Kentish Football 
Ashford United 0-3 Gillingham - It's nice to see Ashford back on its feet, says Andy Hessenthaler
Wednesday 06th July 2011
ASHFORD UNITED 0-3 GILLINGHAM
Pre-Season Friendly
Wednesday 6th July 2011
Stephen McCartney reports from Homelands Stadium
ASHFORD UNITED managing director, Paul Bowden-Brown insists the club “means business,” as it goes about clinching the Kent Invicta League title at the first attempt.
Football in Ashford made a welcomed return following a year’s snooze, after the sad demise of Ryman League Division One South outfit Ashford Town.
A bumper attendance of 1,126 flocked through the turnstiles to see Andy Hessenthaler’s full-strength Gillingham side ease to a victory, courtesy of first half goals from pint-sized central midfielder Luke Rooney, debutant Lewis Montrose and striker Dennis Oli.
Mr Bowden-Brown, who was chairman of Maidstone Invicta/United when they began in the bottom tier of Kent football when that club re-formed twenty years ago, was an emotional man on what was another proud night for Kent football.
He said: “I’ve got a headache. I’ve got my shoulders that have been bruised non-stop by individuals that I don’t even know coming up and saying ‘ thank you for giving us tonight,’ so it’s nice.
“We’ve done it for the supporters. We’ve done it for football in Ashford and this is just the start and I hope it shows people, with Tony (Betteridge) at the helm and me running it, as a club we will go forward.
“You’ve got to admit, even though we lost 3-0, some of those youngsters out there and some of the old boys, like ourselves, have done very well and it proves that we mean business.”
This was both Kent club’s opening warm-up game but with a massive gulf of six leagues between the two sides, Gillingham enjoyed around 75% of the possession, but played the game at a very low tempo.
Gillingham boss Andy Hessenthaler admitted tonight’s game was to blow away the cobwebs.
“At the end of the day it wasn’t anything other than a training session for the boys,” admitted the manager of the League Two club.
“We’ve done absolutely no work on any team shape or personnel, we just did a little bit of work for about five minutes this morning, told them how we’re going to play, our shape, so we haven’t done no work on them really. We haven’t done anything really. It was having a run around really, use it as a training session.
“The pitch is decent, it’s long, but it was always going to be long pre-season, so it was a good 45 minutes for them on quite a zapping pitch, so we got enough out of it, that’s the key.”
Ashford United, however, did not disgrace themselves against full-time opposition.
It was pleasing that a team in green and white were playing football again at Homelands – and that the club’s stalwarts that keep the club ticking over can look forward to a brighter future.
The club need to clinch a couple of promotions to claw themselves back to where Ashford Town competed – Ryman League Division One South – but their opponents at Step Six will not be as strong as Gillingham.
Gillingham were keeping hold of the ball for huge chunks of the game, but their shooting was rather off-key throughout.
Their first chance arrived inside seven minutes when Montrose’s right-footed angled drive trickled past the far post.
Rooney then showed a clean pair of heels to trick Liam Whiting, before drilling a right-footed shot from 30-yards, which also whistled past the post.
But the Ashford defence were caught napping, as Gillingham eased into an eighteen minute lead.
A long punt down the middle of the pitch from former Dover Athletic keeper Ross Flitney wasn’t dealt with and Rooney shrugged off his marker and slotted the ball into the bottom right-hand corner with his right foot.
Both Gillingham keepers, Flitney and trialist Jake Cole, didn’t have a save to make all night.
“No disrespect to the opposition, he’s not had a lot to do, has he, nor has Roscoe,” admitted Hessenthaler.
Out-played Ashford, meanwhile, created only one half-chance during the first half as Whiting sent an ambitious left-footed hooked shot wide from 30-yards.
Montrose, who is one of seven summer signings, doubled Gillingham’s advantage in the 25th minute when he sent a right-footed pile driver from 30-yards flashing across Rice into the bottom right-hand corner.
The former Wycombe Wanderers player exchanged high-fives with three of his new team-mates following his first goal for his new club.
A ripple of applause greeted an adventurous rare move inside Gillingham’s danger area as Whiting played a decent diagonal ball into the box but Harry Richardson could only steer the ball wide of the near post with Joe Martin lurking in close attendance.
Ashford keeper Rice pulled off a decent double save in the 38th minute, getting down low to prevent Gregory N’Goyi (who is on trial from Ryman Premier League side Hendon), scoring with a low drive and then the keeper reacted to deny Rooney scoring with a headed effort.
But Gillingham went in to the break with a three-goal cushion as unchallenged striker Oli met Martin’s cross from the left with a powerful near-post header, which flew into the roof of the net.
Hessenthaler swapped all eleven players at the interval, but to Ashford United’s credit they held their full-time opponents during the second half.
Defender Jack Baldwin, who played Ryman League Division One South football for Faversham Town last season, played for Gillingham during the second half.
“The young lad at the back, Jack Baldwin, who has been playing at Faversham, I’ve been told about him,” said Hessenthaler.
“I believe he’s going on trial somewhere else but we’re having a first look and he looked very comfortable for a lad that’s only just turned eighteen.”
Chances came and went for Gillingham, but they weren’t taken, as Jack Evans blasted over when well-placed early on.
Ashford’s best chance of the game arrived just on the hour-mark when substitute Tom Scorer cracked a right-footed drive, which screamed past the near post.
Ashford substitute goalkeeper Tony Allen stuck out a strong right hand to thwart Gillingham striker Stefan Payne inside the six-yard box following Evans’ centre.
Danny Kedwell, who has played for a number of Kent non-league clubs, really should have opened his Gillingham account in the final fourteen minutes.
He was played in behind the Ashford back-four but to Jack Metland’s credit, the Ashford right-back got back and made a fine sliding tackle and Allen made a comfortable save to his right.
Ashford won the first of their two corners as late as the 81st minute and former Hythe Town man Scorer unleashed a right-footed volley from the edge of the box, which took a deflection on its way past Jake Cole’s upright.
“I’ve seen a lot of people tonight, even Maidstone supporters that have come down tonight and I’ve got a frog in my throat totally because this is what football’s all about,” added Mr Bowden-Brown.
“About twenty years ago I started the same trek with Maidstone and I’ve started again with Ashford and one thing we’ve got is we’ve got a ground this time, but the other thing we’ve got is we’ve got a massive core of supporters that are absolutely fantastic and genuine and that is something that you can only work with and I think it’s fantastic for football.”
He added: “Whether Gillingham were playing hard, soft or whatever, we put a team out on the pitch. We proved that we’re not going to get annihilated. I’ve got to make sure that we’ve got a squad that will work together, play together, for one thing, football for Ashford United.”
With manager Tony Reynolds on holiday in Spain, director of football, Mark Patterson admitted the result didn’t matter.
“That’s the main thing about tonight, that at last we have got a team back in the town,” he said.
“It was well documented what happened last season and the circumstances that led to it but thankfully now we’ve got a team playing again.
“The people of Ashford and Kent have turned out to watch us tonight and it was a good occasion for everybody so we’re very, very pleased.”
When asked how his players’ felt playing against full-time pros, Patterson said, “They enjoyed it. They were saying how difficult it was with the movement and the passing but it was very good because some of them won’t get a chance of playing against those kind of players very often and for (Gillingham chairman) Paul Scally and Hessy to bring down a full strength team is really good for us.
“I think they (Gillingham) had a good work out as well. They had to work hard for it and Hessy said afterwards that he was really pleased with what went on so that bodes well and they might come back down during the season so we’re really pleased with everything.”
Reflecting on Ashford’s spirited performance, Patterson said: “They worked really hard for us and worked well. It’s early days, it’s our first game, we’ve only had about five training sessions. We’ve all had a go and we have to fine tune a few things, make sure we get things in order but that’s for Tony and Paul (Chambers) and the lads to push on with that sort of stuff now and tonight was a performance and for the occasion we’re very happy what happened.”
Patterson admitted the score line was acceptable for the Ashford faithful to take.
He said: “If someone said three-nil before the game, I’m sure we would’ve taken that. It was great. The last thing you want to do is the Gillingham boys to come down and win the game by double figures. They don’t get nothing out of it. I think they had to work realistically hard tonight and it was a decent performance, great for everybody involved.”
Everyone is so pleased that Ashford are playing football again.
“It’s nice to see this club back on its feet because they’re good people,” agreed Hessenthaler.
“I know a lot of people here, obviously Mark Patterson, Tony Reynolds, the manager, and I know he wasn’t here tonight, Chambo (Paul Chambers) so there’s some good people here.
”I know my chairman knows their owner here very well, Tony Betteridge, and I met him a few times last year and he said he will reform and go again, hence the reason why we’re here.
“Like I said, they’re a good club and they’ve had a good crowd here tonight, so I hope that’s add to the coffers for them to start their season off.”
Hessenthaler takes his side to Blue Square Bet South side Bromley on Saturday (kick-off at Hayes Lane is 1pm).
The Gills are playing fourteen pre-season matches, and Kent born Hessenthaler explained why his club are playing nine Kent teams this pre-season.
He said: “We’d rather stay local. I just think why not? Local teams, good teams, people that I know. Hopefully we can get decent crowds for them as well and they can make a lot of money out of our presence.”
Ashford United: Billy Rice (Tony Allen 46), Kieran Sange (Jack Metland 63), Richard Quigley (Fraser Duggan 63), Matt Bower (Jordan Wright 46), Lee Shearer (Harry Richardson 85), Richard Boorman (Ryan Smith 46), Harry Richardson (Tom Scorer 55), Jack Alben (Gary Lockyer 73), Paul Burt (Daniel Awolesi 46), Gary Lockyer (Lee McRobert 46), Liam Whiting (Paul Burt 66).
Gillingham: Ross Flitney (Jake Cole 46), Matt Fish (Danny Jackman 46), Simon King (Jack Baldwin 46), Callum Davies (Garry Richards 46), Joe Martin (Jack Evans 46), Luke Rooney (Dean Rance 46), Lewis Montrose (Charlie Lee 46), Jack Payne (Curtis Weston 46), Danny Spiller (Chris Whelpdale 46), Gregory N’Goyi (Danny Kedwell 46), Dennis Oli (Stefan Payne 46).
Goals: Luke Rooney 18, Lewis Montrose 25, Dennis Oli 41
Attendance: 1,126
Referee: Mr Ollie Jackson (Sittingbourne)
Assistants: Mr Karl May (Gillingham) & Mr David Smart (Maidstone)
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