Ash Trees 3 Horley Town 3

[Swifty]

I’ll happily put the tin helmet on.

 

If you’d said to me after 77 minutes we would score three times and get a point out of the game, I’d have laughed at you. Even with a man advantage, we’d been aimless and deserved little. When Josh (one of our two best starting players today along with Beads in my opinion) got subbed for Samad, I couldn’t believe it and I wasn’t alone. By the end of the game, the substitutions had worked miracles, our mercurial subs Sammy and Bayley’s wingplay had helped turn the game around and, even we also went down to ten men, we looked the more likely to win.

 

I thought Horley were one of the worst sides we’ve played all season, certainly for gamesmanship. Two players booked in the first half for kicking the ball away (and another did the same thing and escaped a card right at the end), plus one of the most stupid red cards I’ll ever see, when half time sub Michael Smith tussled with Josh, didn’t like having a foul given against him and kicked the ball into the face of Josh who was by now sitting some ten feet away. His yelp of disbelief at an easy red card after just 12 minutes on the pitch was an embarrassment.

 

 

Horley had three attempts on target in the first half (the last being a deflected shot which hit Alex’s head and needed a superb save by Tyler to keep it 2-0) and they scored from two of them. Russ got caught / charged off the ball on the edge of the box by Ashley Nadesan, who swept Horley into a 3rd minute lead. We then turned attack into deficit in the 32nd minute when we wasted a corner, the ball was moved upfield and swept into acres of space on the wing, and Adam Pullen scored from the cross.

 

Mind you, we didn’t have many efforts ourselves in the first half and, even when Horley went down to ten men, too many players were having a below par day and a defensive lapse saw Nadesan score his second in the 64th. Quite how and why a striker with his qualities and scoring rate is still playing at this level and not higher baffles me.

 

After Sammy came on, our new striker Russ scored his third in two league games with a header from Bitz’s corner with 13 minutes left. Less than two minutes later, with new belief in the side, our third sub Dan Fleming was in the right place to lash home another. Game on. Seven minutes from the end, we had reason to doubt again when another defensive lapse saw Will sent off for a clumsy late challenge. Quite why Dan had to get involved and incur a booking for arguing is another matter. The ref’s not going to change his mind. Yes, it’s spur of the moment, but the booking was needless. Still the lads kept going, and we pulled off a spectacular comeback when a dangerous cross was headed into his own net by Ryan Brackpoll in the 94th minute. I felt sorry for Ryan – there were other players in his side who deserved that fate far more.

 

 

So, a result which will probably please neither team, and Ben was clearly rattled at the end as he walked off. I was told by one of our committee he was wound up by the officials but, whatever he shouted, Ben’s impassioned speech showed he clearly wasn’t happy about something or someone. I have to say, though, if we’d played the whole game like the last 13 plus stoppages, Horley wouldn’t have lived with us. The quality and intensity of the comeback was both exhilarating and frustrating.

 

 Can I take this helmet off now? It’s making my head hurt!

[smoking-gun]

I agree with some of things you say Swifty but not all,you said it your self that the subs changed the game,yes I agree with that,but why were they not on in the first place?how can Ben keep a 30+ goal machine sitting on the bench when the guy on in his place hardly ever scores,and to prove a point on comes Dan Flemming and BANG it's in the back of the net,that should tell you something.

Horley deserved their 3 goal lead, they had done their homework and closed down and contained Ashford to such an extent that Ashford hardly got a look in.

Yes, when Horley had their player sent off,Ashford (at last) began to play the kind of football we all know they are capable of,which made for a very exciting final 15mins.

I must agree with your comment about the own goal Swifty,Horley's player who got him self sent off should be the one feeling sick.

By the way,anybody know which clubs have applied for promotion?

[Robin1960]

I agree with the comments above, apart from " I thought Horley were one of the worst sides we’ve played all season, certainly for gamesmanship" I have to say was a little unfair.   My reason is the Referee lost control of the game, he allowed to many questionable tackle to go within the start of the game, may be he was trying to allow the game to flow, but sadly it just caused problems.  Hence one or two tackles went in unpunished from both sides ( I don't mean punishment by yellow cards, I mean by giving a free kick), then he decided to give yellow cards which was to late, and really gave himself no alternative, and to be honest I felt that both teams will end up having a player sent off at some point ?    At some point this referee should have got hold of both team captian and read the riot act to them ?  but I never saw him do it ?

[Swifty]

A new day, and time to reassess.

 

Horley did actually play some lovely football in passages, which shows you why they are where they are in the table. I just felt their indiscipline took something away from the performance. You have to admire the clinical nature of their finishing. 

 

Also, I had no idea the wind was worse than in previous games and affected the teams' efforts. From the comfort of the terrace, the conditions certainly looked easier than in the past three weeks or so, but I'm happy to be corrected.

 

True, I do sometimes wonder why the ref doesn't call the captains over and issue some sort of warning or ultimatum when things get a bit 'tasty'.

 

As for Dan Fleming coming on as sub, maybe he isn't fully match fit just yet? Bradley may not be a goal machine, and he's hardly likely to win many headers, but he does run his socks off for the cause. Similar to Dan Brown, he's stepped up from Sunday football, and that's quite a step in itself.

[manurgrate]

An incident filled match played in a tempest, a dodgy ref, 6 goals, two red cards and numerous yellows, a contender for goal of the season for the visitors' second goal,  a late rally from us to save a point and then an after match rant from our Manager! 

 

You have to give credit to our team for pulling off an unlikely comeback from 3 down and only 13 minutes on the clock. Having said that we generally played well below our normal standards. We allowed ourselves to be upset by the referee and it seemed that Horley were more " up for it " than us in the 1st half.

 

I don't think our main problems are with scoring goals, but at the other end, we are conceding too many goals and a lot of them are from very defendable  positions. 

 

Brad has done well since coming in for Dan ( and as Swifty said he doesn't look match fit). Brad may not score many goals but he brings others into the game and we have scored a lot of goals whist he has been up front.

 

I don' t care who scores the goals for us even if it the opposition!

[Swifty]

Good point regarding the goals conceded, manurgrate. Nine goals scored in the last three games, and we only won one of them.

 

Another point which I hate to bring up, but I will, is that we're suffering the same fate against teams in the top five as in the previous campaign. Last season, we managed three points in the first round of matches against the other sides who finished in the top five but ended up with 10 points from the 8 games due to some great 'recovery' results. So far this season, our matches against the other teams in the top five have produced a solitary point, which implies we assist the other promotion contenders a bit too much points-wise.

[B378]

I missed last week's game due to work. However today I was at a meeting with my colleague /friend from Hartley Wintney. Can I just say to Ben and the team, please finish above them in the league!

[BarmyArmy1]

crazy game ,, i think samad was a good sub on , but for the wrong player ,,, all the other subs didnt really do much in my opinion ,, Dan Flem needs to be starting .. that is all