United keep up chase

Danny Lye insists two Southern Counties East League wins in the space of four days are more important than the FA Vase.

United followed up Saturday’s 6-1 drubbing of Beckenham with a comfortable enough victory over Rochester at Homelands on Tuesday night, but needed to improve on a stuttering first 45 minutes to achieve it.

The Medway side created problems for United in the first half, with striker Dan Gonzalez-Bello seeing his 20-yard strike bounce off the woodwork with George Kamurasi beaten, before Paul Booth’s 44th minute penalty broke the deadlock.

Lye said: “Six points out of six is exactly what we wanted. We were so far off it first half, but I got into them, changed the shape, and second half we were much better.

“Rochester made it hard, getting around us and competing. We beat them 7-0 up last time, they wanted to prove they are better than that.”

The win closes the gap on Greenwich Borough to nine points, and 12 on leaders Hollands & Blair, due to host Deal last night (Wednesday).

Lye added: “We are right there now, and with games in hand, are looking confident with a settled side.

“I told the boys if they win all their games, we’ll do the treble! (League, FA Vase and Kent Senior Trophy).”

Former United goalkeeper Roddy Hayward kept out efforts by Ryan ROCHESTER ASHFORD UTD Palmer and Jon Pilbeam early on, before flooring Booth in the box, earning himself a booking in the process.

The veteran striker stepped up to score easily from the spot.

Assistant manager Shaun Welford, struggling with flu, replaced Lye at half-time, before Booth’s second of the night, and 23rd of the season, doubled the lead 19 minutes from time. Substitute Tom Fagg who replaced him immediately, made it 3-0 four minutes later, converting Palmer’s left-wing cross,.

Welford added the fourth five minutes from the end, and might have got another in stoppage-time, hitting the woodwork with his first effort, before Hayward blocked the second.

Kamurasi, A. Cuthbert. L. Cuthbert, Healey, Dickens, Lye (Welford 45mins), Palmer, Saunders, Phillips, Pilbeam (Savage 75mins), Booth (Fagg 71mins). Sub not used: Woolley.

155 Ashford under-18s beat Thamesmead 3-1 in the Ryman Youth League East Division at Homelands last Thursday.

The home game against Raynes Park Vale scheduled for tonight (Thursday) has been postponed.

United’s Ryman League Cup final against Staines will be played at Sutton United on April 28.