| In excess of five hundred people basked in the early autumn sunshine at Short Lane on Sunday to pay tribute to Ashford’s very own legend, Paul Burgess. Paul has made 651 appearances for the Ashford 1st team in goal and becomes, deservedly, the first player to be handed a testimonial in Ashford Town Football Club history. Paul, a life-long Spurs supporter, played the first half for his club, swopping teams for the second half to turn out for his heroes, this of course meant that he had to play the whole match with the sun in his eyes. Spurs included the likes of Tony Galvin, Mark Falco and Gary Brook in their number while Paul had invited players that he had played with down the years such as Jim Heggarty, Mark Harrison and Gary Cambridge and some thirty others. The match was played at a pace dictated by the warm weather and the rather stockier builds of some of the players, with substitutions frequently taking place and it was the Allstars that took an early lead with a run across the penalty area and shot by Ricky Wellard loaned out for the day by AFC Wimbledon. The same player had two further chances as Stuart Flurry and Des Vertannes managed to get behind Neil Smith and Tony Galvin and provide the ammunition, but these were safely gathered by Tony Wells, on loan to the Spurs Legends. Paul Burgess had to be alert to make a smart save from Greg Hall but there was to be no further scoring and the crowd settled down to be entertained by a half time display of free-style ball juggling by Billy Wingrove and the music of the Staines Brass Band. The Allstars made further changes for the second half including, former supporters favourite, Andy Frost who managed to wriggle past Neil Smith and send a low cross to the far post that eluded Burgo, now playing for Spurs, but ran out for a goal kick. Micky Jarrett prompted the inquiry from the Ashford supporters of “How high do you want the goal?” when he headed over a cross from the left at point blank range but the Legends equalised soon after when Tim O’Shea forced the ball over the line despite the heroics of Tony Wells, then minutes later took the lead with a drive from Hall. Jarrett bounced the ball off the top of Wells' crossbar before the Ashford Allstars unleashed their super-sub on the unsuspecting Spurs Legends. Joe Burgess, son of Paul, came on to rapturous applause and immediately positioned himself as the main striker, but before he had any chance of influencing the match, Jobe Ambrose added a third goal for the Legends. It didn’t take Burgo Junior long to make his mark on the game and with virtually his first touch of the ball he embarked on a mazy run that took him past four Spurs players before cleverly rebounding the ball off his dad and smashing it into the empty net to give his side hope.
But two late goals from Jarrett and Jake Hall made the game safe for the Spurs Legends and the referee bought the proceedings to a close just as the Ashford Allstars were getting their second wind. | 
Wednesday, 08 February 2012
