Yellamen draw 1-1 as Leatherhead’s wheels come off
Khalid Simmo scored a dramatic injury time penalty to rescue a deserved point for Ascot United against Leatherhead on Saturday. Trailing 1-0 to Matt Everitt’s first half header, The Yellamen plugged away and were rewarded at the death when visiting ‘keeper Sonny Wheeler’s stupidity earnt himself a red card and Ascot a penalty, which Simmo (pictured, shooting-stars.co.uk) stroked home to send the home fans into delirium.
Tanners in form; Yellas look to back up midweek win
Leatherhead arrived at The Racecourse in good form, particularly after their eye-catching dismantling of unbeaten league leaders Farnham Town one week earlier. Ascot, meanwhile, had registered a good win the road during the previous midweek, although conceding goals had been an issue in their past six matches having seen ‘keeper Mark Scott pick the ball out of the net seventeen times during that spell.
Goalkeepers shine in entertaining first half
For all their early possession, Leatherhead found themselves on the end of a couple of good Ascot chances around the quarter-hour mark. Firstly, George Lock and Anas Igozouln linked up on the left for Taylor Morgan to loop a deep cross onto the top of Wheeler’s crossbar, before Simmo led the charge across midfield and picked out Igozouln, who saw his first shot smothered by Wheeler before looping the rebound over the target.
But The Tanners took a 23rd minute lead through Everitt, who was on hand to nod a header past Scott after the big ‘keeper had initially produced a stunning reaction save to keep out his own player Sean McCormack’s thunderbolt; the winger under pressure before inadvertently blasting at his own goal.
Scott then made a fantastic save to turn Lukas Franzen Jones’s first-time piledriver over his bar, but Ascot carved out plenty of chances of their own and were unlucky not to be level at the break.
Wheeler’s incredible fingertip save turned Igozouln’s rising shot over the bar, Morgan’s towering header found the side-netting from McCormack’s cross and Morgan’s header in stoppage time lacked the cushion to drop under the bar after Wheeler had flapped at Igozouln’s cross; Leatherhead taking their slender advantage into the second half.
Slow burning second half ends with dramatic climax
Kelvin Massango’s goal-bound shot eighteen minutes after the break was the first real chance of an even half – Scott equal to it once again with a save low down to his right – before the chances ramped up and Simmo saw a rasping cross-shot well held by Wheeler after Massango’s mis-timed clearance had ended up at Simmo’s gleeful feet.
Substitute Aiden Payne-James then showed the Tanners’ defence a clean pair of heels in the 79th minute only for Wheeler to stand up well and deny Ascot once again, but the visitors might have nicked a killer second goal only for Scott to stand up well and deny Marco Haigh when clean through.
Harris makes his mark
Ben Harris had earlier come off the bench to bring his typically physical, aerial presence to the party, and had clearly been irked at winning one header that was not met with a gambling run from a deserving team-mate.
But his time would come.
Until the 94th minute, Wheeler was neck-and-neck with opposite number Scott for the man-of-the-match award, but what happened next was borderline farcical. Wheeler’s antics throughout had been at odds with his excellent goal-keeping – now increasingly time-wasting – but he just could not resist when face to face with an irritated Harris, cleaned him out, and a penalty and red card were the verdict for the embarrassed ‘keeper.
Simmo, with the differing expectations of over 320 fans, kept his composure after order was restored and the rest, as they say, is history.
Wheeler, meanwhile, is well set for Hallowe’en after his own horror show.
What’s next for Ascot?
Ascot are back in Velocity League Cup action when step 3 side Chatham Town are the visitors.
Ascot United: Scott, Lock (Butler 65’), Jones, Fraser, Gater, Grant, Simmo, McCormack, Morgan (Payne-James 74’), Holland (Harris 74’), Igozouln. Subs unused: Branker, Lalustani
Entertainment: 4
Reporter’s Star Man: Mark Scott (Ascot United)
Away fans (estimate): 80