In their third South League game of 2007, Ashford were at home to fellow strugglers West Hampstead 1st XI. The Red & Blacks were still without the injured midfield dynamo NICKY BENEDICT and they lost fellow midfielders ANNIE NEYTON on Friday night and KATIE GREEN on Saturday morning, both due to illness. Their original squad of thirteen was thus reduced to only eleven and with the other squads also hit by illness, skipper JO SMITH pulled up 2nd XI regular midfielder, WENDY BAKER at the last minute to make her 1st XI debut. However, University student and speedy full back LOUISE DOUGLAS was available to make her first appearance for the side in 2007 and SUNNY POTTAY also returned to strengthen the side.
The game started in a rather physical way and the young visitors pressed hard from the start and scored after only five minutes of play. Ashford seemed somewhat disorganised initially and the goal didn’t help matters, but the Ashford goalkeeper LEANNE SERGEANT coped well with the numerous West Hampstead attacks that followed the goal, which allowed the rest of the team to settle and find their form. Defenders DANI BROUGH, EMMA HYNES and LOUISE DOUGLAS started to combine well and got through a lot of good work, both in defence and by helping to create some Ashford attacks. Sweeper JACKIE PARSONS also started to prompt many a Red & Black move and create breaks for the midfield and strikers with her fine clearances and close control. WENDY BAKER was also helping matters by making brief appearances for the substitutes bench, which enabled the hard running midfielders to have a breather and WENDY marked and contributed well during her time on the pitch. Ashford continued to work hard, but were unable to create many chances up front and the score remained at 1-0 until the interval.
The second half followed a similar pattern as the first, with the game still having quite a physical nature. Again young keeper LEANNE SERGEANT played well for Ashford, but strikers LIV YOUNG and LAURA SAMOUELS were not able to find a way through. Ashford were matching the visitors who were well organised, but not that superior to Ashford skills wise in most areas of the pitch and for much of the second half Ashford had a fair amount of the play, but were not able to notch the much wanted equaliser. Late in injury time, the visitors scored a second goal from field play to make the final score a slightly unjust 2-0 victory to them and Ashford’s quest for their first points of the season were once again thwarted. The Red & Blacks are at home again next Saturday at noon, when they play local rivals Staines 2nd XI who are currently fourth in the League. Coach Bob Thornalley will be hoping that she will have a full, fit squad to utilise, so that the Red & Blacks can start turning their recent better play into goals and points.
Team:
L Sergeant (GK), D Brough, L Douglas, W Baker, S Kenward, E Hynes, J Parsons, C Brant, J Smith, (Captain), O Young, L Samouel, S Pottay.
