Ascot United Men v Ashford Town (Middx)

Report

ASCOT AND ASHFORD DRAW BLANK

 

Misfiring Yellamen slip out of play-off positions

 

Ascot United and Ashford Town (Middx) cancelled each other out on Saturday, in a game which petered out into obscurity. After a first half littered with chances, the game deteriorated in a poor second half where a point for both sides ultimately did more for the visitors’ prospects.

 

Last big push as play-off race hots up

This was the first of a sequence of very winnable games for the home side, although Ashford arrived in decent form despite their place just below the safety line; four wins in their last six had galvanised their chances of escaping the drop.

 

Joe Gater returned in defence for home side in a starting line line-up also containing Khalid Simmo and March player-of-the-month George Lock; Connor Holland Sean Fraser taking their place on a strong-looking bench

 

Ascot on top but fail to find the net

The home side were largely dominant in the first half and for all their possession and chances, would feel aggrieved at ultimately changing ended goalless.

 

Lock went close to converting Anas Igozouln’s dangerous cross just two minutes in, and Gater might have done better than head Harry Grant’s free kick over the crossbar just three minutes later.

 

Archie Larkham’s trip on Igozouln in the area ended with strong penalty appeals being waved away by referee Charlie Bullock, before visiting ‘keeper Marcin Brzozowski produced the first – and best – of three fine saves to deny Harvey Harry; Harry having skipped through the defence and fired a deflected shot that Brzozowski did well to adjust his feet for and tip onto a post.

 

Both Harry and Simmo saw shots well saved in quick succession as Brzozowski earnt his corn, producing a block when the former went through one-on-one and then a reaction save to beat away the latter’s thunderbolt – but the home side couldn’t find a way through.

 

The closest Ashford came was Scott Day’s half-volley that drifted comfortably wide just before the half-hour mark, but Ascot had the last chance when Harry exposed a sleeping defence in the 45^th minute, ran clear, but inexplicably scuffed his left-footed effort that was easily claimed.

 

Second half – dismal affair

For all the chances that went before, the second half was a huge disappointment and there were only three chances of note.

 

The first of them came in the 64^th minute when Ashford’s Jack Arnold somehow managed to side-foot straight at Mark Scott when he should have at least found either the power or accuracy to ask a better question, before Arnold teed up prince Kandolo in the 89^th minute for a shot which deflected wide for a corner.

 

Surprisingly – for all of Brzozowski’s time-wasting antics – there were only four added minutes and the visitors played them with ten men after Barsa Mirtahmasebi was dismissed in the 90^th minute. And, having forced a corner in the last of them, home substitute Holland skied over the bar a golden chance to steal the win with a shot from just inside the area in the afters of a late corner for the hosts.

 

Results elsewhere saw Ascot drop out of the play-offs for the first time in several months, but they still have a game in hand on fifth-placed Hayes & Yeading whilst fourth-placed Kingstonian are in a seemingly endless freefall.

 

It’s still also to play for, but Ascot need to start playing.

 

What’s next for Ascot?

The Yellamen stay home next weekend for the visit of Westfield.

                                               

Ascot United: Scott, Lock (Payne-James 61’), Goulter, Jones (Holland 67’), Gater, Edwards, Simmo (Butler 82’), Grant, Harry, Igozouln, Rogers. Subs unused: Holland, Butler, Mason, Fraser

 

Entertainment: 2

Reporter’s Star Man: Nathan Jones (Ascot United)

Away fans estimate: 20