Ashford took on Hampton & Richmond at U18 level on Monday evening and were able to record a straightforward victory by four goals to one, to preserve their 100% record to date in the League.  Ashford looked as if they meant business right from the start and it took just two minutes for Rinor Sopjani to weave his way through to put the Tangerines ahead.

Before the quarter hour mark, Mitchell Fountain doubled the lead with a fierce and unstoppable effort.  Three minutes prior to half-time, Sopjani effectively sealed the match from the penalty spot, following a hand ball offence that looked rather harsh.  The ball certainly hit the defender’s hand but it bounced up and was hardly intentional.  What couldn’t be denied was that Ashford were well worth the three goal lead against a side that looked a pale shadow of Hampton U18 teams in recent seasons.

The wind had been increasing as the match went on and it made it difficult for both sides in the second period, with the football suffering as a result.  Nevertheless, just prior to the hour mark Conor Molyneaux hammered home the fourth goal following a well worked corner taken by Fountain.

Tyler Tobin in the home goal had enjoyed a fairly relaxing evening but Hampton pulled one back on 72 minutes when the visitors’ Sammy Williams belted a free kick past him for what was the third stunning goal of the evening.  To their credit, the visitors kept trying to play but having weathered a minor storm, it was all Ashford again in the closing minutes, with the visiting keeper pulling off three or four superb if sometimes unorthodox stops to keep the scoreline down.

Ashford have yet another home match next Monday, when they will entertain Met Police U18’s in the opening round of the Lucas Fettes Cup, which is the sponsored name for the Ryman Youth League Cup.  Met Police play in the Central Division of the League in which they are currently in mid table.  They lost last night by two goals to nil in their division, against Carshalton and have now won two and lost three of their seven matches to date.  It will be the first time the two clubs have ever met at this level.