Walton Casuals v Ashford United. Isthmian League Division 1 South. 13th of January 2018.

Walton Casuals  4

Ashford United  0

from Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

Walton Casuals away. Another eagerly anticipated fixture, and one that we rarely missed, back in that parallel universe when the team was known as “Ashford Town”, and playing at a level below the Isthmian League was unthinkable. Back in those days, Walton Casuals were perennial fellow strugglers, and one of the few teams that we felt we might actually beat.

Those matches, on the banks of the Thames, always seemed to be relegation six-pointers. Looking back in my archives, I discover that I filed a match report for this fixture in each of the last five seasons of Ashford Town’s existence, from 2005-6 to 2009-10, inclusive. We didn’t collect many points in the first three of those games, with the scores being 1-0, 1-1 and 2-1, but crucial points were then picked up in 2008-9, with a 0-3 victory, and then in that final year, when the lads won 1-4. I notice that two of those four goals were scored by young centre-half Laurence Harvey, who, certainly up until last season, was playing for Canterbury City.

During this period, Walton Casuals played at a crappy little ground which would not have looked out of place in the Kent League. All that has now changed, as the site has been redeveloped considerably, with the creation of Elmbridge Sports Hub. The whole facility is very impressive, with a public swimming pool, a gymnasium, one of those climbing wall things, etc. The complex also includes an athletics stadium, which is separate from the football ground – which means that Walton & Hersham FC, who also share the ground, don’t have an athletics track around their pitch, which used to be a source of irritation for many when visiting their old ground of Stompond Lane.

The pitch itself looked immaculate – like a brand new artificial pitch, which is exactly what it is. The one mystery, today, was that, in spite of the seemingly state of the art facilities, there were no PA announcements at all.

It’s probably no coincidence that Walton Casuals FC’s progress in terms of developing the venue has been mirrored by progress on the pitch. With ex-West Ham United defender Tony Gale leading the club (as Chairman) off the pitch, and his son, Anthony, as Manager, The Casuals are now one of the best teams in our division. Starting today’s game in sixth place, they are likely to be leading contenders for at least a play-off place at the end of the season.

It’s also fair to say that Ashford United, in spite of having been very near to the bottom of the table all season, can no longer be regarded as ‘relegation fodder’, given the improved form that they have been showing of late, following a number of quality signings. The lads went into today’s game having gained 11 points from their previous five games. With relegation now no longer a realistic threat – touch wood ! – what we are intrigued to know is how good the current squad actually is. Today’s game against a genuine top-six team promised to shed some light on that question……

A look at today’s team sheet revealed that we were a little short of defenders, today, both on and off the pitch. The on-the-pitch issue is by choice, as Manager Jason Whitmore has consistently shown a preference for a three-at-the-back formation – and this approach has certainly been paying dividends in recent games. Today’s back three, in front of Michael McEntegart, were Cheick Toure, James Fitchett and Tom Cooney – in the absence of John Difford. But it was the absence of defensive cover on the bench that was a little worrying. Apart from forwards Matt Day, Ira Jackson and Clark Woodcock, the bench was made up of reserve goalie Aaron Lee-Wharton and coach Gareth Williams, who may or may not have had some kit on under his tracksuit, today.

Of the starting line-up, our five-strong midfield had Kwabena Osei starting the game just in front of the back three, with skipper Joe Bingham and Ryan Richefond in the centre, and George McLennan and Max Watters out wide. Shomari Barnwell and Andrew Dalhouse continued their partnership up front, with Shomari going into the match with a record of having scored a goal a game, and Andrew not far behind him.

And to complete the roll call, it is my duty to name and shame today’s glove wearers: they were Cooney, T., Dalhouse, A. and Toure, C. I will be writing to their parents in the morning.

The line on the far side was run by Paula Wyatt, a very fit-looking lady lino. Not wearing gloves. (Just saying).

Although there were some 15 places between the two teams, at the start of play, that difference was never very evident during the first half. As one might expect from two teams used to playing their home games on a plastic pitch, both sets of players set off trying to play on-the-ground, passing football. Ashford matched the home side in midfield and in defence, but achieved little in the ‘business’ third of the field. Very little seemed to ‘stick’ up front, and the lay-offs and through-balls generally failed to come off today. It’s fair to say that Walton Casuals clearly shaded a first half in which neither goalkeeper was required to make anything more than a regulation save.

Ashford ‘keeper Michael McEntegart was the first to get his gloves dirty, having to field a weak shot by Casuals’ bearded right-back, Harry Mills, in the opening minute. In the fifth minute, a break from defence resulted in the ball being worked to Youseff Bamba, who was Casuals’ spare man on the left. He carried the ball into the Ashford penalty area before unleashing a shot with his left foot, but McEntegart made a comfortable save.

The first time that the home side actually managed to get behind the visitors’ defence was in the 20^th minute, when Bamba danced his way to the by-line, but his cross went harmlessly through the penalty area. A few minutes prior to this, James Fitchett received a stern lecture from Referee Adrian Harris, for a tackle from behind – which had implications for what was to happen later in the half.

Ashford’s first real chance came in the 21^st minute, and came as a result of Max Watters running with the ball on the right flank – which looked to be the visitors’ best means of creating something, all afternoon. Max cut inside, and squared the ball to Andrew Dalhouse, who flicked the ball into the path of Joe Bingham, inside the penalty area. Joe’s shot was on target, but comfortably saved by Walton Casuals goalie Denzel Gerrar. A minute later, Watters again fed the ball inside to Dalhouse; this time, the Walton Casuals defence failed to close him down, and so he chanced a shot from about 25 yards out, which flew just wide of the angle of post and bar.

In the 25^th minute, James Fitchett committed a foul which appeared to be fairly innocuous, but, having had a ‘friendly’ warning from the ref, it was no surprise to see him receive a yellow card this time. It appeared that worse was to follow in the 34^th minute, when young James brought down Youseff Bamba just outside the Ashford penalty area, with what looked a far more obvious foul. What didn’t help the Ashford centre-half’s cause was that Bamba was pointing at him, reminding the referee that he was already on a yellow card, almost before he had hit the ground – but Mr Harris erred on the side of leniency, and gave him a lecture that would undoubtedly have been about ‘Last Chance Saloons’.

Ashford Manager Jason Whitmore took the sensible option, and substituted Fitchett at half-time, replacing him with Ira Jackson, with Kwabena Osei dropping back and looking distinctly vertically challenged in the middle of the back three.

Max Watters also found himself booked, in the 37^th minute, but this was for a fairly trivial ‘offence’. After the referee had blown for a free-kick, Max just dinked the ball over the low, green perimeter fence, to give himself time to get back into position, rather than to waste time or to show dissent. However, Mr Harris took great exception to this, and angrily produced a yellow card.

Both sides had opportunities to score during the closing minutes of the first half. In the 38^th minute, Youseff Bamba did well on the right-hand side of the pitch, turning and getting the ball onto his left foot, but blazed his shot well over the bar. Four minutes later, a long ball from the Ashford defence found Andrew Dalhouse, who showed great physical strength to get the better of Dominic Ogun, before shooting straight at the Casuals ‘keeper, from close range. With a minute to go to half-time, Michael McEntegart found Max Watters with a good throw, and Max carried the ball as far as the edge of the home side’s penalty area, before hitting a shot that was saved, but not gathered, by Denzel Gerrar. However, the goalie recovered in time to prevent Shomari Barnwell from turning in the rebound.

But the best chance of the half to either side came well into the 45^th minute. The Stags put together a well-constructed move, with Ashford seemingly short-handed at the back. It was either Josh Kelly or Sean McCormack who finished the move with a shot from an acute angle, which rebounded off the foot of the far post.

So the half ended goalless, and, with both defences and both goalkeepers seeming to be fairly comfortable, this was not a huge surprise, nor was it a false reflection of the first 45 minutes.

It was during the second half that the gap between the two sides really showed. In fact, it reminded me of watching a cup tie between two sides several levels apart in the football pyramid, in which the under-dogs (that’s us) do well to achieve parity at half time, only for the better side (that’s them) to change up a gear and blow them away in the second period. Generally, Walton Casuals appeared to be a division or two superior to Ashford. I have seen us lose 3-0 to Corinthian-Casuals, 5-0 to Greenwich Borough and 4-2 to Carshalton Athletic, this season, (and they are all title / play-off contenders), but this is a considerably better Ashford side than played in any of those games, so I’d have to say that Walton Casuals are the best side I’ve seen this season.

The turnaround happened fairly quickly, with the home side almost scoring in the first minute of the half. A long kick-out from the Casuals ‘keeper bounced beyond the Ashford back-line, and Josh Kelly, an 18 year-old striker on loan from Maidenhead United, got to the ball ahead of the retreating defenders. He hit a low shot, first time, but missed the target.

Casuals continued to knock the ball around at a higher tempo than they had in the first half, and took the lead as early as the 49^th minute. Slick interplay resulted in Sean McCormack, also on loan from Maidenhead, chasing a through-ball into the Ashford area. Rather than being up-ended, he was sort of eased off the ball by the chasing George McLennan, and the referee, who had a good view, had no hesitation in awarding the penalty. For the offence, George became the third Ashford player to receive a yellow card this afternoon.

Youseff Bamba waited patiently to take the kick, and then hit a powerful shot, which was brilliantly saved by Michael McEntegart – but Josh Kelly reacted quickest, and turned in the rebound. McEntegart furiously berated his team-mates, presumably for being slow to follow up on his excellent save.

Walton Casuals soon went 2-0 up, in the 54^th minute. Quick passing on the left flank resulted in Josh Kelly finding his way inside the Ashford penalty area. He beat Kwabena Osei (I think it was), to get to the by-line, before forcing the ball under the body of the advancing McEntegart, and into the far corner of the net.

Kelly very nearly completed a hat-trick, in the 60^th minute, after Harry Mills and Sean McCormack had combined well down the right. The latter crossed the ball, from inside the Ashford area, to Kelly, in the centre, but the No.9 smashed his shot against the crossbar. But it was McCormack who put the game to bed with Casuals’ third goal, just two minutes later. As Ashford pressed forward, a swift break put the visitors’ defence in a 2 v 2 situation, with McCormack attacking down the right. Plenty of green shirts managed to get back, but Kwabena Osei fluffed a chance to head the ball clear. Eventually, a cross found McCormack on the right side of the penalty area, and he did well to turn the ball in.

With the confidence that a three-goal cushion always gives, Walton Casuals then controlled the remainder of the game, playing some nice football. Ashford were not without chances, with Ira Jackson dragging a shot wide, after a particularly good move, in the 67^th minute, and then Shomari Barnwell being gifted the ball on the edge of the Casuals’ area, after a complete aberration from a defender, in the 70^th minute, before pulling his shot across the face of goal.

The visitors cannot be faulted for their effort, this afternoon, with Joe Bingham driving the team forward from the deep midfield position he adopted during the second half, and Andrew Dalhouse manfully leading the line, but it looked far more likely that the home side was going to score more goals. As steady pressure was applied to the Ashford defence, Michael McEntegart had to be alert in coming off his line to thwart some slick passing movements.

Casuals Manager Anthony Gale made a double substitution in the 78^th minute – which allowed Jason Whitmore to replace Shomari Barnwell with Matt Day, at the same time – but the biggest impact was made when one Tyrell Richardson-Brown replaced Sean McCormack, in the 82^nd minute. Against a tiring Ashford defence, Tyrell did a very passable impersonation of Marcus Rashford, with his pace down the right flank. (So it’s interesting to recall that Tyrell scored only three goals for Ashford United, earlier this season, at a rate of 501 minutes per goal – which is a worse strike-rate than that achieved by the oft-maligned Sean Bradshaw !).

Tyrell first out-stripped the Ashford defence in the 84^th minute, when a swift break from the back sent him on his way with a 2 v 1 situation. He squared the ball to Youseff Bamba, who shot wide. Two minutes later, Tyrell had a similar opportunity, again showing great pace, but this time his cross failed to locate a teammate.

In the 88^th minute, Jason Whitmore made his third and final substitution, replacing George McLennan, who had had a quiet game, with Clark Woodcock. It’s always good to see Clark getting a run-out with the first team, but it seemed that insufficient time remained for him to make an impact – but this was actually not the case. Within seconds of coming on, Clark was found by Max Watters, wide on the right. His first attempt at a cross was blocked, and it appeared that the ball was going to bounce out for a throw-in, but it instead spun back to Clark’s feet. This time, he delivered an excellent cross into the Casuals’ goalmouth, where Matt Day did very little wrong with a header from close range – except that it went straight at the goalkeeper. As consolation goals go, that would have been a gem – it would have been good to see the two Ashford youngsters combine for a goal.

So there was to be no consolation for the visitors. In fact, Ashford went 4-0 down with what was, quite literally, the final kick of the game. And it was no surprise to see Tyrell Richardson-Brown getting onto the scoresheet, doing what he had threatened to do since he had been introduced, by Anthony Gale, for his impressive cameo. Running onto a sharply delivered through-ball, he lifted the ball over the advancing Michael McEntegart, and was no doubt delighted to see it bounce into the net, off the far post.

My view is that the final score of 4-0 did not flatter the home side – but it was no disgrace for the Ashford boys to be beaten by a better team, this afternoon. The lads’ next game will be away to second-placed Cray Wanderers, on Tuesday night. That will undoubtedly be another stiff test for Jason Whitmore’s much-improved side.

VCD Athletic v Ashford United. Isthmian League Division 1 South. 23rd of December 2017.

VCD Athletic  2

Ashford United  2

from Ashford United’s Milton Keynes Correspondent

On the day before Christmas Eve, 2017, Ashford played their first ‘proper’ game away to VCD Athletic – in as much as an Ashford side had not previously played a league game, or an FA Cup, FA Trophy or FA Vase tie, at Oakwood Sports Ground, in Crayford.

I have followed our boys here before, however. On the 19^th of January 2010, six inches of snow and acute waterlogging, (remember that ?), at Homelands had prevented Ashford Town from playing any games since Boxing Day, but the weather had relented in time for us to play this Kent Senior Cup tie at Oakwood. In Town’s final season, we won this game 1-2, with goals from Mark Lovell and Tom Murphy. (These were the two players who later scored a goal apiece in Ashford Town’s final game, a 2-1 victory at home to Chatham Town, to ensure that we weren’t relegated ‘on the pitch’). Danny Lye also played in that Kent Senior Cup game.

A couple of seasons later, after The Reformation, we were here again, in Ashford United’s inaugural season, in the Kent Invicta League, to play Erith & Dartford Town, who were ground sharing at the time. That game ended 2-2, and Erith & Dartford went on to change their name to Kent Football United.

I have come to regard VCD Athletic as fellow travellers, at this level of football, but this is, in fact, the first time that the two clubs have occupied the same division. Vickers have had a varied existence, in recent years, gaining promotion to the Isthmian League Division 1 North, from the (then) Kent League, at the end of the 2012-13 season, before going straight up to the Isthmian Premier Division the following year. That adventure lasted for two seasons, before relegation back to (the then) Ryman Division 1 North, in 2016. For the current season, Vickers have, happily, been transferred to Division 1 South, with the other Kent-based sides. And we have already played VCD in the league once, going down 2-5 at home, with what was still an extremely youthful side.

Today, we were able to put out a far more experienced team, with Jason Whitmore having brought in some high-quality new recruits in recent weeks – all of them with experience of having played at ‘Conference South’, ‘Conference Premier’ and football league level. Goalkeeper Michael McEntegart, Arinse Uade, George McLennan and Shomari Barnwell made their debut in Ashford’s previous game, the 1-2 defeat at home to Horsham. Three more – Cheick Toure, Ryan Richefond and Rohdell Gordon - had arrived two games before that. Six of these seven started the game today, the exception being former Arsenal U-21 and Norwich City U-23 defender Arinse Uade, (who has a brother called Ashampooandset).

Strangely, both Jason Whitmore and his Assistant, Paul Barnes, were unavailable to attend today’s game – and so Gareth Williams, who came on as a substitute in United’s 1-1 draw at home to East Grinstead Town, was in charge of the team for the day.

Interestingly, Gareth started Matt Day up front, as the No.9 and main target man, alongside the very tall Shomari Barnwell. Joe Bingham, who captained the side in the continued absence of the still-concussed Pat Kingwell, played in central midfield, along with Ryan Richefond, who appeared to operate just in front of a back three comprised of Cheick Toure, Jonathan Difford and Tom Cooney. Scotsman George McLennan and Max Watters were out wide, with Rohdell Gordon appearing to be roughly ‘in the hole’ behind the front two; (but please don’t take that formation as gospel, given my limited knowledge of the finer points of the game). What I’m fairly sure about is that Australian Michael McEntegart was in goal – he had a different coloured jumper to everyone else.

On the subs bench were young central defender James Fitchett, Kwabena Osei, Ira Jackson, Brandon Williams and Andrew Dalhouse.

First, before describing the match, there is the important ritual of naming and shaming to deal with. On a pretty mild afternoon, for late December, there were at least four Ashford players wearing GLOVES !  These were: Cheick Toure, Tom Cooney, Rohdell Gordon and Shomari Barnwell. Get those bleedin’ gloves off !  There were a few VCD players with gloves on – but they weren’t wearing our shirt !

On the subject of shirts, the home side, members of the Green Fellowship, were clad mostly in green & white stripes. Ashford Town had a season of wearing such stripes, (in the 1980s, I think), but the sight of Vickers’ shirts immediately reminded me of the colours worn by Great Wakering Rovers, when they beat us 5-3 in the Preliminary Round of the FA Trophy, in the 2008-9 season, in the arse-end of Essex.

What was immediately apparent was that, regardless of Ashford United’s recent improvements in personnel, today was going to be a difficult game, with VCD Athletic announcing themselves as a young, bright team, intent on moving the ball on the ground, and quickly. And it was the home side that fashioned the first chance, in the second minute, when they won a corner on the left, after a shot on goal was deflected behind. The resulting cross was allowed to progress as far as Daniel Smith, beyond the far post, but his shot was high and wide. Two minutes later, VCD picked the ball up from a McEntegart kick-out, and managed to feed the ball forward to Aymun El-Moyhalbel, (who sounds Irish, but probably isn’t), but the No.11 also shot well wide.

If Vickers looked lively early on, then Ashford’s new-look side also appeared to be very capable when going forward. The visitors’ first chance fell to Rohdell Gordon, formerly of Stevenage, in the fifth minute. Cutting in from wide on the left, he created an opening from a central position, and unleashed a firm shot from about 20 yards out. It would have gone into the roof of the net, but for a very good finger-tip save by Joe Mant – who, lest we forget, formerly occupied the Ashford United goal for a total of 11,017 minutes, keeping 44 clean sheets.

Joe actually had a slightly dodgy moment, in the VCD goal, in the 16^th minute. Matt Day launched a bouncing ball forward, for Shomari Barnwell to chase, but centre-back Jeffrey Imudia appeared to have matters well in control – until he managed to head the ball over Joe Mant, with Joe having to scramble back and collect the ball just a yard from his goal-line.

If there is one criticism that could be made of the United performance, it is that there were still too many instances of players being muscled off the ball, or worried out of possession. Our lads need to be stronger, both with and without the ball. That is not a comment that can be levelled at skipper Joe Bingham, however, who was very combative in central midfield, and was probably Ashford’s Man of the Match. Seconds after Joe Mant’s scare, he made an important interception, in the centre circle, and released Matt Day through the inside-left channel. Matt had a clear sight of the target, but his well-struck shot went across the face of goal.

At about this time, Ashford’s forward-most players – Matt Day, Rohdell and Shomari – were showing signs of linking up well, and I felt that the visitors just about shaded the first 20 minutes.

Two things that were stimeying Ashford’s rhythm and progress, however, were the fact that Shomari Barnwell was having a bit of a ‘mare with his touch, with lay-offs and ‘final’ balls seeming to invariably go astray, and the fussy performance of the young referee, with the majority of his free-kick decisions going the way of the home side. (Have I mentioned that there was an FA Assessor in the stand ?). Jonathan Difford most often caught the referee’s eye, being penalised several times for holding, and this culminated in a stern lecture, about mid-way through the first half. The first player to be shown a yellow card, however, was Joe Bingham, in the 15^th minute, after conceding a free-kick that he clearly felt should actually have been given his way.

Three minutes after this caution, Vickers had their best chance of the half. After yet another foul by Jon Difford, the home side had a free-kick in the centre of the Ashford half – and they executed a well-worked routine. The ball was chipped over the three-man defensive wall, and Junior Baker met the ball with his head, at the far post. The ball seemed to virtually bounce along the goal-line, and Kemoe Darboe seemed to have a tap-in at the opposite post, but his attempt to hook the ball into the net merely sent it spiralling over the bar.

This near miss appeared to galvanise the home side, and right-back Ellis Brown was soon dribbling into the Ashford penalty area, beating several players, in the 31^st minute. Jon Difford managed to smuggle the ball away, only for Aymun El-Moyhalbel to pick up possession wide on the right. Showing great pace and control, the wide man dribbled the ball along the Ashford by-line, but his low shot from close range was easily smothered by McEntegart, at the near post, when a pull-back would probably have been far more dangerous.

As VCD continued to press, Ashford had a chance on the break, in the 37^th minute. Rohdell Gordon carried the ball out of his own half, and had just Matt Day and Shomari Barnwell, each marked by a defender each, in front of him. Rohdell fed the ball left, to Barnwell, but, unfortunately, Shomari was still having ‘one of those days’, and his control let him down, and the chance was gone.

For all the skill and pace possessed by Ashford’s front two, one thing that wasn’t working very well for Gareth Williams’ team was that balls played forward to them were simply not ‘sticking’ – but things were to change, in the 39^th minute, when United took the lead, with Shomari Barnwell getting his name on the scoresheet. However, most of the credit for the goal should be given to Matt Day, who showed just how a centre-forward should play. Joe Bingham played a ball towards the right corner flag, and Matt first showed great pace and power to get to the ball first, and then had the skill and composure to turn and send in a dangerous cross. Shomari was the intended recipient, at the near post, but I had the distinct impression that the ball was nodded into the net by a defender – but Shomari was credited with the goal, and so has now scored two goals for Ashford, in as many appearances.

In the 42^nd minute, Michael McEntegart did well to save a deflected shot by Jonathan Adebayo, diving low and to his right. A minute later, Jon Difford finally managed to persuade the referee to book him, when he was guilty of holding a VCD forward as he tried to turn – but Ashford managed to hold onto the 0-1 lead until half time. There was not much between the two sides during this first half, and Ashford certainly should not have been embarrassed to be a goal up at the break.

If the yellow-shirted visitors’ first-half performance had given plenty of encouragement that they would be capable of holding onto the hard-fought lead during the second half, the complexion of the match changed after the re-start. VCD started off at a high tempo, and were busy all over the pitch, and it soon became clear that Ashford would have plenty of defending to do, if they were going to leave Oakwood with all three points.

In fairness, United’s defence stood firm for the next 20 minutes. Vickers’ best chances fell to Rashid Kamara, in this period. As early as the 49^th minute, McEntegart was rooted to the spot as he watched Kamara’s curling effort go wide of his far post. Later, in the 63^rd minute, after Shomari Barnwell received a yellow card for preventing a free-kick from being taken, the second attempt at crossing the ball into the Ashford area found the VCD No.10 in a central position, but the Ashford ‘keeper was easily able to smother Kamara’s weak shot. (It’s unbelievable, Jeff !).

It was in the 68^th minute that the game was effectively turned on its head. Aymun El-Moyhalbel dribbled the ball into the Ashford penalty area, from the left, and close to the by-line. As he shaped to go around Tom Cooney, the Ashford left-back brought him down with what was an annoyingly obvious foul, and the ref, who was well positioned, had no hesitation in awarding a penalty. Kemo Darboe stepped up to ‘take the kick from the penalty mark’, waited for McEntegart to fall to his right and then calmly slotted the ball into the centre of the goal.

As all good teams will, VCD were quick to capitalise on this change in momentum, going further ahead, just two minutes later – although Vickers’ second goal came from a break away following an Ashford United corner, with Gareth Williams having replaced Matt Day with Andrew Dalhouse immediately after the home side had equalised. The swift VCD break found Rashid Kamara deep inside the Ashford penalty area, but his initial shot, which beat McEntegart, was cleared off the line. The ball was soon channelled back to Kamara, however, and he made no mistake with his second attempt.

If there had been genuine and well-founded optimism that Ashford might hold onto their 0-1 advantage at half time, there appeared, quite frankly, to be little hope of the visitors equalising. They had enjoyed too little possession, and had created too few chances, in the second half, and so it appeared that a gallant defeat would be the most likely outcome. In fact, the boys very nearly went further behind, in the 75^th minute, when, pressing forward, they were caught on the break. Kemo Darboe appeared to be well offside, as he raced clear of the Ashford defence – but there was no flag !  Fortunately for the faithful Ashford shopping-dodgers, who made up a good proportion of the 100-strong crowd, Darboe dragged his shot across the face of goal.

The replacement of Rohdell Gordon with Ira Jackson, in the 78^th minute, had had little impact – but there was just a chance that Ashford might have one more opportunity to pull a point out of the fire. This materialised in the final minute of normal time, in the form of a corner, which, fittingly, was won by the hard-working Joe Bingham. The resulting cross was aimed at Andrew Dalhouse, who waited just beyond the far post, and the big man rose above the VCD defence, to power a header into the net, off Joe Mant’s crossbar. It was a classical centre-forward’s goal – dare I say ‘Welfordesque’ in its execution ?

The point was no more than Ashford deserved, on the overall balance of play, and, more importantly, might prove to be enormously important to the team’s confidence, going forward. At this very early stage, this new set of players still looks a fair way off being a unit that might challenge for the play-off positions, but things certainly appear to be going in the right direction.