Ashford Town 1-0 Folkestone Invicta - Lovell strike claws Ashford out of drop zone

Wednesday 17th March 2010

ASHFORD TOWN 1-0 FOLKESTONE INVICTA
Ryman League Division One South
Wednesday 17th March 2010
Mike Green reports from Homelands Stadium

A 73rd minute strike from Mark Lovell gave Ashford Town the three points and boosted their survival chances, whilst at the same time, putting a huge dent in the title aspirations of their near neighbours Folkestone Invicta.

Lovell’s goal - his sixth of the season - was the first that Folkestone have conceded in 469 minutes of Ryman League Division One South play - and in all truth meant that the game had the result it deserved.

Folkestone, for long periods looked jaded, and struggled particularly in the final third to really test Ashford keeper Scott Chalmers-Stevens.

For Lovell (the striker rather than the manager) it was a successful night and the importance of his low drive seventeen minutes from time cannot be underestimated as for the first time this season Ashford won back-to-back league games and these three points have taken them clear of the relegation zone.
Lovell the manager was a deligthed man when he spoke with www.kentishfootball.co.uk after the game. He said, "It was a brilliant performance by everyone and I thought that we thoroughly deserved the win. I'm sure Folkestone will now go on and at least make the Play offs, but I think that tonight proved that when we've got everyone fit and raring to go, we're not a bad side and tonight was really pleasing fro everyone. We changed things from our win at Walton Casuals on Saturday (which is something I havent been able to do before this season) as I wanted some young fresh legs in our midfiled to "get about them" and they did. The boys I left out were fine as we're all in this fight together. But rest assurred," he continued with a mancing tone now in his voice, "we'll look at the notes that we've got on Burgess Hill and we'll change things again if we have to as we've got a lot of games to come between now and the end of April."

Folkestone boss Neil,Cugley was understandably not happy when he spoke to www.kentishfootball.co.uk. "I was talking to Steve before the game and we were saying that there's little to choose from the top and bottom of this league nd tonights proved that I think," said a disappointed Folkestone boss. "Maybe I expect too much of the players now. Maybe we've done far better than we ever imaged that we would. Looking back I should have perhpas brought in a couple more players with a bit more know how and of experience, but thats football. Its just a shame that what we have achieved you want to keep winning and it hurts when you lose. Its not the losing - its the way we played in general - lets face it we didnt test their goalie until right at the end - he really didt have anything to do. We lost Liam Dickson in the warm, and in a funny way I thiought it may even help us as it forced us into changing our system by forcing us to play three up front. But as I said, we didnt really cause them enough problems."
The writing was on the wall for Folkestone as early as the third minute when Chris Borchescu saw a shot from the edge of the penalty box fisted away by the diving figure of Folkestone keeper Jack Delo.

Moments later, the keeper then denied Lovell on the very edge of his penalty area with a block tackle that wouldn’t have looked out of place in the evening’s Champions League games.

Ashford continued to control the opening period and just past the half-an-hour mark Mitchell Sherwood brilliantly brought down a long ball from the left only to see his shot brilliantly headed away by Frankie Chappell.

It was almost as though this galvanised Folkestone into a response and with just a minute left of the first half Chappell headed a corner fractionally wide of the left post.

In stoppage time, Jimmy Jackson rolled back the years with a wonderful piece of skill wide on the left and his cross, which was brilliantly flighted over the Ashford keeper, literally almost ran along the face of the crossbar before dropping to safety.

The second half began with Ronnie Dolan driving just over for Ashford, before the contest developed into a cagey local derby.

It was almost as if the players suddenly decided that the importance of the game had risen since the referee’s opening whistle, for neither keeper was really tested.

That was, however, until Sherwood laid a short ball into Lovell and the manager’s son beat Delo with a shot low to the keeper’s right, which possibly the Folkestone keeper could have done better with.

All of a sudden, the game exploded into life, with James Everitt firing over for Folkestone, when a corner wasn’t cleared, and then Jackson forced Chalmers-Stevens into a fine block at the base of his right post.

However, at the other end, Sherwood was denied by Delo and with the ball running free, Lovell was thwarted by a fine and hasty clearance from Josh Burchell.

Ashford continued to press looking for a second and substitute Nick Smith shot wide from the edge of the box, before Delo was somewhat fortunate to deny Tom Murphy with his left boot - the Ashford striker tried to lob the giant keeper following Lovell’s knockdown but didn’t get hold of the shot correctly and as Delo jumped the ball ricochet of his left boot and away to safety.

In stoppage time, when Folkestone now employing four strikers, Chappell had the chance to equalise but couldn’t divert Jackson’s corner into the net.

After the game, and with his goalscorer named the home sides Man of the Match, Ashford boss Lovell, was full of praise for his match winner, who of course is his son Mark!

He said: “I'm delighted for Mark with the way that he played tonight - he lead the line so well. Hes had a lot of stick in the past, but hes come through two major operations on his knees and people just dont realise how much work he's put into getting himself fit. Obviously I know what Mark has been through and its just great to seeing him playing again with the levels of enthuiasm that he has when he was playing at Gillingham." a beaming and very proud Dad added, "I'm just so proud of him!"

Ashford Town: Scott Chalmers-Stevens, Carl Harrold, Danny Lye, Lee Hockey, Laurence Harvey, Ronnie Dolan, Mitchell Sherwood, Ross Morley, Mark Lovell, Tom Murphy, Chris Borchescu (Nick Smith 81).
Subs: Joe Fuller, Matt Newman, Toby Ashmore, Darren Ibrahim.

Goal: Mark Lovell 73

Booked: Danny Lye 28

Folkestone Invicta: Jack Delo, Josh Vincent, Josh Burchell (Peter Williams 83), Liam Friend, Frankie Chappell, Micheal Everitt, Darren Smith, Simon Austin (Roy Guiver 88), James Everitt, Brendon Cass, Jimmy Jackson.
Subs: Nu Phan Nguyen, James Dryden.

Booked: James Everitt 58

Attendance: 301
Referee: Mr Stuart Butler (Maidstone)
Assistants: Mr James Macey (Bexley) & Mr Martin Lehane (Bexleyheath)