Details
| Date | Time | League | Season |
|---|---|---|---|
| 08/03/2025 | 14:00 | West London Veterans Football League | 2024-2025 |
Ground
| Brookwood Country Park |
|---|
| Hermitage Road, Hermitage Woods, Pennypot, Woking, Surrey, South East, England, GU21 8XH, United Kingdom |
Report
8 March 2025
Croxley Green SVs 1-5 Ascot United SVs
League Cup Semi-Final
The Ascot United Supervets continued their successful inaugural season with an emphatic 5-1 triumph against Croxley Green in the League Cup Semi-Final. The goals were spread around, as the Yellas dealt admirably with a tricky pitch and indeed all that the hosts could throw at them.
“We dug in, we took the strain, we kept our shape” mused co-gaffer Stu Flurry to the world’s media after the game. “Throw in all the other football cliches you like, they all fit here. Croxley away is always a big, fat banana skin, but we twinkled toed our way around it pretty well”. He wasn’t wrong.
Ascot have undoubtedly played better this season, but right from the off it was the men in yellow who looked much more likely to progress. Matt Newall and Ed Dubois were rock solid at the back, whilst Nigel Gatehouse adapted well to a (reasonably) unfamiliar right back role. It was Micky Parker on the other side who arguably had the biggest job; he needed to get a grip on Croxley’s star right winger.
And, that he most definitely did. With Croxley’s goal-creating outlet struggling to get out of Parker’s back pocket, that left Phil White, Stu Flurry, Mick Tomlinson and Chris Purdue to concentrate on running the game. The pitch was far from the Emirates or Anfield, but as the half wore on Ascot began to press with every more intent.
The first goal nonetheless came from a set-piece, Parker pinging over an excellent corner that Gatehouse bundled in for his first goal of the season. The second wasn’t long in following; Phil White broke nicely down the left, he played the ball in to Paul Hamblin on the edge of the box. Ascot’s human wrecking-ball played a deft dummy and that gave Dan Hough room to finish nicely.
Hough then returned the compliment by scurrying down the right and crossing for Hamblin – a man suddenly in prime goal-scoring form – to slot home. 3-0 at half-time.
The ensemble of Ascot supporters (Jad Sidhu, Chris Ferdinand and Dwayne Brian) murmured variants of ‘just carrying on doing what you’re doing’ as the side went out for the second half. Croxley tried to rally but, in truth, it was Ascot who posed the greater threat going forward. Phil White was causing ever more problems down the left, whilst Mike Hynes was lurking with intent in the number ten role. It was nonetheless Flurry who did most to create the fourth, curling a delightful shot on to the bar; Phil White reacted quickest, nodding the ball home with the minimum of fuss.
Croxley did rally, scoring with a decent header from a corner, but it was Ascot who scored the final goal of the day. Purdue, Hynes and Jon Morris on the left combined to set Dave Thompson away. DT sat the keeper gently down on his derriere on own six yard line, danced around him and side-footed home.
“Semi-finals aren’t about playing well, they are about getting the result” opined co-gaffer Dave Porter to Gary Lineker on Match of the Day on Saturday evening. “And, that’s exactly what we did today. Bring on Wemb…, erm, sorry Ashford Town on 10 May!
Team. Rob Stockford, Nigel Gatehouse, Ed Dubois, Matt Newall, Micky Parker, Mike Tomlinson (c), Chris Purdue, Phil White, Dan Hough, Stu Flurry, Paul Hamblin.
Goals. Nigel Gatehouse, Dan Hough, Paul Hamblin, Phil White, Dave Thompson