Rocks fight back from 2-0 to stun Yellas
Ascot United were pegged back by Bognor Regis Town in a thrilling encounter on Saturday. The home side were 2-0 up and could have been almost out of sight, only for the Sussex side to mount a stirring fightback and secure a deserved draw.
Rocks start and finish half well; Yellamen dominate middle
The visitors made a strong start to the game and only a good block followed by Mark Scott’s fine save denied Preston Woolston after he had made a driving run and twice let rip in the ninth minute.
But Ascot swarmed around their opponents like flies after that and could have been more than a few goals to the good at half time.
Impressive loanee Francis Amartey raced through and elected to round visiting ‘keeper Dan Lincoln in the thirteenth minute only to find the angle against him as Lincoln spread himself to make a save, before Babs Dehghani’s goal-bound curler – teed up by Kai Allsopp nicked off a defender and wide for 26th minute corner.
But from that corner – taken by Dehghani – defender Sean Fraser crashed the ball home first time into the bottom left with all the trimmings of a seasoned striker.
It got better for Ascot five minutes later when Amartey made a nuisance of himself from Tyrese Osbourne’s hanging cross, and Dehghani swept home on the volley to double his side’s lead (pictured, shooting-stars.co.uk).
Lincoln made a fine save to deny Amartey who went round him once again – stretching out a hand to tip the ball away when it looked like the striker had teed up a free shot at goal – before Osbourne stabbed home the rebound following Jaheim Kamara’s cross.
But just after Brandon Chebby had flashed a header narrowly wide for Bognor three minutes before the break, Ibra Busari intercepted Luis Le Paih’s weak cross-field pass for Ascot to get his side moving forwards, Chebby’s cross from the left looped up to the far post, and Jake Lawrence smashed home to make it more interesting at half time; 2-1 in favour of Ascot as the sides changed ends.
Visitors dominate second half littered with opportunities
In a breathtaking second half where both sides hit the woodwork, Bognor took the game to Ascot and ultimately forced a draw that their endeavours deserved.
However, it was Lincoln in action first, sticking out an ankle to turn Osbourne’s low effort to the near post behind for a corner after Le Paih had threaded him in.
But after that it was almost one-way traffic at the other end; firstly Chebby’s shot was saved by Scott and Woolstone fired over in the aftermath after Lennie Smith had played him in.
Lawrence then dragged across the goal and wide after Smith had raced behind Milo Stuart, before substitute Callum Laycock thundered home a header from Woolston’s 75th minute corner; 2-2 and plenty of time left.
Earlier, Kamara had cut inside and struck the outside of a post for Ascot, but that was a rare moment of respite before Lawrence’s header sailed just wide from a corner and Woolston fired wide-right after another driving run.
Lawrence then produced a moment of magic – a 360-spin and drag-back teed himself up for a shot that clattered the inside of the right hand post – but Ascot clung on.
Lawrence then fired straight at Scott early-on in six minutes of added time after Ascot defender Jeremy Stewart had got his legs in a mess, although even than that, Ascot might have scored an improbable winner when Kamara’s shot drifted just wide of the top left before Steve Gody set himself up for an effort that lacked the height or direction to trouble Lincoln despite being well-placed.
Ascot United: Scott, Sankoh, Stuart, Fraser, Stewart, Allsopp (Gody 81’), Dehghani, Le Paih, Amartey, Osbourne (Anderson 70’), Kamara. Subs unused: Traore, Harry
Venue: The Racecourse, Ascot
Attendance: 179
Weather: 10c, cloudy
Ascot United MOM: Babs Dehghani (Ascot United)
Entertainment: 5
Away fans estimate: 45
One-word summary: Fair