Ascot United 2nd X1 Veterans v West Kensington Kings Veterans

Report

At times, football can be a cruel mistress. As an entertaining Friday night contest moved into the 90th minute, Ascot United’s second string were 2-1 up and looking all set to claim three points against West Kensington Kings (WKK). Four minutes later and it was WKK who were cock-a-hoop; two (very) late goals, the second of which was a cracker of a strike, saw them win by the odd goal in five.

 

When the sides met earlier in the season Ascot United had taken the strain at Barn Elms, parked the proverbial bus and come away with a 2-0 win. The game this time was an altogether different type of affair.

 

The Kings certainly started the better. They look menacing down both flanks, and only some last gasp defending from both Ed Dubois and Nigel Gatehouse kept the scores level. Going forward, the Yellas just couldn’t seem to get going.

 

But, as the half wore on, Ascot got ever more back into the game. It was WKK who nonetheless scored first. That was a setback for the home team, but, if anything, it was the catalystthat sparked Ascot into life. Micky Parker started linking play up on the left and Paul Woodford became a reassuring presence in the midfield engine room.

 

Ascot subsequently grasped the nettle and took control of things. Carl Collins began to look menacing; on three occasions he managed to get in behind the full back and cause bedlam. Indeed, a delectable chip from the corner of the box very nearly ended up in the net – only the width of the crossbar prevented Collins from registering what would have been an outrageous goal.

 

Ed Dubois also channelled his inner-Beckenbauer, moving forward down the right, swaying the hips like Anton Du Beke, before then thumping the ball against the post. This was Total Football Ascot style!

 

Surely the Yellas’ goal(s) would come? At half-time newly installed Director of Football, Dwaine Bryan, stressed the need for a bit of calm on the ball and a bit of patience. Wise words indeed, and Ascot certainly took heed.

 

Islam Hussein and Alex Markarian get ever more into the game, and it was Markarian prompted the first Ascot goal. He swooped goalwards and was felled in the box. Referee Justin Staniforth didn’t hesitate to give a penalty. Given Ascot’s reasonably calamitous record with penalties of late, no one took anything for granted when Phil White stepped up to take it. The watching masses needn’t have worried. He calmly slotted it to the keeper’s right.

 

Ascot kept pushing forward. Indeed, wave after wave of attack saw the Yellas play some genuinely pulsating stuff. Would they be able to force their way through and take the lead? Yep. The impressive Steve Dando fed Alex Markarian on the left, he cut in, jinked past the centre half and fired the ball home from the edge of the box.

 

The Yellas didn’t sit back. On the contrary, the flowing football continued. Dan Hough shanked a ball on to the post when he really should have scored, Islam Hussein fired a left footed drive over, Phil White followed suit with his right peg. The football was compelling, but that third goal wouldn’t come.

 

WKK were subsequently never out of it. And, in the 90thminute they had a stroke of luck. The ball was fired in from the right, it dropped in the six yard box and suddenly it was 2-2. No sooner was it 2-2 than were WKK in front. An Ascot blunderbuss of a throw in, the ball drops and a WKK midfielder thumps it home from well outside the box.

 

There were a few furrowed brows in the Ascot camp afterwards. As there should be; you don’t play football to be happy about conceding two late goals and lose 3-2. But, after a few minutes’ worth of stewing, the consensus was that it’d been an excellent game. Old men giving it their all, competing, giving it a right go before then talking about it for a good hour in the bar afterwards. Long may that continue.

 

Team: Rob Stockford, Karl Small, Micky Parker, Adam Abusweder, Nigel Gatehouse, Ed Dubois, Steve Dando (c), Stuart Birkett, Alex Markarian, Carl Collins, Phil White. Subs; Darren Lewis, Dan Hough, Islam Hussein, Paul Woodford

Goals; Phil White (pen), Alex Markarian