4-1 flatters The Field but Yellas still fall short
Ascot United slipped to another defeat, this time against play-off chasing Westfield on Saturday. Having trailed 1-0, The Yellamen dug out an equaliser and might had taken the lead early in the second half, but were ultimately undone to leave their survival hopes further dented.
Beleaguered Yellamen look to cause huge upset
Ascot, without talisman defender Sean Fraser who announced his departure 24 hours earlier, arrived at Woking-based Westfield with a mountain to climb. Manager Gavin Smith once again looked around for plugs to fill the widening gaps, this time drafting in Henry Curtis in defence and Kamaron English up front; Josh Edwards a welcome return from injury and Fope Deru also back, but named on the bench.
The hosts had won 18 of their 25 league matches and barring collapse they look set for the play-offs, and it might even be better than that in the end of season reckoning given their games in hand.
Westfield dominate but Ascot show fight
The home side were on top in the first half and forced a succession of corners, but it was another set-piece – a penalty – that almost gave them a twelfth minute lead. Curtis’s attempted clearance struck Lanseny Traore, Shamal Edwards raced clear, and Curtis was harshly adjusted to have fouled him when attempting to recover. However, Kie Plumley was equal to Manolas Gogonas’s thumping penalty, diving to his right with a big hand to tip it away.
Ascot rarely threatened until Tyrone Shiham won and took a 25th minute free-kick, although home ‘keeper Lewis Gallifent easily gobbled it up.
Woeful defending costs Ascot
The Yellamen were, at times, very poor in defence and too slow to react. But, Westfield’s equaliser just before the half-hour mark should never have happened; Gogonas finding the net with a speculative cross-shot from near the right-wing touch line that sailed over Plumley and into the net.
Rudi Pache’s heavy touch then gifted possess to The Field although Plumley stood up well to beat Finn Evans’s effort away after he had been played in. From the resulting corner, Ascot were napping again, and when the ball broke to Kiye Martin, he fired through a crowded penalty area and onto the post.
It all looked really, really, agricultural.
That was a let off for Ascot, and barely sixty seconds later they were level via a swift break when David Oupoh played in English, English drew himself some space on the left and cut a low, left-footed shot across Gallifent and into the bottom right.
Plumley saved Ascot again before the break – his side napping again from a free kick – this time Martin was denied again after Evans had teed him up.
Ascot punished for squandering early chance
The second half was only two minutes old when Ascot could – and should – have made it 2-1. Kai Allsopp’s flick put Shiham into space, and with all the freedom of Woking Park he somehow contrived to slip and slice wide when it looked easier to score.
Seven minutes later, Gogonas bulldozed his way into the box and took a neat flicked one-two return for before hammering across Plumley and into the top left hand corner; 2-1 to the home side.
Ascot rarely threatened again despite battling hard, and were twice undone at the death, firstly when substitute Aderi Dede raced onto a through ball, touched it past the onrushing Plumley, and tucked into an empty net to make it 3-1.
That goal came in the 90th minute, and it was 4-1 in the 95th when substitute Tom Smith headed home unmarked in the six yard box after Michael O’ Connor had flighted in a hopeful free kick from the half way line.
Ascot United: Plumley, Sankoh, Edwards, Curtis, Traore (Osbourne 64’), Le Paih, Allsopp, Oupoh (Harry 46’), Pache (Stuart 69’), Shiham (Deru 74’), English.
Venue: Woking Park
Attendance: 155
Weather: 13c, overcast
Ascot United MOM: Kamaron English
Entertainment: 2
Away fans estimate: 15
One-word summary: Battling