Ashford Scorers:
Jackie Parsons (2)
On a cold day with a biting wind, Ashford were yet again unable to field a full strength side for their penultimate and last home, South League game of the season against fellow strugglers Newbury & Thatcham Ladies last Saturday.
The red & Blacks were without their skipper JO SMITH and staunch regulars KATIE GREENE, CLAIR BRANT and dynamic midfielder ANNIE NEYTON. The good news was that they were able to welcome back the hard working and skilful Welsh midfielder SAM KENDALL, whilst regular second team players HANNAH GIBBS and BECKY GRIFFITHS, retained their places for the second game running. The match started as somewhat a low key affair, with the visitors well on top and playing much the better hockey. After ten minutes or so, Ashford were dealt a blow when the hard running, youngster LAURA SAMOUELS fell and damaged her shoulder badly and she had to leave the field of play and go to hospital to get it checked out. The Red & Blacks coach HELEN THORNALLEY thus had to join the fray to add her much needed skills and experience to the team. The Red & Blacks did then start to play better, but the opposition had more to offer, with some skill full ball carriers who helped them to keep possession and also create numerous goal chances; three of which were converted to make the score a deserved 3-0 to the visitors at half time.
After the break, Ashford played a lot better and as their work rate increased, so did their possession and attack rate. Young defender and Ashford ‘Player of the Match’ ANNA PROTHEROE led the way with her tireless running and accurate tackling at the back. Despite having more of the game, the Red& Blacks conceded a further goal midway through the half to go 4-0 down. However, they battled back and sweeper and short corner striker JACKIE PARSONS brought Ashford back into the game when she converted two out of the three short corners they gained in the second half. One goal was directly through the goalkeepers legs, whilst the other was a good angled shot which found the corner of the net. Although the goals brought Ashford back into the game, their overall play did not have its usual bite or fluency to really unsettle the stronger and more skill full visitors, who deserved their 4-2 victory.
Next Saturday Ashford travel to Banbury for a tough rearranged game against the sixth placed team, in what will be their last game of the season and also in the South League and also the last for Club Coach HELEN THORNALLEY.
Team:
O Sutton (GK), D Brough, E Hynes (Captain), S Kenward, A Protheroe, H Gibbs, E Ashford-Hodges, J Parsons, B Griffiths, H Thornalley, L Samouels, S Kendall
