Nottsborough Veterans v Ascot United 1st X1 Veterans

13 January 2024

Nottsbrough Vets 0-10 Ascot United Vets

The Vets’ first team started the year in cup action, after a frustrating end of the year League-wise.

Travelling away to an ever-willing Nottsbrough side in the past hasn’t always been plain sailing. But, the conditions were perfect with a great playing surface.

Dave Lyons made his Vets’ debut, but not his club debut having played for the men’s first team in the early 2000s.

The ref finally appeared and we got going.

Ascot started on the front foot, and it wasn’t long before Sam McIntyre beat his marker to cross to find Ian Davies free to nod in from 5 yards.

Nottsbrough tried to counter-attack but were snuffed out with a great defensive back three off Jamie Burgess, Chris Ferdinand and Neil Corbett. They all communicated well and kept a solid back line. Lyons was in action when saving well low down to his left. Straight after the save the ball was knocked forward to double the lead.

The middle three of Mike Tomlinson, Mikey Lewis and Phil White were cruising and linking well and feeding the two wide men. Stuart Tanfield and Sam McIntyre were giving the Nottsbrough full backs nightmares. They couldn’t handle their pace. Many times they got the ball in causing panic in the Nottsbrough back line. Their keeper was keeping the score respectable, alongside the strong tall centre back who had a great 90 minute running battle with Adam Moroney. Moroney got his goal, Davies got his second with a lovely slotted finish and Mikey Lewis/OG made it 4-0 at half time.

Phil White departed with a slight hamstring issue, and was replaced by Garyth Brant. Brant got about the action from the kick off; he got stuck in and kept it simple while keeping the ball moving all second half.

The number 5 came along with an own goal, Turbo once again getting to the byline to cross only for the ball to skid off the centre back into the net.

The back three were seeing a lot of the ball and using it well, with Lyons wishing he had another layer to keep warm. Ian Davies completed his hat trick on 59 mins with a tap in.

Tomlinson came off just after the hour. He was replaced by John Wilkes who, like Lyons, was also making his Vets (but not club) debut; Wilkes played youth, Sunday and indeed men’s first team football for the club. He slotted into the back three while Corbett joined Brant and Lewis in the middle. Adam Abusweder replaced Tanfield and he slotted in well on the right side, linking up with burgess and the front two.

It was all one way traffic and 68 minutes in Davies set up Moroney to get his second of the afternoon. Well deserved for putting in the hard yards. Corbett was trying to find his shooting range. Two shots ended up in the brambles, but a couple of minutes later he had his goal, finishing from 8 yards. The game was over, but the hosts never gave up and didn’t moan or complain. Adam Abusweder took a crushing tackle but got up without a fuss. Lewis took the free kick, but put it straight into the palms of the keeper.

Davies got two more goals before the end, giving him 5 for the day.

Outstanding performance by the whole squad and it could have been more.

Team: Lyons, Burgess, Ferdinand, Corbett, Tomlinson(Wilkes), Lewis, White (Brant), Tanfield (Abusweber), McIntyre, Moroney, Davis.