Super Kie is apple of the eye in 2-0 success
Goalkeeper Kie Plumley stole the show as Ascot United edged out Three Bridges 2-0 in the Isuzu FA Trophy First Qualifying Round on Friday night. After Jaheim Kamara had struck an early brace for the home side, Plumley produced a goalkeeping masterclass – including a late penalty save – to help book his side’s place in the next round.
Yellamen seek repeat of Friday feat
Exactly one year earlier, The Yellamen demolished Merstham – from the same league as Three Bridges – under The Racecourse lights at this stage of the competition. With a new squad, and off the back of their FA Cup defeat six days earlier, Gavin Smith’s sight sought a response.
Standing in their way was Crawley outfit Three Bridges – who had impressively seen off Marlow having entered in the prior preliminary round – and with goals in their armour it would surely be a tough test for the home side.
Rapid start sees hosts two-nil up
The Yellamen might indeed have read the script from a year ago as they found themselves ahead after just 77 seconds. Dithering at the back, The Bridges undid themselves, and Kamara nipped in to side foot past a helpless Sam Roberts.
Cheick Sylla then showed great strength before stinging Roberts’s palms nine minutes in, but it was 2-0 in the fifteenth minute with Sylla involved again.
This time, his strength earned his side a free kick – cue Khalid Simmo – and although his direct free-kick took two goal-bound deflections to take the pace off the strike, Kamara nipped in to clip home number two.
Visitors come back into it; Plumley stands tall
Inevitably, the visitors would try to force their way back into the game, but home ‘keeper Plumley stood tall with three fine saves before half time.
Firstly – and with his best intervention of the trio – his backpedalling save to claw Abdul Adeyinka’s curling, looping, effort away drew gasps from the home faithful in the 32nd minute.
Then, he stood up well to beat striker Noel Leighton’s close range volley over five minutes later, before repeating the trick to thwart livewire Reece Hallard’s similar effort four minutes before the break.
In a half of two halves, Ascot escaped it with their two-nil lead.
More of the same in second half
The home faithful might have thought it would be a matter of time before Plumley was beaten after the visitors swarmed around his goal like wasps after the restart, but he would have none of it.
When Kevin Sambrano set Leighton through on goal just after the hour mark it looked odds-on that the visitors would cut the deficit, but he made himself big once again to thwart The Bridges once more.
Leighton then fed substitute Noel Fisher, who saw his shot from a tight angle saved – once again – by Plumley who stood his ground, before he iced his own cake with a 95th minute penalty save diving low to his right to deny Reece Hallard (pictured, shooting-stars.co.uk).
Had that gone in, there would have been little more time for the visitors to force a leveller, but it was a clean-sheet well-earnt for the man-of-the-match.
Ascot’s best chance of the half came in the 85th minute when Luis Le-Paih’s effort was cleared off the line, but this match will be remembered as the Plumley show.
It was quite some performance from the hosts’ number one.
What’s next for Ascot?
Ascot United are back in cup action on Tuesday evening when Raynes Park Vale are the visitors in the league cup.
Ascot United: Plumley, Sankoh, Murray, Edwards, Lamb, Allsopp, Dehghani, Le-Paih, Sylla, Simmo, Kamara. Subs (all used): Atkinson, Garlinge, Fried-Jones, Trickett, Ceesay
Venue: The Racecourse
Attendance: TBC
Weather: 17c, cloudy
Reporter’s star man: Kie Plumley (Ascot United)
Entertainment: 3
Away fans estimate: 5
One-word summary: Resolute