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#Post#: 515--------------------------------------------------
Ashford United 2 VDC Athletic 5
By: John Pease. Date: August 27, 2017, 5:03 am
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ASHFORD UNITED 2 V.C.D. ATHLETIC 5
Bostik League South Division
Saturday 26th August 2017
by John Pease.
Two weeks ago manager Danny Lye was talking about building a
squad to challenge for a play-off play. Today, new manager
Jason Whitmore knows his job is to avoid relegation.
Thanks to a combination of injuries, suspension and previously
agreed holidays, Ashford only just managed to put together a
team for this game. There was only one survivor in the
starting eleven from the opening home game against Carshalton,
namely new boy Tyrell Richardson-Brown, although three of the
subs that day started. As VCD started the day bottom of the
league a win for Ashford was vital but, unfortunately, they were
simply blown away.
It soon became clear that VCD fancied their chances against a
side made up with youngsters. They hit the bar in the second
minute and centre forward Kemo Darboe broke clear in the 8th
but fired wide. Tyrell R-B responded at once but his first
time shot was gathered by visiting keeper, Joe Mant. The
Ashford defence was looking frail and Darboe was being given far
too much space. Punishment followed in the 13th minute when he
broke free again to open the scoring. Two minutes later Darboe
was away again but hit his shot just over the bar. With 16
minutes gone VCD scored again when marauding full back Omar
Lawson wriggled free on the right and hit a screamer past Aaron
Lee Wharton. The home keeper then made a great save but one
wondered, even at this early stage, if the lads in green were in
for a thrashing. Ashford made their first substitution in the
21st minute when a clearly struggling Lee Shearer was replaced
by Connor Westney. This made little difference as, within two
minutes, VCD had scored again when that man Darboe was left
un-marked to smash in number three. I don't think it would
have been quite so easy had Big George and Pat Kingwell been on
the field. However, the home support had something to cheer in
the 25th minutes when substitute Westney broke clear and smashed
the ball past Mant from 18 yards to make it 1-3. Five minutes
later the scorer was injured and had to be replaced. It was
just not to be Ashford's day. With 34 minutes gone VCD's
Steven Carvell broke clear, from a long Mant clearance, and
lobbed the ball over Lee Wharton to make it 1-4. Sixty seconds
later it was 1-5 as Lawson grabbed his second with a pile driver
from 25 yards. On the stroke of half time VCD went very close
to grabbing another. A restrained gathering in the bar
wondered what horrors awaited us in the second period.
The second period was only two minutes old when they had
something to cheer. Tyrell R-B broke clear and, at the third
attempt, forced the ball past Mant and over the line. Nothing
much happened for the next ten minutes as Ashford looked a
little bit more determined and VCD confident that they had done
enough to secure the points. They then did think they had
grabbed number six when a header beat Lee Wharton only to see it
cleared off the line. With the hour mark just gone Ashford put
together a really good move involving Tyrell and substitute
Callum Howland but VCD managed to clear. The VCD manager was
now giving all three of his subs a run out so we said goodbye to
the dangerous Kemo Darboe who had got little change out of John
Difford as the game wore on. However, it was still backs to
the wall stuff for tighter looking Ashford defence as VCD forced
corner after corner and hit the post with 66 minutes gone.
Four minutes later Ashford's Kieran Bull picked up a yellow card
for a rash challenge but there was no sign on the indiscipline
that had marred earlier games. VCD put in a late surge in the
hope of improving their goal difference but either fired wide or
saw Whartton make a good save. Tyrell was still trying his
hardest to improve the scoreline but picked up a knock. He
battled on until the 90th minute but had to limp off to avoid
further damage. So, a sobering contest came to an end with
Ashford well beaten but not by the cricket score which, at one
stage, looked likely. If we can get some of the senior players
back on the field and, maybe, recruit some wise heads then I'm
sure Jason will produce the much needed results.
The Ashford team was as follows:- Aaron Lee Whartton, Levi
Loyza, Charlie Sharp, John Difford, Lee Shearer (Connor Westney
– 21mins then Clark Woodcock – 30 mins), Kieran Bull, Brandon
Williams, Harry Lavender, Trin Brisley, Matt Day (Callum Howland
– 57 mins), Tyrell Richardson-Brown.
Subs not used = Michael Jesse.
Attendance = 264
M.O.M.? = I had already decided upon Tyrell R-B when the PA gave
him as the “official” pick. He ran his heart out for the team
and looked to get involved all the time even when clearly in
some discomfort at the end of the match.
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