United’s perfect start comes to an end

United dropped their first Southern Counties East League points of the season, against Greenwich Borough at Homelands on Saturday.

Kieran Byrne notched his fourth goal of the campaign to put Ashford in front, a lead they held until 15 minutes from time when Paul Vines grabbed the equaliser.

The visitors had been reduced to 10 men by then, Joe Vines sent-off for two bookings by busy referee Kane Dempster who handed out five other cautions.

However, the defender ASHFORD UTD GREENWICH B might have been in trouble beforehand, had the officials spotted him land an elbow in Byrne’s face earlier in the game.

But Borough still earned a point, despite playing a man short for the final 20 minutes.

In the 75th minute, Vines’ much-travelled younger brother, Paul, levelled things up with a close-range finish and both sides had chances to win the game late on.

Borough, who have undergone a transformation on and off the field, have been tipped as title favourites.

They came into Saturday’s game off the back of a 4-0 home defeat by Holmesdale in midweek.

They included Gary Borrowdale, who trained with Gillingham in preseason but former Football League striker Gary Alexander wasn’t involved,

The game proved a scrappy affair, with both sides lacking a real threat in the final third.

United created the better openings in the first half, before Byrne pounced on a route-one clearance from goalkeeper Joe Mant to fire past visiting goalkeeper, former Margate playermanager Craig Holloway.

Byrne then flashed another chance wide before half-time.

Mant had a quiet first 45 minutes, before making his first significant save nine minutes after the break, keeping out Lewis Wood’s header. Vines’ equaliser boosted Borough who gained the upper hand in the closing stages.

Chances at either end fell to Borough’s Chris Saunders and James Everitt, the visitors’ Wood and Chris Saunders went close, while United substitute Keelan Mooney couldn’t finish off another breakaway move by the home side.

Picture: Paul Amos FM3368399 Ashford’s Gary Mickelborough goes down under a challenge from Canterbury’s Sam Kettle