Michelson in right place at the right time

Tom Michelson chose the perfect moment to score his first goal for the club with a last-gasp winner to help Ashford United clinch victory at Gay Dawn Farm on Saturday. The former Hollands & Blair midfielder, who scored 26 goals in 115 appearances for the Medway club, struck from 20 yards in the sixth minute of added time for 10-man Town, who lost debut-making goalkeeper Owen McCleod with a head injury in the closing stages. McCleod replaced George Kamarusi, absent following the death of his father, but with player-boss Danny Lye having used all his three substitutes, young striker Tom Fagg was pressed into service between the posts, with United 2-1 ahead. Fagg then allowed Connor Johnson’s cross to creep over the line to make it 2-2 but there was still time for Michelson to snatch the points. Home keeper Dan Bygrave went unpunished for a foul on Rory Hill, then tipped away the United winger’s goalbound free-kick. The lively Hill, who with Ryan Palmer had been a threat all afternoon, then produced the cross for Michelson to score the winner, finishing from 20 yards into the bottom corner. United had trailed 1-0 after 28 minutes, when Luke Tanner sent McCleod the wrong way from the spot, after Michael Phllips had been penalised for a clip. The midfielder then went down in the box but his and United’s protests to referee Jamie Macleod proved in vain. However, United were level - again from the spot – 10 minutes before half-time, Shaun Welford stepping up to convert after he had been brought down. Only two more minutes had elapsed before United were in front. Bygrave only managed to parry Welford’s first shot, leaving United’s assistant manager to score his eighth of the season. Stuart West and Pat Kingwell were in solid form at the back, while McCleod saved from Jamie Billings twice, including a good stop to keep out one long-range effort, before racing off his line to save at Johnson’s feet. His eventful afternoon then ended early but the drama was far from over.