Ashford Town 1-2 Whyteleafe - Lovell blames pitch for poor home record

ASHFORD TOWN 1-2 WHYTELEAFE
Ryman League Division One South
Good Friday 21^st March 2008
Mike Green reports from The Homelands

ASHFORD TOWN’S indifferent home record continued in the Good Friday gale, as Whyteleafe condemned the home side to their eighth home defeat of the season.

If only Steve Lovell’s side could play all their games on their travels, as in 16 games here at Homelands the Nuts & Bolts have secured 16 of their 47 points.

Whyteleafe were ahead inside seven minutes when Adam Broomhead got away in the penalty area, rounding keeper Sam Moore.

Inexplicably completely miss-hitting his pull-back he was extremely fortunate to see Samuel Clayton ram the loose ball into the Ashford net.

With the wind howling down the middle of the pitch, good football was at a premium.

And when the ball was airborn the flight was a lottery as to where the ball would bounce and finish up.

This was proved when Mitchell Sherwood got on the end of a long free-kick only for the ball to be blown out of his reach when he went to shoot.

A niggly first half boiled over just before the break when Ryan Briggs and Broomhead clearly exchanged blows in front of referee Mr O’Brien and despite consulting an assistant, incredibly the London official failed to produce a card.

Ashford should have been level just past the hour when Jimmy Bottle was guilty of one of the misses of the season.

For the first time Mark Lovell found some space down the right and his teasing cross found Bottle only six yards out in front of goal.

Yet, inexplicably the winger completely missed his kick and sent the ball back in the direction where it came from.

In a game of increasing few chances, Bottle almost redeemed himself on 70 minutes when his driven centre from the left caused chaos in the Whyteleafe area and the visitors somehow were fortunate to scramble the ball behind for a corner.

The killer goal came eight minutes from time when Broomhead, who was fortunate to still be on the pitch, scored with a fine downward header, which keeper Sam Moore could only help on it’s way into the net.

Anthony Hogg almost pulled one back but his drive from the edge of the box was well saved at full stretch by former Beckenham Town goalkeeper Robert Tolfrey.

Ashford did pull a goal back as 90 minutes elapsed and it was down to the tenacity of substitute Walid Matata.

He escaped down the left, exchanged passes with Bottle, held off defender Moses Spencer, who did everything to try to pull him down, before driving a cross into the six-yard box.

The ball riochet back to the substitute who drove home his eighth goal of the season from a very tight angle.

There was no time left for Ashford to draw level and the visitors had the points.

A frustrated Steve Lovell said afterwards: “You’ve got to look at the game, they scored after seven minutes and seven minutes before the end. In between we bossed the game.”

Looking ahead to their trip to champions-elect Dover Athletic, Lovell added: “We’re rebuilding for next season and there were some encouraging signs.

“Yet, I’m just pleased the chairman is ripping the pitch up at the end of the season.

“Just look at our record here and on the road it speaks for itself,” shrugged the dejected Welshman.

“We do play better on better pitches so because of that I’m looking forward to Monday.”

Ashford Town: Sam Moore, Toby Ashmore, Daniel Brathwaite (Aaron Freeman 75), Danny Lye, Sean Ray, Ryan Briggs, Mitchell Sherwood, Anthony Hogg (James Humphrey 86), Mark Lovell, Paul Jones (Walid Matata 75), Jimmy Bottle.
Sub: Tony Browne.

Goal: Walid Matata 90

Booked: Danny Lye 75

Whyteleafe: Robert Tolfrey, Alhajie Jabbie, Chris O’Flaherty, Steve Causon, Danny Boxhall, Moses Spencer, Robert Smith, Adam Broomhead, Joel Greaves (Daniel Platel 77), Samuel Clayton (Sean Rivers 77), Michael Riley.
Subs: Mamadou Meite, Luke Hackett, Gavin Dilley.

Goals: Samuel Clayton 7, Adam Broomhead 82

Attendance: 259
Referee:Mr John O’Brien
Assistants: Mr Ben Wright & Mr Paul Beadle