Ascot United Supervets v Old Lyonians Super Veterans

Report

A 6-0 triumph against Old Lyonians sees the Ascot United Supervets on the cusp of winning the West London Vets’ League’s Supervets’ title. The Yellas started the evening slowly, but got progressively better, eventually putting decent daylight between themselves and their obdurate visitors.

For once, gaffers Porter and Flurry didn’t have a cast of thousands to choose from. Goal machine Chris Ferdinand was nursing a knock that he took in training 10 days ago, whilst Abbas Hussain, Dave Freer, Chris Hill, John Heard, John Norris, Jez Myhan, Jad Sidhu and indeed a number of others were all out croked. Time for those who weren’t (yet) lame to come to the fore.

Lyonians, much to their credit, had travelled with a bare 11. Were they coming to press high and play something akin to supervets’ Total Football? Erm, no. But, with two lively forwards Ascot knew that there was always going to be danger on the break. Messrs Newall and Dubois at the back were not going to take any chances.

It took a while for the game to settle and indeed for Ascot to really get into their flow. 20 minutes in, however, Mike Tomlinson broke the line and thumped a shot into the bottom corner. Chris Purdue then doubled the lead following what was undoubtedly the move of the game; 2-0 and the shackles were slowly coming off.

As the game entered the second period Ascot relaxed a bit more on the ball and began to flow. Phil White was very much involved with that, as was the impressive Purdue in the centre of the park. Nige Gatehouse, perhaps to his own surprise,found himself being reinvented as a Suffolk version of Roberto Carlos down the left, just as Dave Porter was doing his best Cafu impression down the right. Ascot were beginning to purr.

Eventually, the goals came. Paul Hamblin walloped in his ninth of the season to make it three, Dave Thompson meanwhile, cooly beat the offside trap, showed a decent turn of pace and slotted home his 11th of the campaign. Decent efforts by both.

Indeed, Hamblin could quite plausibly have scored again; a neat square pass saw the big man torpedo a shot onto the left-hand post. The thud of ball on upright could probably have been heard in Windlesham. Two more goals nonetheless came, with Phil White nicely rounding things off with a ping from the right hand corner of the box.

Ascot are therefore now just three games away from ending the campaign with a perfect record. Next up? Claygate (away). The title may already be wrapped up by the time that game takes place (28 March), but even if it’s not the Yellasknow that if they avoid defeat the title will indeed be theirs.

Team. Rob Stockford, Nigel Gatehouse, Micky Parker, Mike Tomlinson, Matt Newall, Ed Dubois, Phil White, Chris Purdue, Paul Hamblin, Stu Flurry and Dave Thompson. Subs; Doug Page, Dan Hough and Dave Porter

Goals. Mike Tomlinson, Chris Purdue, Paul Hamblin, Dave Thompson, Dan Hough and Phil White.