Tonight at Sutton United, Ashford Town brought down the curtain on the 2008-09 season, and an era.  Not only was the 4-2 win over Three Bridges the club's final match in the Southern Youth League after eighteen years of membership but also the final game in charge for Manager Mick Snowden.

Faced with a bumpy pitch and strong wind, both sides struggled to put any sort of move together and while the Sussex side had more of the ball, the only goal of the first half fell to Ashford's Mark Bitmead, who took advantage of a 43rd minute goalmouth scramble to put his side in front.

Terrible defending allowed the "home" side to level early in the second half, although Ashford regained the lead just a minute later when a superb cross from George Jennings was headed home by Jimmy Stanford.  Stanford turned provider for George Baldock who made it 3-1 to the Teenage Tangerines.  Three Bridges pulled a goal back from a free kick with ten minutes to go, thanks to some appalling marking.  When Ashford skipper Byron Watkins was dismissed for a second cautionable offence, it looked like a nervous last few minutes for the ten men, but a spectacular strike from Stanford in stoppage time ensured the Ash Trees signed off with a win.