| This local derby with ambitious Combined Counties League side saw Ashford boss Mark Butler give a full 90 minutes to the majority of his line-up and his charges responded with an emphatic victory to win the Lord of Ashford Bowl. With the squad divided between this match and a game against Feltham the following evening Butler took a first look at young defender Billy Jeffrerys, who looked assured at the heart of the defence, while former Ashford man Adam Foulser and triallist Romayne Thomas were on the substitutes bench.  Ashford went off like the proverbial train, which Warren Harris causing havoc down the right wing, but the crosses were not being converted by his team mates, although Vinny O'Sullivan did fire over the bar when on an overlap with Harris in the 8th minute. The lively Byron Harrison might have opened the scoring six minutes later when he raced clean through, only to shoot straight at Peacocks 'keeper Adam Turner. Jon Palmer (pictured, right) fired wide for the hosts, but then opened the scoring in the 22nd minute when he gathered a long pass from Russell Canderton and finished with aplomb.
Palmer and Harrison combined well in the 26th minute only for Harrision's shot to drift wide, although the former Boreham Wood striker did score moments later when he headed home a Paul Johnson free kick. Although Ashford had further chances to add to their tally, it was the visitors who scored the game's next goal in the 32nd minute. Green looked impressive going forward all evening, and an incisive breakaway saw Aaron McLeish tear through the home defence and fire the ball past Craig Ross. The Tangerines were unperturbed, however and restored their two goal cushion six minutes before half time, when Harris rolled in a straightforward chance at the back post. Ashford emerged for the second half unchanged, and ended the match as a contest on fifty-three minutes. Harris was again in the spotlight, as his deep cross from the right dropped in the evening air and flew into the net. That seemed to cause the visitors heads to drop and they conceded a fifth within moments. Turner did well to stop a low drive from Johnson, but the resultant corner was headed into the danger zone by Canderton and Palmer's deft header guided the ball into the net. Palmer, Harris and Canderton were then withdrawn and replaced by Matt Baxter, Romayne Thomas and Adam Foulser respectively. In the 66th minute, Ashford scored their sixth goal when a Johnson free kick from the right flank was headed home by Baxter. Bedfont Green enjoyed a good spell of pressure after that, but town might have added to their tally, with Harrison and Wes Goggin both looking lively going forward. It was to the visitors' credit that they kept playing good football right through the game and they had two late opportunities to pull a goal back but Tangerines boss Mark Butler was able to leave the field a happy man. | 
Saturday, 04 February 2012
