s to be decided by discussions that will be taking place up in the Blazersphere, over the Summer.

 

There was certainly an element of end-of-term among the Ashford players this afternoon, as there had been two weeks previously, away at Lewisham – and there was a definite similarity in the two performances. On both occasions, Ashford started slowly, and found themselves trailing to a side that they were expected to beat fairly comfortably. The difference, though, was that I always felt, at Lewisham’s Ladywell Arena, that the boys were so superior in terms of ability and experience that they would not only win the game, but also probably win by something similar to the eventual 2-6 score-line. Today was different. Although Eltham Palace were gifted an early two-goal lead by sloppy errors from Ashford’s defence, they looked an altogether better side than Lewisham, were solid and tidy throughout the team and I spent at least 88 minutes, this afternoon, thinking that Ashford were going to lose this match. For that reason, after Gary Mickelborough’s last-minute goal had snatched a 2-2 draw, it felt more like a victory !

 

The visitors turned out in the holy green & white home kit, today, with Eltham Palace playing mostly in royal blue, but with one sleeve almost entirely yellow, which ruled out Ashford’s Norwich City-style away kit. It was a 4-4-2 formation, to start off with, with Roy Guiver up front with Damian Abel. Tom Scorer had a starting berth, but this time wide on the right of midfield - and he looked impressive in this role, sometimes going past defenders at will, and was certainly Ashford’s most dangerous player, today. Liam Whiting was in central midfield, alongside Adam Cuthbert, with Kieran Byrne in his familiar position on the left. There was a surprise in defence, in as much as Danny Morrison was at left-back and Luke Cuthbert at right-back, (instead of the other way around). Captain Ben Jordan and Sam Marsh were in central defence, in front of goalkeeper Roddy Hayward – which meant that the talented Joe Mant had to settle for a place on the bench, once again. It was actually a bench that was full of Ryman League and Kent League experience, as it included Gary Clarke, (demoted to sub as a result of his absence last week, no doubt), Sam Conlon and Gary Mickelborough. The diminutive Sam Fisher made up the five.

 

Ashford’s first set-back came as early as the second minute, when Sam Perry sent in a deep cross from the right. This is something that goalkeeper Roddy Hayward probably should have dealt with, but the ball looped over his head, and went in off the far post. There also seemed little danger when, in the seventh minute, a long ball was launched into the Ashford half. Ben Jordan seemed to be well in control of the situation, and tried to nod the ball back to Hayward, just as he’s done hundreds of times in the past – but, this time, he failed to get anything like the required contact, and Nick Wybrow was able to nip behind him, and poke the ball past the ‘keeper, and into the net.

 

From this point, Eltham Palace rarely threatened to increase their lead, but it’s fair to say that, in spite of clearly having the majority of possession in the first half, Ashford looked just as unlikely to trouble the home side’s goalkeeper. This was mostly due to a lack of quality in the final third of the pitch, with a succession of woefully inaccurate crosses and through-balls giving the Palace defence an easy time.

 

The first real sign of life from the visitors came in the twelfth minute, when a speculative turn and shot by Kieran Byrne, from outside the penalty area, went high and wide. Two minutes later, Tom Scorer did some great work down the right wing, worrying the defender out of the ball, near the corner flag, before sending in a good cross. Roy Guiver managed to get a header on target, but this required just a regulation save from the goalie. In the 22^nd minute, Kieran Byrne and Danny Morrison combined well, on the left, before Morrison put in a deep cross that was just too high for Roy Guiver – Liam Whiting came steaming in behind Guiver, but headed wide. Whiting had another chance, again steaming forward from central midfield, in the 36^th minute. He picked up a loose ball, and sent in a decent shot which needed a good save from the Palace ‘keeper – and this drew applause of encouragement from the Ashford faithful.

 

Generally, though, it was a first half of frustration for the Ashford management team, and the score remained at 2-0 until the break.

 

Gary Clarke appeared to be warming up in earnest during the half time interval, and so it was no surprise that he was introduced by Paul Chambers immediately prior to the restart. Clarke replaced Sam Marsh, with Roy Guiver dropping back to his more familiar central defence position, and Adam Cuthbert taking up a forward position, just behind, and in support of, Damian Abel.

 

Clarke caught the eye almost immediately, with an excellent cross-field ball that found Tom Scorer, on the right. Tom broke through one tackle, and then found himself inside the Eltham Palace penalty area, before letting go with a tremendous shot which went just over the bar. The home ’keeper had just managed to get a hand on the ball, and so it was a corner to Ashford, on the right. This was taken by Kieran Byrne, but his in-swinging effort was just too high for Luke Cuthbert, beyond the far post, who could only head the ball behind. Just a minute later, Adam Cuthbert was put clean through on goal, and it looked likely that he was going to add to the two goals he scored last week, in the 2-1 home victory over Sutton Athletic – but the Palace goalie was equal to the task, and came out and won the one-on-one situation.

 

There was a major scare for Ashford in the 53^rd minute, when Roddy Hayward left his penalty area to deal with an under-hit back-pass. By the time he intercepted the ball – with both hands – he was outside his area, and the Lino, who was right in line, was flagging furiously. There must have been a fair probability that the referee, who was being assessed, this afternoon, would show Roddy a red card for this technical infringement – but the colour of the card was yellow.

 

Manager Paul Chambers made the first of his three substitutions when Gary Mickelborough replaced Damian Abel, after 56 ineffective minutes. But it was once again Tom Scorer who was responsible for creating Ashford’s next chance, in the 58^th minute. From about midway inside the Eltham half, Tom turned and went on a run down the right wing. In spite of the attentions of no fewer than three blue-shirted defenders, he got to the by-line, and sent in a good, low cross. Liam Whiting arrived from midfield, but could only side-foot the ball over the bar. In the 66^th minute, Tom again showed his quality, beating his man with ease, but sliced his attempted cross behind the goal. Just seconds later, the Cuthbert brothers combined, when Luke sent in a high, long cross, which found Adam, beyond the far post, but Adam’s header looped up onto the top of the crossbar, with the ‘keeper seeming fairly unflustered by the situation.

 

Chambo’s second substitution was part of a tactical change. He replaced Roy Guiver with Sam Conlon, who went to join Gary Mickelborough in attack, and ordered a switch to a three-at-the-back system, with Danny Morrison, Ben Jordan and Luke Cuthbert holding the fort. However, Ashford’s first goal, which came in the 77^th minute, had little to do with tactics and formations, and everything to do with the quality of Kieran Byrne. There was a suspicion of hand-ball as Gary Clarke took possession of the ball in midfield, but there was no reaction from any of the officials. Gary found Kieran Byrne, who was about 25 yards from goal. Kieran took one touch, and then simply leathered the ball, and it arrowed into the net, via the underside of the bar. It was yet another absolute screamer from Ashford’s wide-left midfielder – and it was almost as annoying as it was thrilling, considering that, with such quality in the side, it had taken us 77 minutes to find the net.

 

There was now a tangible sense of urgency among the Ashford players – which was matched by the home side’s attempts to fritter away seconds at every opportunity.

 

The visitors thought that they were surely about to level the scores, in the 83^rd minute, when a corner found Adam Cuthbert in the area. There were cries for hand-ball from the Palace defenders, but Adam managed to unleash a great shot, which was headed off the line by a home defender. However, the Lino in front of the stand was flagging furiously, having spotted the hand-ball – and Eltham could breathe again.

 

Ashford continued to press for the equalising goal, but it didn’t come until the final minute of normal time, with Gary Mickelborough scoring his eleventh of the season, (the first being in the opening game – the FA Cup victory at Deal). Gary did well to control an awkward ball, inside the Eltham area, before taking it wide of the ‘keeper and finding the back of the net, to the obvious delight of the Ashford bench.

Lewisham Borough v Ashford United. Kent Invicta League. 6th of April 2013.

Lewisham Borough  2       Ashford United 6

 

From Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

 

 

Today was a special day. Today was Grand National Day, which, in Your Milton Keynes Correspondent’s world, ranks right up there with Derby Day (of course), Pancake Day, Third Round of the FA Cup Day and (I suppose) Christmas Day. On this day of the year, as the bailiffs have finally found out, I will be in one of two places: in front of the Telly, or at a non-league football ground supporting my boys. For the 2013 running of the race, Ashford United had an away match against Lewisham Borough – so today I took myself off to the Ladywell Arena, in Catford.

 

Going to the footy on this Saturday of the calendar always evokes memories of previous Grand National Days spent following Ashford around the South of England. The one that most often springs to mind is the year that Amberleigh House won the National – as we always remember the winners that we backed, don’t we ?  That was in 2004, when we played Histon away, (and won 0-2, with goals from Joby Thorogood and Simon Elliott). That game was very much from another age, and it doesn’t seem possible that it was only nine years ago. Histon were on their way up to the Conference, and Ashford Town were grazing in the comfortable green pastures of the Ryman League. Alas for off-the-field events. (That reminds me – yesterday was the end of the Financial Year, so I mustn’t forget to pay my VAT, on Monday).

 

Grand National Day, for Ashford fans, is traditionally characterised by one of two things: the latest instalment in a relegation scrap, or the opportunity to bask in the warmth of end-of-season sunshine – or both. Today, however, neither was the case. For a start, it was fairly chilly in Catford, in spite of the sunshine. A genuinely cold Winter has lingered on through March, and into this, the first week in April. At 5ºC at midday, it was not as cold as it had been in midweek, but it still felt pretty taters.

 

Also, we don’t “do” relegation scraps anymore, but last week’s humbling defeat at the hands of seemingly invincible champions-elect Phoenix Sports effectively put paid to Ashford’s competitive season. For the first time in the current campaign, Push for Promotion was replaced by Fulfilment of Fixtures as an objective. With four games remaining, (including today’s), it looks like Ashford United are nailed on for third place – and there can be no complaints about that, given that we’ve looked like the third-best team in the league, all season. What has cost Ashford a higher placing in the league has been the performances against the three teams that have clearly been better than the rest of our Invicta League opponents, this season – Phoenix Sports, Hollands & Blair and Bearsted. Four defeats from those six fixtures have defined the season.

 

We have, however, been fairly efficient at beating the lesser teams in the league, in spite of being consistently outscored by both Phoenix and Blair, and today’s opponents, bottom club Lewisham Borough, came into that category. There was the small consideration of Ashford’s earlier 3-2 defeat here by Lewisham, in the Kent Invicta League Cup, to think about – and that’s a competition that Blair won, recently, at Homelands, which reminds me that they’ve also done better than us in the cups – but the general expectation was that the three points were there for the taking for the visitors, this afternoon.

 

This was my first visit to the Ladywell Arena, a well-known multi-sports complex situated just on the other side of the railway line to the now-derelict Catford Stadium, where they used to have dog racing. I did this trip on my own, as Mrs Milton Keynes Correspondent doesn’t “do” public transport. In fact, she was on a plane at the precise moment that I loped into Milton Keynes Central Railway Station, just after midday. (No, she wasn’t travelling anywhere – she was taking half an inch off the back door). The fact that the train remained on Platform 4 for 24 minutes, due to some technical fault, meant that I missed my connection at Blackfriars, but I made it to the ground in plenty of time, and a very nice lady in the tea bar made me a sandwich and a cup of tea.

 

Some football fans make a fuss about football stadia that have an athletics track around the pitch, but I actually think that it all adds to the variety of venues in the course of a season. However, whereas, say, Walton & Hersham’s ground comes into the category of a football ground with an athletics track, the Ladywell is primarily a high-calibre athletics facility. There is a large building at one end that houses changing rooms, a tea bar and other facilities that you might expect of an important community resource – but it’s not a venue that is geared up for hosting a football match that is likely to attract any sort of crowd. (There was actually not the usual large turn-out of Ashford supporters, today, with a number of the Bruce Willises giving this one a miss, which accounts for an attendance of only 47 - which is even less than Borough’s seasonal average of 51).

 

Viewing options are severely limited, being largely restricted to leaning on a thick, white, plastic railing, that looked like it had been imported direct from Aintree, which extended for most of one side of the pitch. This was the side of the pitch that backed onto the railway line, beyond which was an enormous climbing frame and bouncy castle. This facility provided us with a backdrop of kids’ voices, which gave the whole occasion a pleasant, parks atmosphere. The dug outs were located on the opposite side of the running track, where there was no spectator access – so I am unable to report what feisty physio Alan Orsbourne said, to get himself in trouble with the referee.

 

The point to make about the game itself, for the benefit of those who weren’t there, and so only have the score-line to go by, is that there was a considerable gulf between the two squads of players. Lewisham Borough is very much a Community Club, and the team was very young, and looked fairly lightweight, all over the pitch. Compared with an Ashford side that, in spite of lacking regulars such as Mo Takaloo, Ollie Finch, Lee Coburn, Ben Jordan and Luke Cuthbert, still had plenty of accumulated experience of Ryman League football, it was quite literally men against boys. I mean no disrespect to our hosts today in setting the context of the game in this way. I am doing this to explain why I felt that Ashford played poorly today, in spite of winning 2-6, and why I felt that Damian Abel failed to impress, in spite of bagging a hat-trick. This also explains how a game that involved eight goals, three penalties and a sending off could lack entertainment value.

 

A lack of motivation might have been the main reason why Ashford struggled to get out of third gear, this afternoon. I know that we, as supporters, expect players to not need motivation, once they pull on the holy shirt, but there was never going to be the motivation of fear in this game – especially with Chambo separated from the pitch by six lanes of running track – and the lads never had to step out of a fairly snug comfort zone. Although Lewisham gave a good account of themselves, took their goals well and actually led for nearly a quarter of the game, Ashford always had plenty of time on the ball, generally regained possession easily when it was given away, and I don’t think the eventual result ever looked unlikely at any stage.

 

The absence of a few regulars gave Paul Chambers the chance to provide a substantial opportunity for some of his squad members, notably Tom Scorer, who had previously made 13 appearances for the club this season, without managing a full 90 minutes. Tom partnered Damian Abel in an orthodox strike pairing, with Ashford appearing to play mostly with three at the back, in front of goalkeeper Roddy Hayward. The experienced pair of Roy Guiver and Sam Marsh played largely as centre-halves, with Danny Morrison, on the right, and Liam Whiting, on the left, taking turns to drop back as the third man. Gary Clarke, who was captain today, ran the midfield from a deep position, with Adam Cuthbert also in the centre, Sam Conlon wide on the left and Kieran Byrne wide on the right. Those in the know in the Ashford set-up will probably be laughing their socks off at my amateur attempt to describe the formation, and it’s probably not what the players were playing to, but that’s how it looked to my untrained eye. What I can be more confident about is that the formation on the bench was a “flat five”, in a seated position, consisting of Sam Fisher, Ben Jordan, Gary Mickelborough, Joe Mant and Mo Munden.

 

The first quarter of the game was all about Ashford attacking at will, but they failed to make the breakthrough, in spite of a succession of corners. What didn’t help the visitors’ cause was a tendency to carelessly get caught offside, and there were several over-hit passes, as the players took some time to get used to the hard, bouncy pitch. Best chances fell to Kieran Byrne, whose shot was parried at the near post by the ‘keeper, in the second minute, and Tom Scorer, who tried to dink Byrne’s low corner into the net, at the near post, only to see his effort deflect off the ‘keeper for another corner, in the tenth minute. Kieran again took the corner from the right, swinging the ball in with his left foot, finding Danny Morrison unmarked in the six-yard box, but Danny was unable to wrap his head around the ball and direct it towards goal.

 

The best Ashford move early on came in the 16^th minute, and this was started by some great work by Danny Morrison in the right full-back position. Turning well and leaving his opponent for dead, he sent Tom Scorer off down the right flank, with an excellent long ball. Tom found Kieran Byrne, who was arriving in support, in the centre, but Kieran’s shot went straight at the goalie. Five minutes later, Kieran himself supplied a cross, this time from the left, but it was just too high for Sam Conlon.

 

Lewisham’s opening goal, which was outrageously against the run of play, came in the 22^nd minute, and stemmed from the otherwise excellent Danny Morrison getting nutmegged, in the right-back position. The ball was slid through to Dominic Weston, who was suddenly behind the Ashford defence. He dummied goalkeeper Roddy Hayward, before side-footing the ball into an empty net, for a well-taken goal.

 

There then followed 20-odd minutes of frustration for the visitors, with The Boro’ taking plenty of time over kicks and injuries, seeming to enjoy their unexpected lead. Tom Scorer had a couple of opportunities. In the 38^th minute, a good, flowing move, which had Damian Abel at its heart, ended with Tom being put through on goal, but a defender just managed to nick the ball away from him. Three minutes later, Tom tried a low, long-range shot, but it was easy for the ‘keeper to gather it, falling to his right.

 

It seemed that nothing was going to change without the help of Paul Chambers’ hair dryer, during the interval, but the half was turned around with two late goals. The first of these came in the 43^rd minute, when Tom Scorer sent in a cross from the left. The bouncing ball was miscontroled by Damian Abel, but Adam Cuthbert was arriving behind him, and struck the ball low, into the net, for his ninth goal of the season. Almost from the kick-off, Ashford were straight back at the opposition, and Sam Conlon did well to chase the ball as it was spread wide, to the right, catching up with it on the by-line, just inside the Lewisham penalty area. Sam pulled his cross back to Kieran Byrne, who hit a volley with the outside of his left foot, which screamed just inside the far post.

 

So the first half ended with the home side’s bench hurling abuse at its players, and Ashford actually knocking the ball around with a bit of a swagger – but this was ended abruptly when Gary Clarke’s careless square pass was intercepted, and its intended recipient, Danny Morrison, had to get back to defend, but he was able to do so, at the expense of a corner. The resulting cross was dropped by Roddy Hayward, but the ball was cleared – and that was half time.

 

The script was set for Ashford to go on and assert their superiority in the second half, after a fairly dozy first 45 minutes. They met the first requirement, which was to start the second half fast, and with urgency, but were set back on their heels, within a minute of the restart, when Lewisham equalised. I’m afraid that Sam Marsh needs to hold his hand up for this one. He appeared to be in command of a long, bouncing clearance, running back to his own goal, and seemingly having the strength and experience to hold the challenging Tristan Toney at bay – but somehow Toney managed to nip in front of him, and dinked the ball over Hayward’s head, for another excellent finish.

 

Damien Abel had the opportunity to restore the Ashford lead, in the 50^th minute. A long ball, from the right flank, from about the half-way line, easily put him through on goal. There was support for Damian in the centre, but he did what any paid striker would have done, and went for goal, but his shot looped tamely over the bar.

 

Ashford’s third goal came in the 53^rd minute, and this demonstrated the class that many people within the club believe Tom Scorer to have. Again, it appeared to be a relatively simple task for Tom to be put through on goal, behind the Lewisham defence, but he showed good strength and composure before thumping the ball into the back of the net. Just a minute later, it was Damian Abel’s turn to be put through on goal, and he calmly took the ball past ‘keeper Jack Carthy, before tapping it into an empty net – and the man supervising the man in charge of the floodgates was heard to shout: “Were you born in a church ?!”.

 

In the 62^nd minute, Carthy, who had replaced his injured colleague at half time, almost presented Ashford with a fifth goal, when his fluffed goal kick spiralled straight to Kieran Byrne, whose first-time header into the penalty area gave Tom Scorer a great chance to equal Adam Cuthbert, with his ninth goal for the club – but he sliced the ball wide. Tom did, however, have a very similar chance, just a minute later, having only the ‘keeper to beat, but being put under strong pressure from behind by the big Lewisham centre-half. This time, Carthy made the save, but the Lino stationed by the 200m start flagged for a foul. As this was such a clear goal-scoring opportunity, the referee had no choice but to send the No.5 off – and a difficult afternoon for Boro’s young side suddenly got harder. Kieran Byrne took the penalty, but Carthy made a good save, diving to his right.

 

The classy Byrne was responsible for winning the penalty that led to Ashford’s fifth goal, in the 74^th minute. There were some murmurs from the home players that Kieran had taken a dive, but I think it was a good decision by the ref, as Kieran was brought down just inside the area. (That wasn’t the case, just a minute later, when Byrno did fool the ref into awarding a free-kick on the left touchline, but the resulting kick came to nothing). This time, Damien Abel took responsibility for the penalty, and expertly side-footed the ball into the net, sending the ‘keeper the wrong way, for 2-5.

 

Kieran Byrne was replaced by Sam Fisher, in the 78^th minute, after which Roddy Hayward became the next Ashford hero. A Lewisham corner, from the right, was headed down, at the far post, and Roddy made a great save, parrying a shot that was well struck, from about six yards. It looked like his effort was to be in vain, as the ball fell at the feet of a Lewisham striker, but Roddy dropped a paw on the follow-up, and halted the ball on the line.

 

Substitute Sam Fisher had a good chance to score his first goal for Ashford, in the 82^nd minute. After a move in which it looked like Ashford were determined to walk the ball into the net, Sam found himself inside the six-yard box, with just the ‘keeper to beat at the near post, but the angle was too acute, and the shot, from close range, deflected off Carthy’s body, to safety. However, the diminutive midfielder had a hand in Ashford’s sixth goal, in the 89^th minute. Fisher might have been angling for a penalty, as he dribbled the ball into the Lewisham box, but he was clearly knocked over, and the referee had no choice but to award the third penalty of the match. Damien Abel stepped up to the penalty mark, and it was a replica of his earlier goal, as he side-footed the ball into the vacant half of the goal, to complete his hat-trick.

 

Prior to this sixth goal, there was confirmation that the end of term is nigh, when Paul Chambers sent on first-choice goalkeeper Joe Mant as an outfield substitute, in the 83^rd minute. By my reckoning, Joe became the first dual-purpose Ashford player since centre-half Stuart Playford had a stint in goal during the 2005-6 season, conceding three goals in 17 minutes after he replaced Dave Wietecha, (who had already let in four). Happy days !  Well, I’m pleased to report that Joe appeared to be anything but a goalie, playing in a forward position, confirming what a good athlete he is.

 

The surprising news from elsewhere, today, was that the outfit formerly known as the seemingly invincible Phoenix Sports actually got turned over, just up the road, away to Bridon Ropes. This means that they lost their excellent unbeaten record in the league, in the 25^th match of 30. The other, not unconnected, news wafting around the Ladywell Arena, today, was that, contrary to previous announcements, there would be two clubs promoted from the Kent Invicta league, at the end of the season. With the near mathematical certainty that Phoenix Sports will finish in the top two, the Phoenix will certainly rise to the Kent League, now that their floodlights and other necessary facilities are in place. That leaves one place. I read somewhere that Hollands & Blair are close to having the required ground grading – but they have obviously not achieved the requirement by the stated March deadline. My own personal view, (and I stress that), is that Hollands & Blair will be awarded a place in the Kent League if the relevant powers decide to waive their own rules on this issue – otherwise, Ashford United FC is the next taxi on the rank.

 

We’ll soon know, as I gather that a decision is to be made very soon.