Ascot United Men v Horndean

Report

ASCOT EASE TO HORNDEAN VICTORY

 

Five more goals for in-form Yellas

 

Ascot United romped to a 5-2 victory against already-relegated Horndean on Saturday. The Yellamen were 5-0 up and cruising after fifty minutes, but having used all of their substitutes and going down to ten men through injury, they conceded two injury-time goals to take the gloss of a composed performance.

 

Groundhog day in survival fight?

For the second Saturday on the trot, Ascot entertained a side whose relegation to Step five was already confirmed, although opponents Horndean had only succumbed to that fate three days earlier in a 7-1 defeat at Hartley Wintney.

 

Last weekend, fellow Hampshire side Fareham had shown moments of intent, and Horndean would surely do the same in a quest to earn as many points as possible – who knows what the end-of-season shake-up will yield – as well as pride, after that midweek mauling.

 

Manager Gavin Smith’s side were, however, in good form. Eleven points from their last six outings had breathed life into a campaign that looked doomed after defeat against Hendon one month before, but they still lay just two points and one place above the drop zone.

 

And, they knew their rivals would pick up points – 19^th placed Met Police entertained 17^th placed Bedfont Sports either side of 18^th-placed Ascot, whereas 20^th placed Littlehampton hosted unpredictable Hatley Wintney, even if the latter had steadied their own ship in their past four games.

 

The task was clear; focus on getting your own job done.

 

Yellamen exploit woeful Horndean

The home side were as ruthless in attack as Horndean were poor in defence in a largely one-sided first half; the visitors affording too much space to Ascot and were bedraggled in defence.

 

It took just ten minutes for the opener to arrive when Lui Edwards and Tyrese Osbourne combined for the latter to pick out David Oupoh on the right, and he smashed into the left hand corner having set himself nicely for the strike.

 

Oupoh turned provider five minutes later with a neat reverse flick over his shoulder for the unlikely presence of Kai Hobbs up-top, who found the net – also with a flick – over exposed goalkeeper Ryan North.

 

Edwards and Oupoh combined again for the latter to sting North’s palms before Osbourne’s wicked cross from the by-line went through Edwards’s legs as he attempted to slot home.

 

However, it was 3-0 in the 26^th minute when referee Adam Jackson’s intelligent advantage allowed Kai Allsopp to skip clear after initially being fouled, Allsopp squared for Edwards, and he beat North with an exquisite first-time side-footed volley across goal and into the bottom right.

 

Osbourne’s cross then struck defender Brett Williams’s hand with no penalty awarded, before Horndean’s Kevin Ngombi forced a finger-tip save out of Kie Plumley from long-range in their first moment of threat.

 

Ascot’s seemingly non-stop charitable donation to the world of stupid penalties continued when Ngombi was cleaned out in the 37^th minute, but Plumley made a brilliant double save from Ryan Carroll’s spot-kick, firstly diving to his own right to make an initial save before recovering and spreading his body to block the same player’s follow-up.

 

Yellamen strike early brace; Horndean do the same late-on.

After the break, the home side put the result beyond doubt with two goals inside five minutes.

 

Firstly, Henry Curtis was allowed to drift clear at the far post to meet man-of-the-match Sam Sesay’s deep corner, before putting his laces through a thunderous shot into the net from a tight angle.

 

A flowing, simple move paved the way for number five when Long picked out Edwards on the edge of the final third, Edwards rolled the ball for Osbourne to run onto down the left channel, and he drilled a low left-footed shot across North and into the bottom right.

 

Manager Gavin Smith made all five substitutions before the final third of the game, although that ultimately ended with his side playing the final fifteen with ten men after Quaye Vine went down clutching his ankle – joining Osbourne who had earlier limped off holding his groin – in two serious-looking injuries.

 

The visitors never gave up and Sam Godfroy clattered Plumley’s crossbar before seeing both the follow-up blocked and Ngombi blaze over, but in a crazy three minutes of added time Lewis Olajide scored a screamer across Plumley and into the top right before Ascot’s charity donations continued when substitute Adam Queally conceded penalty number two, which Brett Williams converted.

 

Results elsewhere mean Ascot would be virtually safe if they win at Raynes Park Vale next week regardless of results elsewhere, and regardless of that they will have a second-strike against Met Police on the final day; barring an unlikely swing in goal difference towards Littlehampton across both days.

 

Above them, Hendon, Binfield and Bedfont Sports are all within two points of them, so any two of six could join Fareham and Horndean through the trap door in an enthralling end-of-season dogfight.

 

Ascot United: Plumley, Sesay, Hobbs, Gayle, J. Edwards (Queally 54’), Curtis, Oupoh (Kamara 46’), Long (Stewart 61’), L. Edwards, Osbourne (Yusuf 54’), Allsopp (Vine 61’).

 

Venue: The Racecourse Ground, Ascot United

Attendance: 197

Weather: 12c, partly sunny and windy

Ascot United MOM: Sam Sesay

Entertainment: 4

Away fans estimate: 15

One-word summary: Composed