Ashford Town 3-1 Crowborough Athletic - Lovell pleased with progress

ASHFORD TOWN 3-1 CROWBOROUGH ATHLETIC
Ryman League Division One South
Saturday 13^th December 2008
Mike Green reports from The Homelands

IN THE only Ryman League Division One South game to survive the elements, second half goals from Paul Jones (his ninth and tenth of the season) and a 25-yard screamer from Ryan Briggs propelled Steve Lovell’s Ashford Town six places up the table to fifth place and into the heart of the challengers at the top of the table.

In a game of two halves, bottom-of-the-table Crowborough Athletic used the elements to the full to lead at half-time, but the Nuts & Bolts roared back after the break and really perhaps could have won by more.

As manager Lovell admitted afterwards, “It really was a game of two halves. We had to have a right go at them at half-time because we weren’t trying to do the right things and in conditions like that the right things were the simple things.

“We played to our strengths in the second half and the boys came good. I’m well pleased.”

“Fair play to them,” the Ashford manager continued, “I’ve seen them a few times now this year and although they’re bottom of the table, they’re one of the better footballing sides I’ve seen.

“We’re on a good run at the moment, even though we have played a few more than others, I’d still sooner have the points in the bag.”

The home side were within a fraction of grabbing a lead inside the first minute when Charlie Glyde sent a rasping drive from 35-yards just too high.

The first signs that the wind blowing straight down the middle of Homelands was going to play a big part in the game came on nine minutes and Ashford paid the penalty.

A long ball out of defence from John Sinclair was misjudged by the Ashford defence - and this misjudgement allowed Luke Piscina to race away and despite the heavy sticky conditions the former Tonbridge Angels favourite was able to drill the ball across Seb Barton into the bottom corner of the net.

Ashford responded almost immediately and almost had an unlikely equaliser when an Anthony Browne cross from the right skidded through the penalty area, bouncing alarmingly in front of goalkeeper Mark Oldroyd, yet somehow the Crowborough man reacted brilliantly to turn the ball aside.

As the rain continued and conditions got heavier, even the officials encountered problems. Referee Wilde’s two assistants were forced to swap touchlines as they became increasingly boggy.

As Ashford struggled kicking into the wind, Dan Evans’ surging run through the Ashford’s defence saw the Crowborough winger beat two home defenders only to shoot straight at Barton.

Going into the second half you felt the home side had to improve with the wind at their backs and so it proved.

Three minutes into the second half, Daniel Brathwaite saw a 25-yard drive skid through the penalty area only for Oldroyd to do well to gather at the foot of his left post.

The equaliser came just before the hour as Jones curled in his ninth of the season.

Glyde broke down the left and as his deflected cross fell to Danny Lye the midfielder found Jones, whose stunning drive from the edge of the box left Oldroyd motionless.

Minutes later Daniel Brathwaite and Craig Wilkins came within a fraction of combining for what surely would have been one of the goals of the season.

Brathwaite beat two defenders wide on the left and his flighted ball into the area was met at pace by his former Dover Athletic team mate, whose side-footed volley missed the goal by literally a coat of paint.

On 65 minutes, you felt it was not going to be the Kent side’s day, however, as Browne got on the end of a looped ball into the box, only for the ball to ricochet off him on to defender Justin Harris and then somehow onto the top of the bar.

Piscina then missed a golden opportunity to put the visitors back in front after escaping the attentions of the home defence. He was through one-on-one with Barton but his unconvincing lob never looked like hitting the target.

The former Tonbridge Angels striker almost turned provider for Evans, who was only denied by a wonderful Jimmy Elford intervention, when the winger looked odds on to score.

Back came Ashford and Oldroyd went full length all the way to his left to deny a Glyde drive, with substitute Bradley Spice appealing for what looked like hands against Kieran Wilson in the Crowborough box.

Ashford finally got their noses on front with ten minutes remaining and what a goal it was!

A corner was only half cleared to Briggs and the midfield powerhouse let fly with a 25-yard bullet, which flew beyond the despairing Oldroyd and bulged the corner of the net.

Victory was sealed five minutes from time when Jones outpaced Harris, as the wind again played tricks for defenders, and the Ashford hit-man drilled the ball home in stunning style.

Afterwards, Lovell was full of praise for his goalscorers.

“When the pair of them play well, we play well,” he said. “But to be honest I actually thought they were both having mediocre games before they scored!

“It’s probably because we expect so much from both of them - when they’re on form, we’re on form.”

Looking ahead, the former Welsh international admitted that whilst League’s aren’t won at Christmas it is an important time of the year.

“We go to Walton Casuals next weekend, who like Crowborough are down the bottom. If we can get something there we’ll go into the (home) Folkestone game with quite possibly both of us either being in the top six and or in contention. It really could be a massive game.

“League’s aren’t won at this time of the year but winning over Christmas would be very nice indeed.”

Ashford Town: Seb Barton, Jimmy Elford, Daniel Brathwaite, Elliott Braihwaite (Bradley Spice 77), Sean Ray, Ryan Briggs, Anthony Browne (Mitchell Sherwood 70), Danny Lye, Craig Wilkins, Paul Jones, Charlie Glyde.
Subs: Jimmy Bottle, Lee Hockey, Darren Ibrahim.

Goals: Paul Jones 59, 85, Ryan Briggs 80

Booked: Danny Lye 62

Crowborough Athletic: Mark Oldroyd, Tom Boddy, David Adams, Justin Harris, John Sinclair, Kieran Wilson, Luke Piscina, Luke Gedling, Andrew Ducile, Matt Foreman, Dan Evans (Sam Carrington 80).
Subs: Scott Treleaven, David Soutar.

Goal: Luke Piscina 9

Attendance: 182
Referee: Mr Nolan Wilde (Maidstone, Kent)
Assistants: Mr John Pike (Hurstpierpoint, East Sussex) & Mr Mark Thompson (Hurstpierpoint, East Sussex)