| The reserve team started their Suburban League campaign with a tough encounter against last season’s runners-up Met Police with 16 year old youth team players Thomas Nyarko and Tayo Ajayi making their Suburban League debuts.
Ashford started the game poorly, with several players being guilty of giving away possession cheaply. The Met created some good chances themselves, testing eighteen year old keeper Gurvinder Cainth on several occasions, with one particular incident causing the keeper to come off his line colliding with a Met player. Unfortunately, this collision early in the game would force the keeper to come in the second half with a fracture to his knee.
However, the Ash Trees would score in the first half, with eighteen year-old captain Danny Byron swinging in a pinpoint free kick onto the head of forward Munir Dar who bravely got his head to it as the keeper tried to claim it. That made it six goals in five games this summer for the prolific forward.
The Tangerines began the second half the better side, created the better scoring opportunities and eventually scoring a well deserved goal with Guy Hollis hitting a 20 yard thunderbolt that the Met keeper could not stop. With all Ashford's good possession paying off, the Met were thrown a lifeline when keeper Cainth had to replaced by 16 year old youth team left back Jacob Joseph going between the sticks. It was all hands to the pump with the Met throwing everything at us, having shots cleared off the line and scoring with 10 minutes left. They hit the bar, had a goal ruled out for offside and had two bad misses when clean in front of goal. A sense of relief was apparent when the referee blew the final whistle.
A hard fought win against a physically strong Met Police side, now bring on Whyteleafe on the weekend
Team. 1. Gurvinder Cainth (Jacob Joseph 58min), 2. Nick Hardy, 3. William Joseph, 4. Thomas Nyarko, 5. Guy Hollis, 6. Ike Chuckwudum, 7. Tayo Ajayi, 8. Danny Byron (capt), 9. Munir Dar, 10. George Baldock (Daniel Crockett 68min), 11. Joel Binali (Daryl Loates 79mins). Subs not used. Harry Wheeler, Tom Snowdon |
Wednesday, 08 February 2012
