Red card mars victory

Ashford United suffered their third red card in the space of five games as they progressed to the second round of the Kent Senior Trophy at Hextable on Saturday.

With talisman striker and assistant boss Shaun Welford due to start a three-match ban this weekend after being sent off against Erith & Belvedere the previous week, United will now have to make do without popular goalkeeper George Kamurasi after his 75th minute dismissal when he appeared to kick an opponent after a routine catch.

It gifted Sutton a second penalty in the space of four minutes, replacement Owen McCleod’s first task being to pick the ball out of SUTTON ATH ASHFORD UTD the net as Chris Mirrlees converted again from the spot. Rory Hill saved United’s blushes with an impressive 83rd minute winner and set-up a repeat of last season’s home semifinal against Corinthian in the second round late next month.

It wasn’t a good afternoon for keepers with Sutton’s Dean James forced off injured just past the hour.

Luke Miller had put United in front after 15 minutes with a right foot bottom corner finish, before Ryan Palmer chipped another effort just over the bar, with James doing well to keep out efforts from Welford, Hill and Tom Michelson.

Hill made it 2-0 less than a minute after the restart, with a low finish from Ryan Palmer’s set-up, before the latter combined with Ben Davisson to create another chance for Miller, denied again by James.

It proved James’s last action of the game, with Dan Nash taking over.

Paul Booth came off the bench to replace Welford with 24 minutes left, only for United’s comfortable afternoon to be scuppered by giving away the first penalty – for handball against Ryan James – a debatable decision by referee Joe Dann-Pyne – leaving Mirrlees to step up and beat Kamurasi.

Then came the United keeper’s moment to forget – heralding a delay of fully three minutes, before Mirrlees made it 2-2.

McCleod did well to keep out defender Chris Hill’s effort, before namesake Rory snatched the winner 16 minutes from time, after Miller and Booth had proved very alert to keep the ball alive.

Sutton’s Daniel Gunner then missed a great chance to make it 3-3, shooting wide with an open goal beckoning.

Kamurasi, Savage, Dickens, Michelson, James, Kingwell, Palmer (McCleod 77 mins), Davisson, Welford (Booth 66 mins), Miller, Hill. Subs not used: Williams, Lye, Ince.

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