| Regardless of the timing or setting, every footballer loves to emerge victorious in a local derby. So for Ashford's youngsters, this merited victory will have been a sweet feeling, particularly as it means that they go into their League campaign having won all seven of their warm-up matches. This particular Spelthorne Derby took place on a very windy evening on the Short Lane training pitch and initially, the two sides cancelled each other out - there was lots of neat passing, but no goalmouth action. The first shot on goal came in the 22nd minute when Oscar Jennings forced a save at the near post. Moments later, the home side took the lead when a Jimmy Stanford shot was saved, Jennings crashed the rebound against the crossbar and George Baldock tucked the second rebound away. Ashford looked the better side during the remainder of the first half, but lost Baldock to injury in the 36th minute, Lewis Wombwell replacing him. Both sides made a series of changes after the interval and Staines dominated possession for the first fifteen minutes of the second half, although the nearest they came to scoring was a shot crashed against the post. As the light deteriorated, Ashford regained control of the game and a Wombwell header sent Stanford away eighteen minutes into the second half, only for his shot to run just wide, as did a long-distance shot from the same player moments later. However, almost exactly halfway through the second period, Stanford found the target in spectacular fashion. Receiving the ball wide on the left and thirty yards from goal, the former Staines Town Junior lobbed the goalkeeper with an exquisite first time strike. Although the Swans had a couple of chances after that, they seemed to lose confidence and had to scramble a Wombwell strike off the line, with Taylor Gough firing the rebound over the bar from distance. With the wind not letting up and both sides rotating their troops, the game went through a scrappy period. Eight minutes from time, Ashford sealed the win and again, it was Stanford who scored an individual effort. This time, he lobbed the hapless goalkeeper from fully forty yards to seal the win with a goal that would have been outstanding at any level. Seconds later, the effervescent striker came close to a hat-trick as he flicked the ball over the visiting stopper in a one-on-one, only to hit the side netting from a tight angle. The final minutes were notable for some industrial challenges from the visitors as their frustration got the better of them. One in particular, a central defender clad in green boots, would surely have been dismissed in a competitive match, thanks to a series of robust tackles. However, that should not be the overriding memory of a match between two sides who passed the ball extremely well and who will have both gained much in terms of match fitness. |
Saturday, 04 February 2012
