Late penalty heartbreak for improved Yellamen
Ascot United succumbed to a late 1-0 defeat at newly-promoted Fareham Town on Saturday. In a game of two halves, the home side could have been out of sight by half time before The Yellamen bossed the second period, but it was the Hampshire side who nicked it through Casey Bartlett-Scott’s 85th minute spot-kick.
Fareham on top but misfire up front
The Creeksiders would create most of the chances in an otherwise fairly sedate first half, and thankfully for Ascot they appeared to have forgotten their shooting boots.
Jamie Arnold fired wide after nine minutes following a break down the Fareham right, before Dan Sibley’s daisy-cutter fizzed across Kie Plumley’s goal and just wide of the left-hand upright five minutes later.
Sibley should have punished Ascot when Bailey Lamb dithered and lost possession in the midfield, but fired straight at Plumley after racing clear.
At the other end Luis Le-Paih’s tame shot at least gave home ‘keeper Dec McCarthy something to do in the 22nd minute after Jaheim Kamara had laid off George Lock’s cross from the right, before their best chance came when Cass Fried-Jones threaded through for Joden Trickett, who held off covering defender Dan Bennett and saw McCarthy save his shot with his feet.
But there were two big let-offs for Ascot before half-time; Arnold somehow sliding wide with Plumley both stranded and beaten, and then Will Ayre fired over from the under the crossbar in first half injury-time.
Ascot make changes and create chances before Fareham nick it.
The Yellamen had a greater threat after the break and a succession of changes gave them outlets and new vigour.
They should have scored three minutes in when Baback Dehghani’s cross was flicked back across the six-yard box by impressive debutant wing-back George Wallace for Kamara – whose thunderous shot was well blocked by Bennett – albeit with more than a shout of hand-ball claims after leaning in with his arm.
McCarthy’s outstanding, flying save then clawed Kamara’s shot away when destined for the top right after substitute Cheik Sylla’s strength took him clear down the left before cutting in to tee up Kamara, and the two would combine well again in the 74th minute when Kamara curled just wide of the top left after Sylla had made another nuisance of himself.
Knocking on the door, Ascot saw another chance go begging with ten minutes remaining but only after Fareham substitute Cam Sullivan’s superb block thwarted Khalid Simmo after he had struck first-time from Sylla’s cross across the six-yard box.
But the home side had the sting in the tail and after Kai Allsopp stuck out a leg on the edge of the area, down went Charlie Cooper, and Bartlett-Scott sent Plumley the wrong way from the spot to make it 1-0.
Plumley’s fine save kept out Sam Godfroy’s thunderous late free kick – over the wall and heading just under the crossbar – in the 90th minute, but he and his side couldn’t muster a final chance to salvage what would have been a deserved point.
What’s next for Ascot?
There are only 48 hours before Southall visit The Racecourse on Bank Holiday Monday (3pm).
Ascot United: Plumley, Lock (Murray 34’), Wallace, Edwards, Lamb, Garlinge (Allsopp 62’), Dehghani (Bamford 69’), Le-Paih, Trickett (Sylla 64’), Fried-Jones (Simmo 59’), Kamara.
Venue: Cam Alders, Fareham
Attendance: 240
Weather: 22c, sunny
Reporter’s star man: George Wallace (Ascot United)
Entertainment: 3
Away fans estimate: 10
One-word summary: Undeserved