Ryman League Premier Division,
The Pilot Field, Hastings
31st October 2009

Ashford showed considerable spirit to fight back from 1 – 3 down to go 4 – 3 up, only to let victory slip away from them in the final minute of time added on. It was abundantly clear straight from the kick off that both teams had both the desire and ability to play football and, with Hastings sitting in 3^rd place in the league, before the game, the visitors knew that a difficult afternoon lay ahead.

Caretaker manager Keith Bristow paired Guy Hollis and Russ Canderton in the centre of defence following the broken leg suffered by Billy Jeffreys in Tuesday’s match and Davis Haule returned to the midfield after serving his one match ban.

Early exchanges were even with the contest mainly restricted to midfield, but the breakthrough came in the eleventh minute when Liam Upton’s superb first touch controlled a difficult ball down the Hastings right and he whipped in a dangerous cross which was met at the far post by Russell Eldridge who headed past Craig Ross in the Ashford goal.

The home side continued pressing and Ashford were forced to endure a period of Hasting domination during which time Ross had to pull off a tremendous save from the head of Upton from Eldridge’s corner, but gradually the visitors played their way back into the game as Byron Harrison had a shot saved by the legs of  Hastings keeper Josh Willis after great work by Vinnie O’Sullivan on the right, then Harrison found Ricardo Joseph who shrugged off the attentions of Josh Jirbandy to test Willis once again.

Forsaking his defensive duties for a moment, Canderton found time to get forward and thread a good pass through to Joseph who again got the better of Jirbandy but saw his shot meet the same fate as his previous effort.

Ade Olorunda obliged Ross to make a decent save from his over-head kick before Ashford scored their equaliser. Harrison received the ball in open space and advanced into the Hastings penalty box pushing the ball past the diving Willis who bought the striker down. Referee Mr Blunden had no hesitation in awarding the penalty and, sensibly, just administering a yellow instead of a red card. Harrison picked himself up and dispatched the penalty with his usual aplomb.

Parity reigned for a little over five minutes as a through ball was missed by Hollis, Upton was on hand to stab the ball past Ross to take the home side in for their half time cup of tea a goal to the good.

Ricardo Joseph had suffered a dead-leg half way through the first half and was replaced for the second half by Mal Bulley, Joseph left the ground on crutches but should not be out for too long.

Ashford pushed up looking for the equaliser when, in the 52^nd minute, a quick counter attack gave Hastings a throw on their left which was taken by Eldridge into the feet of Ade Olorunda whose superb turn left O’Sullivan marking space and the Hastings striker tucked the ball into the Ashford net from a tight angle to open up a two goal cushion.

With Ashford looking dead and buried at 1 – 3 down it looked as if it was going to be a subdued coach travelling back down the A21 but the skipper had other ideas. Paul Johnson led from the front, encouraging his men to raise their game while he seemed to cover every blade of grass, some of them twice, and how the men in Tangerine responded. Hastings were now on the back foot as wave upon wave of Ashford attacks threatened to swamp them. First to show was Bulley who sent a vicious shot inches wide then Brian Haule latched on to a good ball from his brother Davis but Willis again saved with his legs.

Ashford, though, were not to be denied, pulling a goal back in the 80^th minute as Brett Cooper’s surging run was stopped at the cost of a corner, Johnson played the ball to the far post where Hone Fowler out-jumped his marker to head home.

Hastings followers had afforded uplifting vociferous support to their side since the inception but they were temporarily silenced in the 83^rd minute as the visitors grabbed a well deserved equaliser. Central defender Guy Hollis found himself in position to deliver a deep teasing cross picking out Harrison who out jumped Willis to deflect the ball past the keeper and into the net with his head for his second of the game.

With Ashford in the ascendancy, Johnson capped a fine personal performance, in the 90^th minute, when he embarked on a run through the centre of midfield and was bought down some 15 yards outside the Hastings penalty area as he looked to tee up a shot with his favourite left foot. Taking the free kick himself, the Ashford skipper then proceeded to hit a low unstoppable effort round the defensive wall and into the bottom corner of the net to give his side the lead for the first time in the match.

The drama was not yet concluded as Mr Blunden signalled a minimum of four minutes stoppage time. Naïve defending gave Hastings a corner which was played short by Sam Adams, with one minute left, the ball was played back to him and the winger sent in a high ball into the danger area where Tim Olorunda headed home to the collective sigh of relief of Hastings players and supporters alike.