Sparks come from behind to beat tame Yellas
Ascot United repeated their trick of one week earlier as they scored early but lost 2-1, this time at South Park (Reigate) on Saturday. Ahead inside 180 seconds, the visitors were behind before half time and rarely threatened to get back into it as their poor away form continued.
Can The Yellamen back up their midweek away win?
Ascot had recorded a rare away win at Egham during the previous midweek – only their second of the season – and if they are to maintain an upward push they knew they needed to sort out their away form.
However, they would need to do it without top scorer Lucias Vine (absent), with Luis Le Paih still missing out after having his broken nose reset during midweek. The Sparks were themselves sniffing around a congested middle-order knowing a decent run would give them a chance of pushing for the play-offs, and having played two games more than Ascot for their one-point ascendancy in seventh, this was certainly a tasty one for either side to win.
Early goal for Ascot before defensive self-destruct button discovered
The Yellamen made a dream start and took the lead inside the opening three minutes. Tyrese Osbourne on the left sent an inviting cross into the middle, and Brandao glanced home a delightful header with all the confidence of a seasoned striker.
However, apart from Ezekiel Williams’ rising drive that sailed just over the top right-hand corner in the 35th minute, that was as good as it got for the visitors before half time and at that point they were already trailing.
The first calamity came on the quarter-hour mark when ‘keeper Kie Plumley called for a comfortable ball home, although his defence decided against it and gifted the ball straight to Darnell Braithwaite, who chipped home from a tight angle to level it up.
Bailey Lamb then failed to deal with a through ball and headed the ball down into the ground when attempting to find Plumley, Tyrese Briscoe nipped in and rounded him, drawing a foul from Plumley. Up stepped Briscoe who elected to go down the middle, Plumley dived to his right, but he still managed to save Briscoe’s spot-kick with his trailing foot.
That was a let-off, but four minutes later defender Jerry O’ Sullivan’s cross from the right – half way inside the Ascot half – sailed across Plumley and in off the woodwork left of goal to make it 2-1 to the hosts; 33 minutes played.
Poor second half sees Ascot rarely threaten
The second half was a disappointing affair, although credit to the home side as they were well-organized at the back and restricted Ascot to spraying the ball from flank to flank; any attempt at unpicking them with a through-ball often suppressed.
The Yellamen did, however, almost repeat their first-half trick when Brandao opened up space for a right footed shot inside the opening three minutes, but Danny Bracken was equal to his effort from distance, back-pedalling to tip Brandao’s effort over the crossbar.
Plumley made two decent saves to keep his side in the hunt, but was relieved to see Braithwaite lob over him and narrowly wide in the 82nd minute after the winger had nipped in between himself and a tiring Rudi Piche.
Ascot had seven added minutes to force an equaliser, but weren’t direct enough and South Park escaped with the three points.
Ascot United: Plumley, Pache, Rohart-Brown (Murray 59’), Edwards (Allsopp 46’), Sankoh, Williams, Simmo, Osbourne (Dehghani 59’), Brandao (Fraser 72’), Lamb, Kamara (Harry 59’).
Venue: Whitehall Lane
Attendance: 138
Weather: 8c, partly sunny
Reporter’s star man: Kie Plumley (Ascot United)
Entertainment: 2
Away fans estimate: 10 (7, plus 3 local lads intent on singing for Ascot)
One-word summary: Tame