Ashford Town 2-1 Godalming Town - Injury scare for Jones

The victory saw Steve Lovell’s side extend their unbeaten run to fourteen games and has provided the perfect platform going into Saturday’s vitally important derby at Bourne Park against Sittingbourne.

Indeed, Brickies boss Gary Abbott would have been impressed looking on from the stands, as goals from Mitchell Sherwood and substitute James Humphreys sealed the points.

Lovell, speaking to BBC Radio Kent afterwards said, “It wasn’t one of our best performances but I’ve got to be happy with the three points.

“We had to rejig the side a little bit as we were without Sean Ray and Anthony Browne tonight, but Razor will be back on Saturday and I’m hoping that Paul Jones (who hobbled off after half-an-hour) will be fit. He felt him hamstring start to go and I hope we caught it in time.”

This wasn’t one of Ashford’s more fluid performances, although apart from the pace of Godalming striker Shawn Beveney, the home side were rarely threatened in the opening half, whilst at the other end, Godlaming goalkeeper Rodney Chiweshe was extended on several occasions.

The first came as early as the third minute when Charlie Glyde was denied with a fierce shot cutting in from the left; Jones then had a shot straight at the keeper following good work from Sherwood, before on 23 minutes, Craig Wilkins had a header cleared off the line from a Glyde corner.

Wilkins showed tonight once more how versatile player he can be as he swapped his striking duties to play central defence in place of the suspended Ray.

Chiweshe then produced a fabulous save to deny Ryan Briggs, whose chip from thirty-yards seemed to have beaten the keeper.

He was beaten in first half stoppage time, when Sherwood crossed from the right and the ball dropped over the keeper and in off the post to register the former Sittingbourne man’s eleventh goal of the season.

At half-time, the visitors made a double change, which almost brought an instant return.

Graeme Purdy and Todor Buzov combined superbly on the edge of the Ashford box only for Buzov to drag his shot horribly wide.

However, on 57 minutes, Ashford substitute James Humphreys showed his counterparts how it should be done, however, when he took a long ball from Elliot Brathwaite in his stride and coolly slotted the ball into the bottom left corner of the net after holding off the challenge of Damian Matthews.

With a two goal cushion now in place, Ashford seemed to be coasting, but full credit to the visitors’ who kept probing, and on 76 minutes Purdy was inches away from reducing the deficit from 25-yards when his curling shot clipped the Ashford crossbar.

The substitute did, though, make the score sheet five minutes from time as he swept home a cross from Braham Eloumani - meeting the cross on the half volley from six-yards.

Godalming sensed a chance of a point and on 88 minutes Seb Barton in the Ashford goal flapped at the corner and in the ensuring melee the ball ricochet agonisingly wide of the keeper’s left post.

Barton then launched the home side on a quick break, which saw the unmarked Sherwood head wide from a brilliant Jimmy Bottle cross.

In stoppage time, and indeed with the last kick of the game, Godalming came ever so close to snatching a point when Matthews saw his header from a left-wing corner scrambled off the Ashford line.

Manager Lovell conceded after the game, “They came and really had a go at us, but as I’ve said before, we played better than that this season and lost, so I’ll gladly take the points.”

Looking ahead to the big derby at Bourne Park on Saturday, Lovell added, “I’m sure it will be a good game. I have a lot of good friends at Sittingbourne and I’ve known Gary a long time.

“We’ll go there full of heart and here’s hoping that we can avenge the game here when they won
1-0.”

Ashford Town: Seb Barton, Jimmy Elford, Daniel Brathwaite, Elliott Brathwaite, Craig Wilkins, Ryan Briggs, Mitchell Sherwood, Danny Lye, Orlando Smith (Jimmy Bottle 71), Paul Jones (James Humphreys 32), Charlie Glyde.
Subs: John Ralph, Ian Batten, Darren Ibrahim.

Goals: Mitchell Sherwood 45, James Humphreys 57

Booked: Charlie Glyde 56

Godalming Town: Rodney Chiweshe, Liam Pestell, Shaun Elliott, Damian Matthews, Yousef Metwali, Jamie Mariner, Luke Pigden (Graeme Purdy 45), Victor Kiri (Todor Buzov 45), Shawn Beveney, Braham Eloumani, Andy Ottley.
Subs: Adam Mahdi, Chuck Martini.

Goals Graeme Purdy 85

Booked: Liam Pestell 56

Attendance: 219
Referee: Mr David Buck (Istead Rise)
Assistants: Mr Adam Bakarlarz (Bromley) & Anthony Rawlings (Bromley)