Selsey v Ashford Town (Middlesex)

Pre-Season Friendlies,
High Street Ground, Selsey
19th July 2008

Mark Butler said he was delighted with the workout his players had received and was encouraged by a number of performances. 

Game One - Selsey 1-1 Ashford Town XI

Selsey fielded their First Team for the afternoon's initial match and the Sussex Leaguers gave Town a tough workout.  It would be fair to say that Ashford had sufficient chances to have been well ahead by half time, but a profligate display at the sharp end meant that, in the end, they were delighted to finish with a draw.

Fielding a mixture of First Team regulars, youngsters and triallists, Ashford started strongly, with young midfielder Marcelo Graca creating the first real chance for Byron Harrison after seventeen minutes.  Harrison and Scott Harris also had good chances as the Tangerines dominated the first half, but were denied by a combination of good goalkeeping and wasteful finishing.  Brett Cooper also had a chance which ran wide as the first half ended goalless.

Just after half-time, the home side took the lead.  A long ball out of defence found livewire winger Tom Woolf, who lashed the ball beyond Craig Ross from fifteen yards.  The goal galvanised Selsey, who enjoyed a purple patch immediately afterwards, only for Ashford to reassert their dominance of the match.

However, a lack of cutting edge threatened to condemn Ashford to defeat, as the visitors missed chance after chance.  Harriison had a shot blocked, while substitiute Symon James attempted to pass on two occasions where a shot might have been the better option.  Five minutes from time, Ashford secured the equaliser their performance merited when a Paul Johnson free kick connected with Byron Harrison, whose tidy finish levelled the score.

Ashford swarmed forward in search of a winner, and while a Warren Harris cross caused chaos in the home defence, Symon James' resultant shot was blocked.
 

Game Two - Selsey XI 2-7 Ashford Town XI

Matt Baxter's tardiness had forced the coach to turn back on departure from Short Lane on Saturday morning - fortunately for the mercurial striker, a four goal showing in Saturday's second game means he shall be forgiven.

Selsey's side was less strong than that which had contested the first game, but that didn't prevent them taking a twelfth-minute lead.  A defensive lapse allowed Alan Shepherd to lob the ball over Ashford stopper Paul May to open the scoring.  Baxter headed over shortly afterwards, but Ashford's twentieth minute equaliser was a fine individual effort.  Triallist Romayne Shorts played a one-two with Jon Palmer before ghosting past three defenders and powering the ball into the net.

Ashford took a firm grip on the game after that and Baxter and Wes Goggin both went close to giving a strong Ashford side the lead before three goals in the final five minutes of the first half ended the match as a contest.  The first came on 40 minutes, as an incisive run by Baxter fed Shorts, whose finish was emphatic.  Two minutes later it was 3-1, as a shot from Jon Palmer was parried into the path of Matt Baxter, who finished tidily.

As the first half came to a close, it was Shorts' turn to provide for Baxter, as the liwewire forward's run split the home defence, leaving Baxter with an easy finish.

Selsey emerged for the second half in determined fashion, yet the first chance fell to Ashford's Scott Weight, whose long-distance strike was well-saved.  However, the game's next goal went to the hosts in the 56th minute.  The Seasiders won a corner, which own stopper Paul May flapped at, conceding a corner from the opposite flank.  The young goalkeeper did not reach the set piece, allowing Joe Miles to head home.

Matt Baxter went close to scoring his hat-trick with a header that was flipped over the bar but Mark Butler chose to make changes, replacing Shorts and Goggin with triallist Reece Jackson and stalwart Martin Jackson.

Within minutes, Town were again three goals ahead when a fine team move sent Baxter clear, with the young striker completing his hattrick.  Both sides then endured a quiet period, until Town reasserted their dominance in the final ten minutes.  Jon Palmer went close on eighty minutes, with a run and shot which fizzed across the face of goal.  Moments later, it was 6-2 after Reece Jackson sent Matt Baxter clear of the home defence and the product of Ashford's Youth Team fired across the home goalkeeper and in off the far post.

Reece Jackson might have ended his cameo appearance with a late goal after a Palmer pass fed Baxter, whose cross was well met by the triallist, whose header was well saved.  The final goal came in stoppage time, as Baxter turned provider for midfielder Martin Jackson.  The four-goal striker hit a low cross from the right flank, which was tucked away neatly by the industrious midfielder.