Cray Valley (Paper Mills) 5-1 Ashford United - This is not the end of our promotion push by any means, insists Ashford United boss Tommy Warrilow

Cray Valley (Paper Mills) 5 – 1 Ashford United
Location	Badgers Sports Ground, Middle Park Avenue, Eltham, London SE9 5HT
Kickoff	11/03/2023 15:00

CRAY VALLEY (PAPER MILLS)  5-1  ASHFORD UNITED
Isthmian League South East Division
Saturday 11 March 2023
Stephen McCartney reports from Middle Park Avenue

ASHFORD UNITED manager Tommy Warrilow issued an apology to supporters after suffering from some ruthless long-range finishing but insists this is not the end of his side’s promotion push by any means.
 

The Nuts & Bolts arrived in Eltham on a seven-match unbeaten run and were locked on the same number of points (50) as Cray Valley (Paper Mills).

The Millers extended their unbeaten run to four games and leapt back into the play-off zone with seven games remaining, courtesy of an outstanding and ruthless spell in front of goal.

The unplayable Ade Adeyemo, 25, scored in the tenth and 36^th minute from outside the box before striker Adam Coombes scored twice in stoppage time as Cray Valley hit Ashford United with a four goal first half blitz.

Adeyemo notched his hat-trick early in the second half to take his goalscoring tally for the season to 13, before Ashford United scored a consolation goal with targetman Gary Lockyer sweeping in his 17^th goal of the season for the club as Warrilow’s men put in a vastly improved second half performance with a different 4-3-3 formation.

Coombes squandered a chance to share the match ball with Adeyemo when he blazed over an injury-time penalty, making it a very bad day for Ashford United, back-to-back play-off losing finalists, still languishing in seventh-place with seven games remaining.

“It’s disappointing, just the first half, we obviously folded. It was bad enough at 2-0.  I thought we started the game well, we had a couple of headers from corners but we should do better with a long-range shot, which was disappointing, the first goal. I didn’t think he got hold of it,” said Warrilow.

“But listen, fair play to them, they’ve won 5-1, so I’m not going to stand here and try to defend a performance like that in the first half. It’s unacceptable to sort of fold in the last five minutes of a half and let another two goals in, it kills you.

“But we showed a little bit of character second half and came back and had a go but it’s too late by then really.

“Listen, what can I say? All I can do is apologise to them (the travelling fans).  Everyone that travels home and away and supports us, we thank them.  We know it’s been a frustrating season. There’s been loads of positives and there’s been loads of negatives but the goal doesn’t change.

“At the end of the season we’ll discuss next season at the end of it. There’s seven games to go, there’s no point throwing players’ out or me going or doing whatever.  It’s about us all sticking  together now, getting maximum points from those seven games and get out of  this league, whether it’s by hook or by crook.”

Tommy Osborne has won 11 of his 20 games in charge of Cray Valley and was delighted with his side’s professional performance against fellow play-off chasing opponents.

“Obviously really pleased because we had a spell where we had a real difficult run of results and now we’ve turned a corner a little bit and we’re picking up wins ourselves, which we had to do because we were starting to lose much ground on the other teams in the play-offs,” said Osborne.

“I’ve been really pleased with the last few weeks and what pleased me the most today is we were such a threat going forward. Our boys up front, Ade Adeyemo, Hassan Ibrahiym and Denzel Gayle, I thought their pace and power was a threat especially in the first half, all game really, so when we did have good spells in the game we managed to score at important times.”

Warrilow was without the suspended Cameron Brodie and attacker Johan Ter Horst was suffering from illness.

With both sides packing the middle of the park, Cray Valley set the tone by creating the first chance of the game inside the opening seven minutes.

Kiki Oshilaja played a first time ball out of defence and Hassan Ibrahiym and Coombes linked up inside the Ashford half before Adeyemo unleashed a first-time left-footed drive towards the bottom left-hand corner from 30-yards, which forced visiting goalkeeper Jacob Russell to dive to his right to use a strong hand to push around the post.

However, Cray Valley took the lead with nine minutes and 11 seconds on the clock when left-sided forward Adeyemo cut inside the stroked a left-footed drive, which flashed past the diving Russell to find the bottom far corner from 30-yards.

“To be fair to Ade, he’s comfortable on both feet so he’s very confident whether he's on his right or left foot and he’s getting his shot off,” said Osborne.

“When he’s playing well, like he is today, he stands out, so you’ve got to let him off the reins and he’s had a couple of long-range shots today but he’s also got that ability to beat a player and get his shot off as well.

“He was very good today Ade and he deserves all his plaudits.

“I mean, the goal looked a little bit slow from the sideline  but when Ade gets in those shooting positions, where he’s got a big advantage he can go on either foot. He doesn’t have to go one way to get his shot off.  I think that gave him the confidence to go on and put in a very good performance.”

The Millers continued with their dominant start when centre-half Cem Tumkaya hit a long ball down the right channel for Denzel Gayle, who easily cut past the poor Charlie Dickens and put it on a plate for Coombes to sweep his first time shot towards goal from 12-yards, which was held by Russell, low to his right.

“I’ve said it before, when we play here and you’re going down the hill, it’s a little bit of an advantage going down that hill.  We did start on the front foot.  You always like to get a good start in a game and start well but I think that early goal gave us the confidence to go on and try and be dominant in the half,” said Osborne.

Ashford United’s first chance came in the 24^th minute following the first of their six corners.

Play-making midfielder Henry Muggeridge swung the ball in from the left towards the back post where centre-half Ben Gorham – who plays on the right of a three-man defence – towered over Millers’ left-back Tom Chambers – to steer his header just over the crossbar.

Muggeridge curled in a free-kick into the Cray Valley penalty area and Dickens met the ball with a bullet header, which sailed just over the crossbar as another chance went begging at a set-piece.

Ashford United created an opening from open play on the half-hour mark when Lockyer’s flick on was swept towards goal first time by seven-goal striker Dan Parish from the edge of the box, which was comfortably gathered by Chris Lewington.

Dickens and Russell were at fault with Cray Valley’s second goal, when it arrived with 35 minutes and 55 seconds on the clock.

Adeyemo easily cut past Dickens before unleashing a right-footed drive from 25-yards, which nestled into the bottom far corner, despite the visiting goalkeeper getting a hand to the shot.

“I do think when Ade’s playing well and he’s on song, I think he’s one of the best players in the league and we had one of those days today where he looked like he was enjoying his football and every time he went forward he looked a threat,” added Osborne.

Ashford United went close to pulling a goal back with 42:31 on the clock, following a set-piece.

Sonny Black fouled Parish a yard outside the Millers’ penalty area and faced with a five-man wall, Parish whipped his right-footed free-kick past the diving Lewington and just over the crossbar, while aiming for the top right-hand corner.

“We’ve got to hit the target, there’s no point just being over.  You’ve got to at least try to make the goalie make a save,” said Warrilow.

“We’ve got set-pieces as well we can set up and try but if you’re going to have a shot, you’ve got to make sure you test the keeper.”

Osborne added: “That’s sometimes the fine lines of football. That’s why I say we’ve won the game 5-1 today and we’re over the moon. If you don’t get those two late goals right on the stroke of half-time, it is a very different game but I’m really pleased that we were a threat going forward for most of the game today.”

Russell made himself big to prevent Gayle stabbing the ball into the near corner after latching onto Coombes’ dinked pass at the other end.

However, a lacklustre Ashford United faced a mountain to climb when Cray Valley grabbed a third goal, just eight seconds into stoppage time.

Liam Friend, who was withdrawn at half-time with a back strain, was penalised for fouling Oshilaja and the Millers were awarded a free-kick 30-yards from goal.

Coombes drilled his right-footed free-kick around the four-man wall and Russell was deceived and couldn’t prevent the ball bouncing in front of him and nestling into the bottom left-hand corner.

“I do know that’s the turning point in the game because if we go in at 2-0 at half-time then it’s still very close and Ashford are still very much in the game but I think those two goals quite late on was a huge turning point in the game because at 4-0, as good a side as Ashford are, it’s a real uphill battle,” said Osborne.

Ruthless Cray Valley went into the half-time break with a commanding four-goal lead, the goal arriving just 86 seconds after their third.

Adeyemo played the ball out to Black, who raced past the awful left-wing-back Bradley Simms and reached the by-line and put it on the plate for Coombes to back-heal the ball past the goalkeeper to find the bottom near corner from six-yards.

Osborne added: “I think Coombsie, the last four or five games, has arguably been our best player. He’s been very good for us up front. He does a very difficult job, he’s up front on his own a lot of the time with centre-halves climbing all over him but in the last four or five games, he’s been very impressive.”

Warrilow wasn’t keen to reflect on each key moment in the game, but rounded it up all here.

“I didn’t think he got hold of it and I was surprised it went in, the first one. It didn’t look like a good connection – unlike their fifth one.  The fifth one you’ve got to take your hat off to him, that’s just an unbelievable strike. 

“The first one, I was disappointed with but the second one, we gave the ball away and Jacob’s got an arm to it.

“I can strip all the goals back but to come in 4-0 down, that’s not acceptable at any level of football.

“At 3-0, I wanted the whistle to come and when they got the fourth one I wanted half-time to come to get us in.  We knew it was going to be a little bit difficult as it proved.

“The slope makes a little bit of a difference but for me in vital moments, goals change games and if we could’ve got one back in the first half it may have made a little bit of a difference so even coming out for the second half we’ve had two good chances to get a goal and not taken it and then they’ve got the fifth one.”

When asked about his half-time thoughts, Osborne replied: “It’s not a team-talk I’ve had to do that often this season but it’s a very nice position to be in.

“The main message is the complacency, to stay in good habits, not to take liberties with the scoreline because you’re playing against a good team and you’ve got to remember that us and Ashford were neck and neck before  today and Ashford will come back from this and they will be there or there abouts. I’ve got no doubts about that.

“The half-time team talk was not to let the scoreline effect your professionalism.”

Warrilow hooked Friend and Robert Saunders at the break and switched to a 4-3-3 formation and his men responded by putting in a vastly improved second half performance.

“They’ve been ruthless today and we haven’t been ruthless when we could’ve been, perhaps in some situations we got ourselves in but when you go 4-0 at half-time, like everyone knows, it’s a big mountain to climb but if we nicked one later than you never know. I thought we had a couple of chances to do that,” said Warrilow.

“Well, listen, it was good and bad. OB (assistant manager Alex O’Brien) drilled them, which is rightly so but for me I said to them (at half-time) the blame culture will kick in. This is where you find out who your team mates are and whose with you and who aint.

“There’s no point saying this isn’t good enough. Why isn’t it good enough and address it, so at least the boys have come out second half and had a go.”

Ashford United came out with all guns blazing – kicking down the slope - and Gorham screamed in agony as he failed to score with a header after only 48 seconds.

Muggeridge floated in a corner from the right towards the far post where the centre-half found space and steered his free header past the near-post.

The outstanding Adeyemo scored a sublime fifth goal with five minutes and 27 seconds on the second half clock.

Holding midfielder Alex Bentley played the ball out to Ibrahiym, who played the ball inside to Black who fed a short pass to Adeyemo, who controlled the ball with a couple of touches before cutting the ball on to his left-foot before cracking a screamer past the diving Russell into the top left-hand corner from 25-yards.

Performances like this from the attacker (now playing in the number 10 role behind Coombes) will ensure he will not be playing in the eighth-tier of English football next season.

Osborne said: “He can strike the ball with both feet and it’s such a big advantage for Ade because he can drop his shoulder and go both ways and that goal really summed up the quality of Ade Adeyemo.”

Warrilow added: “I thought we started the second half really well and then we got a kick in the teeth with an absolutely worldy from the lad up front, so it is what it is.  I’m disappointed we didn’t get a couple more to make it a bit interesting.”

Home goalkeeper Lewington was called into action shortly afterwards when Lockyer laid the ball off to Muggeridge, who hit a left-footed drive from 25-yards which was pushed over the crossbar by the goalkeeper in the centre of his goal.

“Liam Friend was struggling, we knew his back would seize up at half-time so he wasn’t going to come out and Rob Saunders, we were 4-0 down so we just wanted to go 4-3-3- and try to use the hill to our advantage and play in the right areas like they did.  They used Denzel Gayle at lot in the first half down the right-hand channel,” explained Warrilow.

“If you’re going to lose you might as well have a go losing, at least we did try to have a go but when the fifth one goes in, it just kills you because it was just an unbelievable goal!”

Osborne added: “Ashford are a good side and I thought today you could tell and see why they’re in and around the play-offs and why they’re going to be and even at 5-0 we knew we would have to defend well and we knew we would have to keep our shape and if we took our feet of the pedal Ashford are a good enough team to score a couple of goals.”

Warrilow’s men then enjoyed a decent spell and Lewington was called into grabbing the ball following the away side’s penultimate corner.

Muggeridge’s delivery came in from the right towards the back post which was met by Gorham’s head, the ball flew back from where it came and Dickens helped the ball on towards the back stick where Parish’s hook towards goal was grabbed hold off by Lewington beside his near post.

Ashford United notched a consolation goal with 18 minutes and 31 seconds on the clock.

Bentley gave the ball away inside his own half and substitute striker Emmanuel Olowasemo charged down the right before putting it on a plate for Lockyer, who swept a clinical first-time right-footed shot across the keeper to find the bottom far corner from 18-yards.

Warrilow said: “I’m pleased for him.  It’s just disappointing.  The thing is with seven games to go, listen, it’s not the end of the world.  It’s a terrible day but we haven’t had one in a little while so you dust yourselves down.  Let’s bounce back next week and have a go against Hythe.

“I’m not going to cry about it. They’re a good team here. They’re on a rich vein of form at the moment and they’ve been ruthless today and we haven’t been ruthless when we could’ve been, perhaps in some situations we got ourselves in.”

Osborne added: “A little bit disappointing.  Since we’ve signed Alex (from Isthmian League Premier Division side Cray Wanderers), this is his third game for us and he’s barely put a foot wrong. He’s a very versatile player, has great experience, a great lad but he played a blind pass and they’ve scored.

“We did try to make that point to the players’ at half-time that yes we are in a very privileged position being 4-0 up but Ashford are a good side and if you take your foot of the pedal they’ve got the ability to score goals.”

Cray Valley produced some good pattens of attacking play and created another opening to extend their lead halfway through the second half.

Ibrahiym and Adeyemo linked up well before Coombes tried to bend his left-footed curler into the far corner from 20-yards, only for Russell to make the save in his midriff.

Coombes and Gayle then linked up well and presented a chance for Millers’ left-back Chambers, whose left-footed shot on the turn was held by the busy Russell, low to his right.

Tumkaya often had Lockyer in his pocket during this game but the Ashford United targetman made space at the far post and met Tariq Ossai’s deep cross from the right with a downward header which bounced past the near post from 10-yards inside the final 17 minutes.

Coombes – now on 15 goals for the season – missed a glorious chance to notch his hat-trick with 46:54 on the clock.

Muggeridge pleaded with referee Lawrence Torz-Brown that he won the ball as he challenged substitute winger Daniel Bennett inside the box but the penalty was awarded and Coombes blazed his right-footed penalty high over the crossbar.

Osborne said: “I mean he’s taken a couple of penalties recently for us and he’s been so confident with his penalties. Whether he’s slightly taken his eye of the ball a little bit with that one because of the scoreline and being so late in the game, I’m not too sure. I’ll have to ask him about that.

“Look, if someone had offered me that scoreline before the game, I would’ve snapped your hand off.  Coombsie missing a penalty at the end was a little bit disappointing but all in all, I’m over the moon.”

Warrilow admitted: “It’s a pen, isn’t it? We’re not going to jump up and down about that. It was a pen. It wasn’t a dirty game today or anything at all. It was end-to-end at times.

“It’s just a shame because it’s not a nice result to be on the end of but when it was 4-0 it half-time, it could’ve been a lot worse!”

Warrilow, meanwhile, refused to throw his goalkeeper under the bus after conceding five goals.

“Listen, he’s fine. We’ve got the best goalie in this league by a country mile.  I think the boy has a great future.  If he was a bit off-ish today, so what! All the boys are going to have one, whatever position you play in.  We can shut shots down, we can stop crosses coming in. We can strip the goals all down but that boy’s got nothing to drop his head down about at all. I wouldn’t swap him for anyone.”

There was still time for Lockyer to smash a volley against the crossbar at the far post, after the Millers failed to clear their lines following Muggeridge’s final corner of the game.

Jamie Coyle’s Ramsgate are taking a massive stride towards the Isthmian League South East Division title as they are on 62 points with seven games remaining.

Chatham Town (58 points with eight remaining) and Beckenham Town (56 points with seven remaining) look on course to seal a play-off place.

Whitehawk are in fourth-place with 55 points with eight games remaining, while Cray Valley are in fifth-place with 53 points.

Sevenoaks Town are in sixth-place with 51 points (seven remaining), Ashford United are next with 50 points, while you still cannot rule out Sheppey United and Hythe Town making a late grab as they both have 49 points with seven left.

Osborne takes his side to bottom three side Haywards Heath Town next Saturday, a side that came away from Chatham Town with a goal-less draw today.

Corinthian are rooted to the foot of the table with 20 points with eight games remaining, while Faversham Town have gained an extra point and have seven games remaining to save their bacon.

The two relegation play-off places are currently held by Haywards Heath Town  and VCD Athletic (31 points each from 31 games).

“Whenever we’ve gone there in recent years, we’ve always found it a really difficult place to go and I think you can see this season teams at the bottom end of the table have taken points off teams at the top of the table,” warned Osborne.

“We have to go there and if we don’t play well and don’t perform then we’ll drop points, it’s as simple as that.”

Reflecting on his club’s play-off chances, Osborne replied: “It is pleasing because we had a six game spell where we didn’t win and we lost so much ground during that period but it’s still so tight.  I haven’t actually looked at the league table after today’s results but from third to about seventh or eighth I don’t think there’s many points. It’s very unlikely that’s going to be the league table at the end of the season with teams dropping points and playing against each other.

“I think on the last day of the season there’s going to be teams looking at other results and needing to win and it may even go down to goal difference. I think it’s going to be that tight and it’s all to play for.

“This has been a competitive league this year. You’ve got teams at the bottom that are more than capable of getting results so staying in that top five is easier said than done.

“I’m fortunate that I’ve got a good group of lads who are very receptive and they’ve given me everything they’ve got since I’ve taken the job, so I’m lucky in that way but you can probably ask me that question at the end of the season and I’ll give you a more accurate answer.

“In terms of how many points (we need to finish in the play-offs), I don’t know. The last seven games are seven cup finals and that’s probably the same for six or seven clubs.

“We have got the experience of last season to draw from because we got beaten by Ashford in the play-off semi-final.  We have got lads in the dressing room that have been at clubs and have done very well, so hopefully that experience from last year and some of the experienced players that we have will help us in the last seven games but regardless of how much experience you’ve got, there will be an element of nerves and real importance on the game and it’s how the clubs deal with that could determine if you get in there or not.”

Warrilow, meanwhile, demands a reaction at home to local rivals Hythe Town next Saturday.  Steven Watt’s side beat Chichester City 1-0 at home today.

“Listen, it’s a local derby, a lot of people know each other.  Me and Watty are good mates, we know each other as well but we want to win a game of football, so I hope it lives up to expectations. It’s a good local derby and we’ll be looking to get a reaction from today and they’ll be looking to build on their good result today.”

You cannot write off any of the top 10 sides when it comes to finishing in the play-off zone and you cannot write off the current Ashford United boss either.

“Of course it is (up for grabs), 100%.  Even below us you’ll have teams that will still be looking to go into it,” said Warrilow.

“I think people were writing us off any way because of the turnaround of players and everyone had games in hand and we could’ve gone down quite a bit.

“We’ve turned things around over the last couple of months and it’s got us back into contention and today we’ve come unstuck.

“No excuses.  The buck stops with me. I’m pretty disappointed with the result but my job is to manage these boys and get them back up for a massive game on Saturday and the most important thing is not to over-react on it.  This is not the end of our promotion push by any means.

“I’m hoping the boys are angry and I’m hoping that they hurt. Like I said at half-time it’s no point shouting and hollering about it.  You’ve got to have some constructive answers but it’s the answers that’s what you need, it’s the answers, not all the questions and all the frustration of all the sounds that came out from the players, once you get over the white line it’s down to you.

“Listen, there’s always pressure here at Ashford United.  Everyone wants to beat us for some reason, it has got that stigma around it.  The most important thing for us is to get out of this league and that’s still my target and I won’t change my mind or my mindset on that until it’s mathematically impossible.

“If something comes up that will strengthen (the squad) I will do that. I’ll bring him into it but at the moment I back these boys.  They’ve let themselves down today, not me because they’re my players and I back them all day long but as a team I’m just disappointed with the last five minutes of the first half, which cost us the game letting those two goals in.”

Cray Valley (Paper Mills): Chris Lewington, Barney Williams, Tom Chambers, Alex Bentley (Julien Anau 71), Kiki Oshilaja (Mitchell Nelson 46), Cem Tumkaya, Ade Adeyemo (Daniel Bennett 74), Sonny Black, Adam Coombes, Hassan Ibrahiym, Denzel Gayle.
Subs: Vinnie Medhurst, Andre Edionhon Silvera

Goals: Ade Adeyemo 10, 36, 51, Adam Coombes 45, 45

Booked: Kiki Oshilaja 19, Cem Tumkaya 83

Ashford United: Jacob Russell, Tariq Ossai, Bradley Simms, Liam Friend (Lanre Azeez 46), Charlie Dickens, Ben Gorham, Robert Saunders (Emmanuel Olowasemo 46), Henry Muggeridge, Gary Lockyer, Danny Parish (Djean Spencer 77), Rhyle Ovenden.
Subs: Connor Towens, Johan Ter Horst

Goal: Gary Lockyer 64

Booked: Ben Gorham 75

Attendance: 147
Referee: Mr Lawrence Torz-Brown
Assistants: Mr Dani Mansour & Mr Dele Sotirmirin