Ashford Town 3-3 Sittingbourne

Sittingbourne continued their recent unbeaten run but they were made to fight all the way for the points by an Ashford Town side that seem to be revitalised by new owners and the involvement of Arsenal and England legend Ian Wright, writes Peter Pitts.

 

Ashford introduced two players on loan from Birmingham City for this game, defender Asa Hall and striker Nick Wright.

Hall in particular looked a class act for the Nuts and Bolts.

This was a game that fitted the old adage of “a game of two halves” as Ashford had a storming first half but they seemed to run out of steam in the second as Sittingbourne stepped up a gear, scored two goals and could so easily have gone on to win the game, but that would probably have been an injustice to Ashford after their first half performance.

Ashford took the lead in this game after just 8 minutes when the defence failed to clear the ball from a corner and Simon Glover headed through a ruck of players and into the Brickies net.

Ashford continued to have the better of the play and were especially dangerous from corners where the Brickies seemed to be jittery.

Sittingbourne couldn’t get into a rhythm and Ashford threatened to get a second which duly came on 20 minutes when a free kick was back headed past Sittingbourne keeper Josh Willis by Walid Matata.

Sittingbourne had their first shot on goal on 28 minutes when Paul Ainsworth fired narrowly over the Ashford bar.

On 33 minutes another Ashford free kick by Matata on the edge of the Brickies area forced a good diving save from Willis.

Then from a rare Sittingbourne attack, Browning narrowly beat the off-side trap, passed inside to an unmarked Mark Lovell who had time to direct his header perfectly into the corner of the Ashford net.

The Brickies’ euphoria lasted for just seven minutes before a delightful Ashford move inspired by Glover ended in Matata firing past Willis to give Ashford a 3-1 half time lead.

Sittingbourne made two half time changes bringing on Jon Neal for Steve Searle and Mitchell Sherwood for Toby Ashmore who had been carrying an injury throughout the first half.

Neal’s injection immediately galvanised the Brickies in attack and they looked a totally different and much more confident side.

Sherwood too was playing his part and on 60 minutes a cross field ball found him lurking at the far post and he glanced a shot wide of Ashford keeper Jake Whincup to bring the deficit down to a single goal.

Lee Browning and Hicham Akhazzan were causing problems with their trickery and Neal’s bustling style was a constant thorn in Ashford’s side.

On 63 minutes he won a corner which was only cleared as far as Browning who fired the ball straight back into the corner of the net and the Brickies were level.

Six minutes later Akhazzan just failed to convert a Browning cross.  

Sittingbourne continued to press and Akhazzan headed Anthony Hogg’s pass goal-wards but Whincup pulled off a fine diving save.

Sittingbourne now looked capable of scoring at each attempt as the Ashford defence visibly tired and on 80 minutes Kieran Marsh was agonisingly close to converting a cross.

In the last ten minutes Ashford at last steadied the ship and Sittingbourne seemed to be defending much deeper giving the home side a couple of shots that forced good saves from Willis but in the end neither side could score that vital fourth goal and honours were even. 
 
Ashford Town: Whincup, Smith, Glover, Hall, Cumberbatch, Hitchings, Andrews, Clarke,  Matata, Wright (Fenwick 73), McGovern (Jarrett-Elliot 67). Subs:  Adlington, Ross, Kamara.

Sittingbourne: Willis, Ashmore (Sherwood 46), Dowley, Ainsworth, Campbell, Marsh, Hogg, Searle (Neal 46), Lovell, Browning, Akhazzan.  Subs: Hockey, Knowles, Williams.

Attendance: 245