Swifty Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 Painful. We started slowly, then went behind in the 19th when a missed tackle resulted in a through ball which bounced nicely for John Pomroy who tucked it home. Chasing the game gallantly, we were put out of our misery by a 20-25 yard scorcher from Billy Wilson six minutes from time. We played well (or well enough) for long patches of the game and played the better football but, once we went down to ten men, we lost shape and, but for some fine saves by Tyler and some untidy finishing, Chertsey could have made it four or five at the end. Talking of finishing, we can't buy a goal. It feels like there's a 24 ft x 8 ft pane of glass blocking our attempts. Chertsey's keeper Garry Aulsberry made a brilliant double save in the first half, with an outstanding first one to turn a Cyril shot onto the woodwork. Jack Mullan tried to place a shot rather than leather it and saw it cleared off the line, and we had another one off the goal-line earlier in the second half. Team spirit still seems good, and there were still commendable performances (not least from Russ and the luckless Cyril, who needed better support - surely time to give Jav a start) but confidence is low and, sad to say, we're far too lightweight all over the pitch. We needed someone like Chertsey's left winger Sam Baffour, who was man of the match for me. Not only that, indiscipline is still rearing its ugly head, with Perry getting two needless yellows to make us a man short in the 68th. By my reckoning, he's at least the third Ashford player this season to see red twice. In our position, we need everyone on the pitch the whole game to try and grind out a positive result. The female ref had an average to okay game, her biggest failings were allowing Curfews' giant defender Danny Alderton to get away with a lot of backchat and, especially, allowing Pomroy to leave the pitch cardless after persistent foul play and dissent. Still, we can't rely on officials to get us out of this mess. We have to do it ourselves, if we can, and it's a huge "if" getting bigger and bigger with each passing game. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savagebee Posted January 18, 2014 Share Posted January 18, 2014 My first visit to Ashford Town FC in a few years. I thought Ashford Town started the better team but once Chertsey Town went ahead they looked the stronger and better team for the rest of the first half. Ashford Town were the better team again in the second half but when they went down to ten men it was game over and Chertsey Town took over and could and should have scored three or four goals to be honest. Ashford Town FC will not stay up with the players that played today im afraid. Ashford Town need a John Pomroy type of player upfront and a David Johnson type player in midfield if they want to have a chance of staying up. Whats happened to the Tangerine army behind the goal ? they used to sing there hearts out for the whole 90 mins in the past they were Ashford Town's 12th man at times. Great signing from the Chertsey Town supporters though. I would like to see both of these teams stay up but today i could see why both teams are struggling this season. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty Posted January 19, 2014 Author Share Posted January 19, 2014 Whats happened to the Tangerine army behind the goal ? they used to sing there hearts out for the whole 90 mins in the past they were Ashford Town's 12th man at times. Various reasons. The main cheerleader fell in love and, as far as I know, gave up football to spend weekends with his girlfriend. Others don't turn up now as often, or at all, due to various family reasons, and one or two have Saturday jobs which make attendance infrequent. Sadly, and the club will hate me airing this, we lost a lot of fans and goodwill due to former manager Jamie Lawrence, who never communicated with the fans at any stage (he more or less ignored us for the season and a half he was here) and alienated us with his policy of dropping local lads previously in the squad for more and more of his academy players. To make matters worse, his closest ally at the time was poisonous towards the supporters and caused even more ill feeling. Another truth is that, when a team's higher up the pyramid, playing well and playing local derbies against traditional well known teams, more people will turn up to watch. It did us no favours when we were shunted into the Southern League a second time when relegated, and found ourselves playing teams from further afield who don't attract as much attention for the 'fair weather' fan. Yesterday, I heard about one of our fans who used to turn up regularly, but now only watches Conference South and above as he's decided he won't stoop to watch Hampton & Richmond Borough, let alone the level we've dropped to. Another fan, in fact one of our players from the park pitch days, stopped watching us and now follows a Combined Counties team nearer to where he lives - and two divisions below us. Sadly, if we can't even score against, let alone draw with, a team who'd managed a solitary point from their previous 11 away games, we won't be winning many fans back in the foreseeable future. We can but hope. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savagebee Posted January 20, 2014 Share Posted January 20, 2014 Another truth is that, when a team's higher up the pyramid, playing well and playing local derbies against traditional well known teams, more people will turn up to watch. It did us no favours when we were shunted into the Southern League a second time when relegated, and found ourselves playing teams from further afield who don't attract as much attention for the 'fair weather' fan. Yesterday, I heard about one of our fans who used to turn up regularly, but now only watches Conference South and above as he's decided he won't stoop to watch Hampton & Richmond Borough, let alone the level we've dropped to. Another fan, in fact one of our players from the park pitch days, stopped watching us and now follows a Combined Counties team nearer to where he lives - and two divisions below us. Not true fans then in my opinion but its a free world well sort of Its a shame seeing Ashford Town in this state I remember watching you play in the Ryman Premier Division 4 or 5 years ago and you had some very good players playing for you. Do you think your current Manager is the right man for the the job ? Im sure he is doing his best though in these tough times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty Posted January 20, 2014 Author Share Posted January 20, 2014 Do you think your current Manager is the right man for the the job ? Im sure he is doing his best though in these tough times. I don't think it's a secret that the club approached a former manager first, and he agreed to take the post provided an ex-player who's currently a manager became his assistant. The ex-player declined, saying he didn't want to drop down to assistant again, so that idea fell through. In the meantime, the current players felt Ben would do a decent job, Ben felt he was ready to give it a go, and the board put faith in him. A brave move and a bold one. It's a 'big ask' for several reasons. Firstly, Ben's a renowned coach (he recently reached the national finals of a coaching competition) but being a manager's a whole new ball game. Secondly, he's only 26 and it's a huge weight on young shoulders. Thirdly, it's Ben's first manager's job. Fourthly, what a situation to start your managerial career with. On the other hand, Ben's been here since he was a young(er) man and knows the club inside out, he knows the players and there appears to be mutual trust and respect, and he hasn't been afraid to try new ideas to freshen things up (like making the squad turn up to a zumba class without them knowing) or bring back one or two of the youngsters who showed promise and had been left on the fringes. The team spirit for a club in our plight has been astonishing. The big problem is that we need two or three gnarled 'old hands' on the pitch to give us some experience and bite right now, but who'd want to join us in this position? Similarly, if we lose the next two league games and equal the number Burgo lost in a row before being sacked (much against the club's wishes), some might say "Shouldn't Ben go as well?". The problem is, we'd then find ourselves scratching around for someone willing to try and get playoff form in just 16 matches, just to give us a chance of avoiding the drop. Ben's been very positive, not easy to do in this mess, and I believe the club are sticking with "Guru" for the foreseeable future. We have been very unlucky recently. We've lost Ben's first eight league games in charge, but we really should have managed about 10 points from those games and found ourselves breathing down North Greenford United's necks, but we can't buy a goal at present and everything that can go wrong has. One area that needs to be ironed out, though, is discipline - this season it's not only been terrible, it's been unacceptable. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savagebee Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 It's a 'big ask' for several reasons. Firstly, Ben's a renowned coach (he recently reached the national finals of a coaching competition) but being a manager's a whole new ball game. Secondly, he's only 26 and it's a huge weight on young shoulders. Thirdly, it's Ben's first manager's job. Fourthly, what a situation to start your managerial career with. On the other hand, Ben's been here since he was a young(er) man and knows the club inside out, he knows the players and there appears to be mutual trust and respect, and he hasn't been afraid to try new ideas to freshen things up (like making the squad turn up to a zumba class without them knowing) or bring back one or two of the youngsters who showed promise and had been left on the fringes. The team spirit for a club in our plight has been astonishing. The big problem is that we need two or three gnarled 'old hands' on the pitch to give us some experience and bite right now, but who'd want to join us in this position? Yes he looked young i didn't realise he was only 26 that's a big ask for a guy who has never managed at this level before for me he doesn't have the presence of a Manager in the dug out if that makes sense but I do hope Ben turns things around. What was Ben's role when Jamie Lawrence and Burgess was manager ? as im sure I remember seeing Ben in the dug out at some Ashford Town games i saw a few years ago. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 Ben stepped up to assistant manager at the start this season when Steve Battams left. He's been coach for the first team and the reserves for several years already. PS - Sorry for the late delay. I can't log into this forum on my work PC as there's some issue with IE8, and I can't use any of the updated passwords NonLeague UK provide me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savagebee Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 Ben stepped up to assistant manager at the start this season when Steve Battams left. He's been coach for the first team and the reserves for several years already. PS - Sorry for the late delay. I can't log into this forum on my work PC as there's some issue with IE8, and I can't use any of the updated passwords NonLeague UK provide me. I really do think your club misses its band of singers big time and I am sure the club would have a few more points on the board if the singers were still signing the team on. Before I left for the game last Saturday I said to my other half that I was looking forward to the banter between your band of singers and Chertsey Town's band of singers its a shame it didn't happen. Noticed your flag has gone as well ? If you are relegated at the end of this season do you think the manager will stay ? or go ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Swifty Posted January 22, 2014 Author Share Posted January 22, 2014 The flag does make appearances. Depends on whether the owner's forgotten it or put it in the wash! As for what will happen next season, I haven't got a clue, and I wouldn't want to second guess either. Let's just get this season finished first! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Savagebee Posted January 22, 2014 Share Posted January 22, 2014 The flag does make appearances. Depends on whether the owner's forgotten it or put it in the wash! As for what will happen next season, I haven't got a clue, and I wouldn't want to second guess either. Let's just get this season finished first! Good luck for the rest of the season get the flag out and the band back together. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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