Claygate Royals Strollers Supervets v Ascot United Supervets

The Ascot United Supervets battled hard in challenging conditions to ultimately secure a 3-1 at Claygate Royals. A bone hard pitch and a howling wind ensured that this was most definitely not a contest for the purist, but first half goals from Dave Thompson, Matt Newall and Mike Tomlinson were enough to get the job done.

“Sometimes you just have to knuckle down and suck it up” mused co-manager Stu Flurry to the world’s press afterwards. “And, just as was the case at the Whippets in the SVs’ last game, that was also what was required of Ascot here. The test was duly passed”.

Ascot certainly got out of the blocks quicker and that helped set the tone for the day. With barely five minutes on the clock Mike Tomlinson set Mark Reed free down the left. Reed pinged a great ball across, and Dave Thompson duly popped up to claim his 9^th goal of the campaign.

But, Claygate weren’t simply going to lie down and be steamrollered. Indeed, they quickly equalised, taking advantage of the strong wind to hammer a ball top bins from fully 30 yards. ‘Keeper Rowe had no chance. 1-1.

Cue an Ascot response. Matt Newall rose like the proverbial salmon to head home from a corner. Newall was fully 12 yards out and did magnificently to put the ball neatly top bins. Did the masses on the sidelines think the ball was going over? Yep. Did the ‘keeper think that, too? Almost certainly. Just goes to show what they all know.

2-1 became 3-1 when Tomlinson pounced at the back post. The Claygate ‘keeper scrambled across to save his first effort, but the home custodian could do nothing as the V1s’ gaffer lifted the ball calmly over him and into the net.

From then on in Ascot had more or less everything under control. Chris Purdue’s departure with a dicky knee half an hour in didn’t help, but a re-vamped midfield with Dave Freer in the Makele role (!) coped pretty well with everything that Claygate could throw at them. With Chris Ferdinand, Micky Parker, Martin Kay and Dave Porter marshalling the back line, Ascot never really looked in that much danger.

Indeed, it was arguably Ascot who had the better second half chances. Tomlinson and Hough both missed excellent chances that on another day they’d have bagged, whilst Matt Newall – loitering as a centre forward for the last 15 – went close to doubling his tally for the day. Well, close in that his shot didn’t go out for a throw in….

In the end, 3-1 it remained. Solid performances all round, and a hard-earned three points. Excellent stuff.

Squad. Andy Rowe, Martin Kay, Micky Parker, Mike Tomlinson, Matt Newall, Chris Ferdinand, Mark Reed, Chris Purdue, Dave Thompson, Phil White, Jon Norris, Dave Freer, Jad Sidhu, Dan Hough and Dave Porter.

Goals. Thompson, Newall, Tomlinson.