Ashford Scorers:
Andrew Webber PC (13mins), Jamie McFarlane PC (39mins), James Webber FG (56mins), PC (67mins)
On the back of our very close, controversial lose to Chichester we travelled to Eastcote determined to walk away with the three points. We were confident, albeit it very quietly, that we could put our plans into action and be victorious. With Steven Kessells out with a groin injury we were lining up with only a slight variation to our victorious side from the clash with Sevenoaks.
We were determined to start strong, and start strong we did. The tone of the game was established early with the physical contact and verbal remarks flying around thick and fast. Even the umpire didn’t come out of it unscaved, suffering a bruised ego after falling over his own feet.
The red and blacks opened the scoring through Andrew Webber after 13 minutes. Webber sent a rebound from a corner high into the net and opening his account for the year. This match, however, was not going to be as easy as the first goal suggested. Eastcote defended grimly and managed to keep the Ashford attack at bay for the rest of the second half. Their determination in defence was converted to a scoring opportunity towards the end of the first period by forcing a corner on a break away and finishing off with a neatly executed flick into the top right corner.
Half time provided the Ashford men to get some perspective about the game and realise that they needed to take control of the speed, flow and direction of the play. It was only a matter of minutes into the second half when Ashford stamped their dominance in the game through a Jamie McFarland penalty corner after a brilliant run of attack from the mid field. The goal provided the lift the red and blacks needed to ensure their victory.
In the final 15 minutes of the second half Ashford landed a sensational field goal from the stick of James Webber after an impressive display from Richard Green and Jody Smith. The game was put out of reach for Eastcote in the dying minutes when James Webber landed his second goal for the game through a penalty corner. The victory was slightly tarnished with Richard Green receiving an extremely controversial yellow card in the last ten minutes of the match. Walking away with the three points was significant this week following the narrow loss to Chichester.
