Windsor FC v Ascot United

Report

YELLAMEN SURGE BACK TO SINK ROYALISTS

‘A-star’ performance as B nets three in 5-1 rout

Brendan Matthew scored a hat-trick as Ascot United powered to a 5-1 win over Windsor at a sweltering Stag Meadow on Saturday. The Yellamen trailed early-on, but had the game wrapped up by half time and even missed a penalty and struck the woodwork in the second half.

The Yellamen made a couple of changes from the side that had beaten Cribbs in the FA Cup eight days earlier; George Lock and available-again Sean McCormack in for Rory Merrick and Keaton August.

In an eventful first half, Ascot almost took the lead in the eighth minute when Usman Lalustani squeezed a deft flick past home ‘keeper Conaill Ryan only for defender Adam Jeffries to clear off the line.

Windsor then took advantage of statuesque defending two minutes later when OJ Senessie rose highest to plant a firm head past Jamie Ashdown from Harry Maple’s right wing free-kick.

But the Yellamen were soon level and virtually out of sight by half time with a powerful, dominant display.

First, Marcus Mealing wrapped his left foot to swing the ball across for Matthew to head into the top left hand corner in the 17^th minute, before Matthew started and finished a fine move in the 22^nd minute; Jordan Ajanlekoko and Mealing combining in between.

Jacob Adeyimi should have levelled just before the midpoint drinks break following indecision in the Ascot defence – Adeyimi firing over – and when play resumed Ascot were back in control.

They were denied a clear penalty when Matthew was tripped just after the half-hour mark, but got their reward soon after when Matthew picked out Lalustani’s run and he cut back onto his right foot from the by-line before firing a deflected effort past Ryan.

And 3-1 became 4-1 in first half injury time when Senessies’s attempted clearance from Jay Welch’s miscued shot wrong-footed Ryan and found the bottom right hand corner.

Three minutes after the restart, Ryan saved Mealing’s spot-kick which was awarded after Dan Bailey’s header had been handled, although Ashdown was soon equally alert at the other end to smother Joe Blunt’s low shot.

Substitute Ollie Harris’s fine run almost ended with Matthew converting at the far post, although Matthew missed arguably his easiest chance after another substitute – Keaton August – had pressurized Windsor into losing possession after Ryan and Senessie tried to play their way out of the six-yard box.

The replacements continued to impress – Harry Laflin’s touch and shot across the box would have been a wonder strike but sailed wide, before the sensational Matthew thumped a header onto the crossbar from Harris’s corner.

Ryan then saved from substitute Harry Grant as Ascot’s relentless pressure continued, and they would finally be rewarded with an injury-time fifth when Harris’s mazy run through a mass of defenders ended with a cross that Matthew gleefully tucked home at the far post.

Ascot United: Ashdown, Lock (Grant 46’), Masters, Ajanlekoko, Bailey, Tucker (Bouwers 68’), McCormack (Harris 62’), Welch, Mealing (Laflin 68’), Matthew, Lalustani (August 62’).