Ashford United 1-2 Hanwell Town - The league is our main priority now, says John Ovard

ASHFORD UNITED 1-2 HANWELL TOWN
The FA Carlsberg Vase Fourth Round
Thursday 13^th February 2014
Stephen McCartney reports from Homelands Stadium

ASHFORD UNITED assistant manager John Ovard says reaching the last 32 of The FA Vase this season has been a bonus for the club.

Hanwell Town will travel to their Spartan South Midlands League title rivals Ampthill Town on Saturday afternoon after Ray Duffy’s side came from behind to beat an Ashford United side that finished the game with nine men after central defenders Ben Jordan and Jordan Miller were both sent-off late in the game.

This Fourth Round tie was played at the seventh attempt after home club Hanwell Town had four chances to stage the tie, before the FA granted home advantage to the Kent club in a bid to get the game played as the wettest winter in 250 years has taken its toll.

The sterling efforts of groundsman Steve Hackett and his staff on a relatively dry day enabled these two sides to finally come head-to-head.

Ashford United last took to the field on 21 January when they produced an eight-goal thriller away to Erith Town in the Macron League Cup Quarter-Final Second Leg, so fitness levels was going to be an issue for the players, watched by 286 fans.

“Massively disappointing because I don’t actually think we played poorly,” said Ovard afterwards.

“We had the better chances – didn’t take them – and we got punished by falling asleep and making two little individual errors which could easily been avoided, but we’re disappointed because we feel we could have got more out of the game.

“We’re not going to sulk about it. The Vase is always a bonus for football clubs and it was for us and tonight it’s come to an end.”

Ashford United squandered an excellent chance to keep their FA Vase run going to a seventh tie after only 33 seconds.

Hanwell Town keeper Charlie Fanner endured a poor start to the game and his dinked clearance fell to Sam Conlon, whose right-footed shot was blocked by the visiting keeper.

“Sammy’s had a good chance in the first minute,” admitted Ovard.

“On a different day you’ve got to take your chances and get the rub of the green.

“It probably came a bit too early because players are just getting accustomed to the game so it was probably a bit too early for the boy.  Again, you need a bit of luck and on that day we didn’t get the rub of the green and didn’t get a goal.”

The Nuts & Bolts produced a well-drilled corner when Kieran Byrne cut the ball back where Conlon’s dummy set up Tom Scorer, who drilled a first time drive sailing harmlessly wide of the right-hand post.

Third-placed Hanwell – who are seven points behind Ampthill Town in their league but with six games in hand – created their first opening inside seven minutes.

Luke Kenny played in a low cross from the right and Ricky Pither ghosted in to sweep his shot across goal from eight-yards before the ball was cleared away.

Scorer then picked the ball up inside Hanwell’s half before penetrating forward before drilling a right-footed shot which was spilt by Fanner low to his left.

Ashford United keeper Joe Mant made his first save of the night halfway through the first half.

Left-winger, Kyle Watson started his run inside the centre circle before he was given space to run towards the edge of the penalty area before stroking a left-footed drive, which Mant dived low to his left to hold onto the ball.

Hanwell were too one dimensional during the first half and relied heavily on left-back Dominic Rhone clipping balls down the line for Watson to run on to.

But Ashford United were denied the breakthrough in the 31^st minute.

Jordan released Gary Mickleborough down the right and his cross found Miller unmarked at the far post and he clipped his left-footed shot against the crossbar from 12-yards, which lead to at least four low shots being blocked inside the Hanwell penalty area.

“There were about 30 different shots from there in the space of a minute,” exaggerated Ovard.

“Any manager or coach will tell you in the big games you need a bit of luck. He hasn’t caught it brilliantly so it’s gone up (and hit the bar).  If he probably catches it a little better or maybe even catch it worse it bobbles in.”

Hanwell survived and immediately broke and Connor Duffy released Watson through on goal, who sent his left-footed chip sailing just over Mant’s crossbar from 25-yards.

Hanwell created the last opening of a disappointing first half when Ashford right-back Luke Cuthbert floated in a cross towards the far post which was punched away by Fanner for Connor Duffy to break down the right.

He exchanged a one-two with Pither in midfield before going on and being denied by Mant, who cut the ball out beside his near post.

Reflecting on the first half, Ovard said: “We must admit we felt in control. We knew they’ve got some good players and we know that they’ve got some players who can score goals so we had to defend well and I thought we did.

“I don’t really recall them having a shot in the first half of any real measure and second half we were comfortable other than we switched off and let the lad run through.”

Ovard was quick to praise the groundsman’s efforts, but the pitch was never going to be perfect tonight.

He said: “We said the pitch is going to play a big part in the game so playing the football that we like to play and have been playing all season – we couldn’t do it in the middle of the park.

“The pitch was very difficult for players to play. As much as our groundsman deserves millions of respect the pitch didn’t contribute to a good football game but we told them to keep going, they weren’t doing anything wrong.”

The second half took a while to get going, but it was Ashford United that created the first chance inside fourteen minutes.

Gary Clarke bulldozed his way towards the edge of the box, before he ran into a brick wall.  The ball ran loose to James Dryden who flashed his first time left-footed drive past the far post from 25-yards.

But Ashford United deservedly opened the scoring in controversial circumstances after 63 minutes.

Substitute Michael Smissen appeared to be yards offside when he latched onto Conlon’s pass down the right wing, before the striker cut in to the middle.  He received a slice of luck when central defender Tom Duffy lost his footing and went to ground to put Smissen through on goal.

Smissen kept composed and slid his left-footed shot underneath the keeper into the middle of an empty net from fifteen-yards and greeted his eleventh goal of the season with a punch of delight towards the celebrating home fans behind the goal.

When asked about the decision to keep the flag down, Ovard replied: “It was 50/50, wasn’t it?  I thought the lino was caught a little bit on the wrong foot and then he’s took a gamble. It was very close.  I think if you look at some of the decisions in the game, maybe that one went our way and two or three really didn’t.”

Speaking about Smissen’s cool finish, Ovard added: “That’s what he’s about. He’s been around a lot long enough to keep scoring goals like that and we’re pleased to have him.”

Mickleborough then beat the offside flag down the same side of the pitch before drilling a low angled drive against the foot of the near post with the goalkeeper struggling to get across.

When asked whether he felt one goal would be enough to win, Ovard replied: “Not really no, because you know they’re going to change a little bit of their shape.  They took the big lad off up front and they brought on another young ‘un up front with a bit of pace and you know that they were going to have a go at you.”

Hanwell were to be denied by a goal-line clearance in the 70^th minute when Rhone was given space to hook his shot towards goal after Connor Duffy whipped in a corner from the left.

Ashford were to be denied a passage into the last sixteen with fifteen minutes remaining when Jordan swept a speculative right-footed free-kick towards goal from 45-yards, which dipped and forced Fanner to tip the ball over his crossbar.

Byrne’s resulting corner from the right flashed across the penalty area and Dryden turned his marker to flash another shot wide of the post.

But things started going downhill for Ashford United as they capitulated and started to lose their discipline.

Hanwell substitute Callum Duffy released striker Bill Healy through on goal and his shot was blocked by Mant and both Jordan and Healy fell to the ground and referee Chris O’Donnell pointed to the spot and Jordan had to be sent-off because he was the last man.

Ovard said: “Ben’s distraught.  He’s been sent off a couple of times now and he’s not a player that makes tackles. He’s a genuine honest lad and he’s in tears (in the dressing room).

“He said they’ve both gone down together. Their centre forward has done what I used to do. He’s used a bit of sense, he’s climbed over, he’s gone down and he’s put the referee in a position of pressure.

“But I think if you watch the referee’s decision he’s run 35-yards already decided that there must have been a foul. I don’t necessarily think he saw a foul but he’s through he saw a foul and once he gives that, he has to send the player off.”

Rhone stepped up and calmly stroked his left-footed 77^th minute penalty straight down the middle to score his fourth goal of the season, as Mant went to his left.

Ovard added: “We want to watch them so we know they’ve got some decent players but when it’s not a penalty it’s quite a difficult one to take but sometimes you don’t get the rub of the green.”

Ashford United squandered a chance to win the game when Byrne’s cross from the right deflected into Dryden’s feet – and the striker took his time before sweeping his left-footed shot into Fanner’s gloves.

But Hanwell Town snatched victory in the last three minutes to set up a tasty-looking game against Ampthill Town, which leaves Southern Counties East Football League leaders Ashford United with a home league game against eighth-placed Cray Valley on Saturday instead.

Hanwell were awarded a free-kick some 30-yards from goal on the right and Rhone swung in the ball towards the far post.

Mant was at fault as he struck out his arms in an attempt to punch the ball away from inside a crowded six-yard box.  However, the ball failed to gather any distance and fell at Healy’s feet.  The unmarked striker had time to rifle his left-footed shot into the roof of the net from eight-yards.

“To be honest, we’ve made two mistakes and we’ve conceded two goals and that’s where we’re a little bit disappointed,” said Ovard.

Ovard refused to blame his seventeen-year-old goalkeeper for the club’s FA Vase exit.

“He’s one of the best football goalkeepers I’ve seen, regardless of his age.  He’s going to be a very good goalie. It’s a learning curve for him. He’ll swallow that and learn from it and it will make him stronger.”

Three Hanwell players charged up the field and gestured towards home fans as they celebrated the winner.

When asked his thoughts on the way Hanwell celebrated the goal, Ovard replied: “Yes, but that’s their prerogative. We’re not really concerned by that.  It doesn’t make any difference.  They’re going to celebrate.  We can’t fault them for that.”

However, this caused ugly scenes at the final whistle when a baying mob of home fans waited at the tunnel to hurl verbal abuse at the visiting players and the referee as they left the pitch.

There was to be no way back for Paul Chambers side, especially when Miller was red-carded by the referee following an off-the-ball altercation with Rhone inside stoppage time.

When asked about the flashpoint, Ovard replied: “I didn’t see it to be honest with you.  I didn’t see it!”

He added: “Their lad used a little bit of sense, not sense, probably gamesmanship if you want to call it that but Jordan hasn’t touched him!

“He’s gone face-to-face, the lads hit the deck, rolled round like he’s been beaten up and the referee, again, has run over ready to make that decision without even consulting the linesman or fourth official and he’s took another gamble. Maybe the older ones take a second or two to evaluate exactly what actually happened.”

Meanwhile, Ashford United lead the league table but have eighteen league games and a Kent Senior Trophy Quarter-Final tie away to second-placed Phoenix Sports to fit in to the last eleven Saturday’s of the season.

Ovard reflected on their FA Vase campaign, which has seen them knock out Steyning Town, Cobham, Greenwich Borough, Littlehampton Town and Tring.

“The FA Vase is a bonus for a team like ours. We’ve had a fantastic run in it. The club have backed us and we’ve given the supporters decent football and last gasp goals and we got away with it in some games so it’s over.

“But it was only a bonus.  We didn’t really think too much into it but the league is obviously our main priority now and we’ll do everything we can to win every game we play.”

Reflecting on the club’s fixture back-log, Ovard said: “The thing is every team is actually in the same boat so we’ve got a good squad. The chairman’s going to help us get one or two extra bodies in, which will help. We’ll battle through. There’s no point crying about it.”

Cray Valley are the scheduled visitors to Homelands on Saturday and Ovard added: “If it’s on!  They give poor weather tonight and tomorrow so we’ll have to evaluate that on the day and count the walking rounded and go again.

“We’ve got a decent squad.  The suspensions tonight won’t help. There’s not much you can do about that because unfortunately that’s football, but we’re trying to get one or two bodies in so that’ll help the group, which is the most important thing and we’ll take each game as it comes.”

Ashford United:  Joe Mant, Luke Cuthbert, Kieran Byrne, Gary Clarke, Jordan Miller, Ben Jordan, Ollie Finch (Michael Smissen 29), Tom Scorer, James Dryden, Sam Conlon (Matt Harris 81), Gary Mickleborough (Ian Wallace 75).
Subs: Dan Scorer, Jon Sparks

Goal:  Michael Smissen 63

Booked:  Sam Conlon 65, James Dryden 80, Jordan Miller 87, Matt Harris 89

Sent Off: Ben Jordan 77, Jordan Miller 90

Hanwell Town:  Charlie Fanner, Tom Kennedy, Dominic Rhone, Tom Duffy, Oliver Duffy, Luke Kenny (Michael Buckley 59), Connor Duffy, Terry Smith, Bill Healy, Ricky Pither (Callum Duffy 69), Kyle Watson.
Subs: Anthony Rowlands, Tom Inch, George Davis

Goals:  Dominic Rhone 77 (penalty), Bill Healy 87

Booked:  Bill Healy 58, Tom Duffy 63

Attendance: 286
Referee: Mr Chris O’Donnell (Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire)
Assistants: Mr Alex Gray (Lambeth, London SW4) & Mr John Nazari (Clapham, London SW11)
Fourth Official: Mr Michael Hayden (Epsom, Surrey)