Yellamen pay penalty as goal drought continues
Ascot United gifted Sutton Common Rovers a penalty as they succumbed to a single-goal defeat on Saturday. In front of miserly 74 spectators, the Yellamen drew blank for the third game on the trot as they failed to register a shot on target.
Similar starting line up for Yellamen
The Yellamen made just one change to the starting line up that had lost to Hartley Wintney one week earlier – Chris Ellis in for Josh Edwards – as they looked for points on the road; this time at AFC Whyteleafe, landlords of the hosts.
Ascot match Rovers before gifting an opener
The first half was low on chances but well contested – the home side started better but Ascot subsequently enjoyed a decent fifteen minute spell of their own during which Sean McCormack sliced high and wide from distance and Taylor Morgan’ shot was blocked – before Daryl Coleman’s wayward shot at the other end summed up the first thirty minutes.
But the home side were gifted a goal in the 34th minute in a moment of madness Ascot will want to forget. Goalkeeper Mark Scott swiped at a long ball, making minimal contact allowing Malachi Thomas to nip in, but going away from goal Harry Tucker elected to challenge – mis-timed – and the end result was inevitable. Up stepped Maxwell Oldham, and the resultant penalty ended up in the bottom right.
McCormack sent another long range effort in the same place as his earlier effort in a tepid end to the half, which was thankfully put to sleep after just two minutes of injury time.
Second half deteriorates as Yellamen fail to land a glove
The Yellamen were quickly onto the front foot after the break but failed to carve out a clear chance, before Scott kept them in it at the other end just after the hour mark when he saved smartly from Aaron Jenkins.
Scott then made an even better save two minutes later, racing from his line to block Thomas’s close-range shot after he had run onto a neat flick, before Ascot made a triple change as they looked for ideas.
Two of them, Ollie Harris and Harry Laflin linked up with ten minutes to go in what was their only real chance of a tepid second half; the latter hooking the former’s nod-down wide of the right-hand post after Jordan Ajanlekoko had boomed a long ball into the penalty area.
The excellent Ellis had the ball in the net from McCormack’s 90th minute corner, but the effort was ruled out for a shove in the box.
What’s next for Ascot?
The Yellamen are back in action when Ashford Town (Middx) visit the Racecourse on Tuesday evening for a crucial league game.
Ascot United: Scott, Tack, Lalustani, Ajanlekoko, Tucker (Lock 70’), Ellis, McCormack, H. Grant, B. Harris (O. Harris 70’), T. Morgan, Goulter (Laflin 70’). Subs unused: Lahtinen-Kalsi, Bailey
Entertainment: 1
Reporter’s Star Man: Antonio Simeone (SCR)
Away fans (estimate): 30
