Ascot United Supervets v Claygate Royals Strollers Supervets

Report

Ascot United’s Supervets continued their terrific start to West London Vets’ League football by notching their sixth win on the bounce. Claygate certainly never gave up, but Ascot ultimately did more than enough to merit the three points. Chris Ferdinand led the way by taking his season’s tally to 14; he added a couple more to his already impressive goal scoring CV. Phil White, Matt Newall, Stu Flurry and Dave Thompson were also on the scoresheet.

 

“If the truth be known, I was a bit disappointed” mused co-gaffer Stu Flurry to the world’s press afterwards. “Some of the clothing choices made this evening left a lot to be desired. We had snoods worn on heads, we had some players wearing gloves that Scott of the Antarctic would have felt were a tad on the warm side and don’t even get me started on the leggings…..”. Flurry, it would appear, remains very much part of the oldest of old skools.

 

Be that as it may, the weather was indeed not for the faint hearted. Play started with the needle on the thermometer hovering just above the zero mark and it ended with it well below it. The 3G pitch, of course, was perfect – it was more the danger of aging bones seizing up and needing significant amounts of WD40 to get going again.

 

That, however, didn’t stop Ascot flying out of the blocks. Gaffers Porter and Flurry had decided to play a decidedly attacking formation; three at the back, messrs Hussain and Hough given licence to fly forward as wing backs and an attacking midfield comprising Mike Tomlinson, Phil White and Stu Flurry. That left Chris Ferdinand and Dave Thompson up top leading the line.

 

Within 20 minutes both of the strikers had made their mark on the scoresheet; decent team goals with excellent finishes. That became three when Ferdinand cooly fired the ball home from a decent cross from the right. When Stu Flurry added a fourth – a nice one-two off the keeper from a penalty – it looked like Ascot were all set to run up something of a cricket score.

 

Claygate, however, were impressively resilient. Indeed, they forced the Ascot custodian, Rob Stockford, into a couple of very tidy saves. As half-time arrived it was Claygate who were doing most of the attacking and it was Ascot who were the more relieved to hear referee Justin Staniforth call time on first half proceedings.

 

Claygate continued to look dangerous on the break in the second half, Stockford again saving smartly when called on. Ascot did nonetheless eventually get back into their rhythm. Jad Sidhu enjoyed plenty of space on the right, Abbas Hussain was a constant menace down the left. Mike Hynes was fizzing the ball about in the middle, whilst Zak Dimitrovski – now on to partner Ferdinand up front – twisted and turned like a tortured salamander on the edge of the box.

 

When the fifth goal came, however, it was none of the above who claimed it. It was Matt Newall, Ascot’s version of Franz Beckenbauer, who strode forward, trapped the ball neatly on the edge of the box and then fired a Polaris missile of a shot into the top corner. Decent tekkers, fair play.

 

Newall also had a hand in the sixth and final goal of the evening. A corner from the right ended up bobbling about on the edge of the box. Newall, letting his attacking instincts run riot, peeled left. The ball was swept out to him, he fired it menacingly back across the box. The Claygate ‘keeper, who otherwise had a reasonable night, tried to claim it but evidently couldn’t handle what was evidently a hot potato. The ball dropped, he chased it around the box, until it ultimately fell to Phil White. White made no mistake, firing home at the near post.

 

There were other chances (at both ends), the scoring was nonetheless done for the evening. Ascot’s Supervets now have a couple of weeks off before hitting the road; they travel to Stonehouse on Saturday 18 January.

 

Team. Rob Stockford, Dan Hough, Mick Parker, Mike Tomlinson, Matt Newall, Dave Porter, Abbas Hussain, Stu Flurry, Dave Thompson, Chris Ferdinand, Phil White. Subs Jad Sidhu, Zak Dimitrovski, Mike Hynes

Goals. Chris Ferdinand (2), Phil White, Dave Thompson, Matt Newall, Stu Flurry