Ashford v Chalfont St. Peter's

[Tel]

Top of the league clash, can we carry on our winning way? I'm sure Chalfont might have something to say about that"

[Swifty]

We didn’t play brilliantly, we didn’t play badly, and we probably deserved a draw but these things happen.

 

Chalfont had two familiar weapons in their armoury – ex-player Kofi Lockhart-Adams and Chris Ellis, he of the goal-kick type throws for Camberley Town last season. Saints were a tough nut to crack and started off the better, but we missed a golden opportunity when Flemmo sidefooted over the bar in front of an open goal from about six feet. After Kofi missed a similar effort, Saints got what was then a deserved 18th minute lead when a right wing cross was lashed home by a barely marked Dean McDonnell. We grew into the game and, after Max Webb brought out a brilliant save from Garry Malone and Mark Bitmead hit the post with a free kick, Bitz got us back on level terms in first half stoppage time poking home from a melee.

 

Two goals in quick succession just before the hour did for us. Firstly, Tony Mendy latched onto a fine through pass and waltzed through some ineffective tackles for a fine solo goal in the 56th, and Kofi scored with a well taken lob from an acute angle in the 59th. We re-grouped and, after Bitz was clattered on the edge of the box by Malone but somehow no foul was given, Kam English got us back in the game with a 15-yarder deflected into the net in the 82nd. Kam was then hauled to the ground by last defender Craig Carby who got an 89th minute red card, but a succession of corners and penalty area pressure either side of the dismissal amounted to nothing.

 

 

Having missed the first two league matches, I understand we didn’t reach the heights of those two games, but there was still promise. Fish was my match of the match with a resolute display.

[smoking-gun]

A fair report Swifty and I take nothing away from Chalfont who on the whole played an excellent game,as did Ashford,who battled away non stop to try and get something from the game,for me the stand out player and my man of the match not only for his goal but also for his all round play is Mark Bitmead.

Ashford's defence must wake up and stop playing like schoolboys,take the 1st goal for Chalfont,it came from a throw in,every body in the ground could see it was going to be launched towards Ashford's goal,and so it was,the ball was coming straight to an Ashford defender(I won't name the player) who ducked down and let the ball go,why I don't know, it landed at the feet of an Chalfont attacker who crossed the ball to the far post for an unmarked player to tap the ball home,schoolboy defending.

The second goal was just as bad,a Chalfont player runs into Ashford's penalty area,5 yes 5 defenders go to him,leaving the far post unmarked, gifting a simple tap in for the unmarked attacker,schoolboy defending.

The third goal just as bad,an over hit pass to an Chalfont attacker was going straight to the keeper,(yes the attacker was rushing in)but the keeper had time to deal with it,the ball should have gone into orbit but he left it, in nips the attacker and scores.schoolboy defending.

I hope this kind of defending will be sorted and tightened up for the coming matches.

[manurgrate]

Yes the defending was poor for their goals but we played well enough to deserve a draw.. We had them on the rack in the last 15 and were unlucky to come away pointless.

 

Just not our day.