Double Dare to the rescue in headline win

Following on from the previous weeks disappointing home loss to Oxford the 3s knew it was crucial to regain the momentum of the early season with an important home match against Wycombe.

Given the resources available skipper Lunn opted to go for a brave aggressive 3-4-3 formation in order to accommodate the abundance of forwards and midfielders. Ashford started well and worked the ball around well utilising the solid midfield partnership of James Berressem and Jamie Tilt who revelled in is new midfield role. This play utilmately culminated in a goal for young star Pavi Aulakh.

Wycombe then started to come back into the game and exerted pressure on the Ashford back line with some fine tackles from Stephen Forster and Adrian Hewes preventing shooting opportunities but it still required a crucial save from Cameron Dare to keep Ashford in the lead.

Ashford started the 2nd half well exerting some early pressure through Dave Merchant and Max Perman but were shortly to lose skipper Lunn to the bench following a knee injury. At this point Wycombe started a sustained period of pressure with Jamie Tilt picking up a green card for a stick tackle to add to his growing card collection. Ashford defended this short handed spell well and returned to full strength with Wycombe continuing to push only for Hewes to pick up a green card for a foul in the D. Again the ashford line held with saves from Dare. But the defining play of the game was to come when Hewes returning to the field was able to pull off a goal line save with his head which was followed up by a fine save by Dare from the resulting stroke.

This seemed to take the wind out of Wycombe's sails and reinvigorate the Ashford team resulting in some more attacking play through Merchant, Shane Smith and Lewis Baber. Following another enforced substitution Lunn came back into the fray and was set up by Smith for a breakaway shot on the Wycombe goal only for a fine save from the young Wycombe keeper. But Ashford were able to conujure an almost replica opportunity a couple of minutes later which this time Lunn calmly slotted into the bottom corner to secure the win for Ashford.

Dare was voted Man of the Match for his heroics