Ash Trees 1 E's 3

[Swifty]

A chance to go top of the table with Cove's postponement, and we blew it.

 

Certainly our worst home defeat so far this season. Up against a threadbare team who were down to the bare bones (with, apparently, the manager and assistant two of their three subs), we never got going, although the early sending off didn't help. Epsom and Ewell were one of the most basic and least talented teams we've faced this season, so to lose to them was a big disappointment.

 

Referee Donaldson didn't help us early on. Dirtiest player on the pitch, E&E's number 10 Alex McGregor, had already got away with a very early foul which possibly merited a yellow and then he kicked Beads in the 10th minute. Beads retaliated and, having not seen the original offence, the ref sent Beads off. A definite red and a daft (though maybe understandable) reaction from the lad which left us with an uphill battle for 80 minutes. We weren't helped by the fact the ref allowed McGregor to get away with repetitive fouling during the game.

 

The first half was so poor, you couldn't tell which team had ten men, though E&E nearly scored with a rasper just before the break which hit the bar. E's then took the lead through Kyle Gough in the 54th minute following the best move of the game to that point. Tyler was made to make several straightforward saves, while E&E showed nous and parked the bus with all eleven behind the ball for many of our attempted forays, then made it safe with a second through Panayotou in the 84th. Samad had been brought on as sub in the second half and he showed desire and determination, and deserved his goal in the penultimate minute. It was a brief respite as E's went straight down the pitch from the restart and Gough scored his second.

 

We seemed to lack guile and we need a voice in the middle of the park to gee us up and get the lads going. Reece did well in defence, and Russ had a fine game and was our best player, but he couldn't do it all himself. In truth, the overall performance just wasn't good enough. Samad looked 'up' enough to merit a place in the starting line-up. Maybe with Beads suspended, this'll happen.

[kevchenko]

We were awful, the referee was awful, the wind was awful and we couldn't create a chance in the first half with it being in our favour...

3 shots on target the first midway through the 2nd half.....E & E hassled well and didn't allow us any space, how the 10 stayed on the pitch especially in the last few minutes when yet again he was given a stern talking to beggars belief.... A big chance to impose ourselves at the top of the table wasted..........And why was Alex taken off? He was one of the brighter lights today....Many other players were having poorer games...

[Swifty]

What I couldn't understand is how it didn't finish ten men each. Late on, Bitz and an E's player had a spat after a tackle, when another E's player ran across and pushed Bitz forcefully backwards with both hamds. Contact looked chest high from my position. Remind me what punishment the appallingly inconsistent ref gave the assailant.

[Mack Chinnon]

Generally, in agreement with the previous comments, but E&E wanted it more than we did. Simple, and well done to E&E.

 

We were ineffective and Jack's early sending off was very disappointing, after a lack of discilpline.

 

We can blame the match officials, but that is masking a serious downturn in form.

 

Today, the 141 attendance were largely let down, and we need to get back to winning ways, and understand (from the spectators' point of view), why we have lost the likes of Joe Hughes, Tom Hill, Connor Moody and others, to be replaced by a succession of loanees, propping up the squad. Some are very welcome and very good, but is this the way to proceed at this time of the season?

 

However, there is still time to regain control of our own destiny, but someone needs to find the jump leads to get our 'not too recent-distant' momentum going again.

 

Starting next Saturday after the distraction of a game away to Leatherhead, in the Surrey Senior Cup.

 

We go again!

[smoking-gun]

What a pathetic game by Ashford, throwing away the chance to go top of the league and to show everybody we mean business, the rot set in after 5mins when Jack Beadle was sent off for retaliation ,(I know he was kicked first) but it did not help Ashford`s cause,from then on Ashford lost control of this game through lack of discipline and self control constantly moaning to the ref about every decision and bitching at each other, behaving like little boys instead of adults not helped by the lack of leadership,constant sniping at the ref and a constant string of foul language coming from Ashford`s dugout.Epsom were no saints with a catalogue of fouls and off the ball incidents which went unpunished by the ref, but they played on Ashford`s lack discipline and won this game by 1-3.The most frustrating thing I found about this game was when Ashford did put their game together and played the football I know they are capable of they were clearly the better side.I hope Ashford will learn a lesson or two about this game and make amends for such a poor display in the coming weeks and months.

[Swifty]

We need to understand (from the spectators' point of view), why we have lost the likes of Joe Hughes, Tom Hill, Connor Moody and others, to be replaced by a succession of loanees, propping up the squad. Some are very welcome and very good, but is this the way to proceed at this time of the season?

 

I'll speculate here, but the main problem's probably the lack of reserve team, which is unfortunate but it was a measure the club felt they had to take. I don't know a footballer's mindset, but I'm guessing he'd prefer to play regular football, even in the reserves, with the chance of a first team / squad place through injuries or suspensions. Unfortunately, running a reserve team is costly, especially the cost of the officials. 

 

Our other problem is that, for the first three or four months of the season, we had a settled first team who played very well and had good on-field discipline, so it would have been difficult to displace any of them, leaving a handful of players without a game. Ironically, had we not made such a blistering start, a few other players may have been given a chance to shore the ship up. As it is, if you replicated our form for the last 12 games over the whole season thus far, we'd be in sixth place - still not disastrous, but a cliff drop compared to the incredible first 12 games of the season.

 

It's a real shame we've lost several very good players recently, but I guess it's easier to trim the 'regular' amount of squad players if needs must and bring in loanees for the odd game when we need them as with Mitchal's suspension (he's back soon, along with Jack Mullan). At least we have a very good link with Slough Town at the moment (and I applaud both teams' management for that) and you can't fault the quality of the players they've provided recently.

 

Mind you, as one supporter next to me said yesterday, Reece must have wondered what he'd let himself in for. He had a fine game, whereas three or four of our lads were well below their usual standard. Now, do you say it was just a glitch and give them another chance bearing in mind the season so far, or look at the recent form guide, drop one or two to sharpen their focus and let someone else have a go?      (lights blue touch paper and retires) 

[Mack Chinnon]

I largely agree with the above.

 

We have lost a bit of discipline and appear to have good links with Slough, but only able to benefit from short term measures, results-wise. 

 

On the positive side, we attracted 141 spectators yesterday, 90% of whom were local and/or regulars. A short distance down the road, the expected dozen at other games had no game to watch at all.

 

We did not expect to bounce straight back in one season, so let's not get ahead of ourselves. Ben, his management team, and a small army of volunteers who work hard to make the weekend's games so enjoyable and friendly - from the Boardroom, Committee, Playing Staff & Management, Clubhouse and beyond.

 

Time to keep the faith, hold firm, and retain our strength.  Not unlike the Parisienes, I suppose!

 

As they sat at Windsor Racecourse ..."Weighed In !!!"

[Swifty]

I'll take your catchphrase...I largely agree with the above.

 

I'll be honest here and say I thought it could take four or five years to go back up - not because of any weaknesses in our squad, but because there are so many other good teams in what's become a bit of an Isthmian League teams' graveyard, plus the fact there are no play-offs and only one promotion spot up for grabs. My own bar level at the start of the season was that we finish no lower than sixth, which is our lowest final table position in the Combined Counties, albeit when the single-division CCFL was a pyramid step lower than now.

 

Of course, some at the club believe we'll go straight back up, and one or two are desperate we go back up. At least the ship's been steadied quickly (maybe quicker than expected) after last season, and we can be grateful for that.