Kentish Express Ashford & District
Survival at stake in crucial match
Hockey
Ashford skipper Ben Davis rates this weekend’s Kent/ Sussex Regional 1 trip to fellow strugglers Worthing as a winner-takes-all affair.
Defeat against Folkestone on Sunday and a draw with Gore Court 24 hours earlier in last weekend’s double-header, leaves Ashford a point behind the West Sussex club with a game in hand but with a vastly superior goal difference.
Davis said: “It is a vital match, with the winner likely to survive relegation but time may be up for the loser.”
Former player-coach Rob Playford returned to his old club to score the winner for play-off contenders Folkestone, in a match re-arranged after being called off last month due to a frozen pitch.
The 3-3 draw between the sides in the reverse fixture last October was a lively affair and with several other former Ashford players facing their old team again, this one
PWD L F A Ps Tun Wells...... 18 14 1 3 71 35 43 Old Borden.... 19 12 4 3 70 29 40 Folkestone .... 18 11 3 4 66 33 36 Maidstone..... 17 11 1 5 56 32 34 Eastbourne ... 20 9 2 9 51 48 29 Burnt Ash...... 19 7 5 7 42 50 26 Gore Court .... 17 7 3 7 68 54 24 Sevenoak 2... 18 7 2 9 59 54 23 Worthing ....... 18 5 3 10 38 65 18 Ashford ......... 17 4 5 8 45 48 17 Crawley ........ 18 4 2 12 28 90 14 Holcombe 2 .. 19 1 3 15 25 81 6
Ashford 1 Gore Court 1, Burnt Ash 0 Eastbourne 2, Crawley 1 Folkestone 6, Maidstone 3 Sevenoaks 2nds 1, Old Bordenians 7 Worthing 1, Tunbridge Wells 4 Holcombe 2nds 2.
Eastbourne v Tunbridge Wells, Folkestone v Old Bordenians, Gore Court v Burnt Ash, Holcombe 2nds v Maidstone, Sevenoaks 2nds v Crawley, Worthing v Ashford. F’stone 2 ...... 20 15 1 4 63 41 46 Marden Rus .. 18 12 3 3 64 26 39 Burnt Ash 2... 18 12 2 4 58 37 38 Blackhth 2 .... 19 10 1 8 43 37 31 Cant 4........... 18 8 1 9 51 57 25 Cant 3........... 17 7 1 9 48 49 22 Uni of Kent .... 18 6 4 8 55 65 22 Cliftonville..... 18 5 5 8 53 54 20 Maidstone 2.. 17 5 4 8 34 48 19 Holcmbe 2a .. 18 6 1 11 34 53 19 Old Bord 2 .... 18 6 0 12 39 51 18 Ashford 2 ...... 19 4 3 12 42 66 15
Blackheath & OE 2nds 2 Cliftonville 1, Canterbury [5] 4ths 5 Ashford 2nds 4, Folkestone 2nds 1 Old started in similar fashion.
Two poor challenges by the visitors were both punished by cards, Ashford squandering two chances to take the lead.
Matt Reeve rounded the keeper but failed to hit the target and Lewis Elgar was unable to get a touch at the far post.
Ben Dawson’s bouncing cross found Kiagh Bridges six yards out. He controlled the ball well only to swing and miss with his shot.
Goalkeeper Rob Allan made two good saves, before Folkestone made the first-half breakthrough.
Folkestone dragged a short corner from the other side of the D – a rarely seen tactic – setting up Playford for a simple deflected goal.
The second half started scrappily, both teams struggling to keep possession due to too many unforced Bordenians 2nds 0, Holcombe 2a 2 Canterbury [4] 3rds 5, Marden Russets 2 Burnt Ash 2nds 1, University of Kent 2 Maidstone 2nds 4, Holcombe 2a 0 Marden Russets 4.
Ashford 2nds v Marden Russets, Burnt Ash 2nds v Folkestone 2nds, Canterbury 3rds v University of Kent, Cliftonville v Canterbury 4ths, Maidstone 2nds v Blackheath & OE 2nds, Old Bordenians 2nds v Holcombe 2a. S’oaks 3 ....... 16 11 2 3 64 26 35 Herne Bay ..... 16 10 3 3 58 33 33 Gore Crt 2 ..... 16 10 2 4 68 45 32 Cant Millers .. 16 8 1 7 45 44 25 Holcombe 3 .. 15 6 5 4 40 34 23 Blackhth 3 .... 15 5 1 9 35 43 16 Old Willis 2 ... 14 4 2 8 27 38 14 Tun Wells 2... 16 4 2 10 32 63 14 Ashford 3 ...... 14 2 0 12 16 59 6
Ashford 3rds 0 Holcombe 3rds 7, Herne Bay 5 Sevenoaks 3rds 2. Herne Bay 2 .. 18 14 2 2 83 23 44 Marden R 2... 19 13 2 4 67 37 41 Gravesham ... 19 13 1 5 53 23 40 S’oaks 5 ....... 18 11 2 5 48 32 35 S’oaks 4 ....... 17 9 2 6 61 39 29 Canterbry 5... 18 7 3 8 38 37 24 F’stone O 4 ... 18 8 0 10 44 48 24 Tun Wells 3... 18 6 4 8 38 48 22 Gore Crt 4 ..... 20 6 3 11 41 72 21 Holcombe 4 .. 18 5 3 10 29 46 18 B Ash(Bex)4 .. 17 2 3 12 27 62 9 Ashford 4 ...... 18 2 1 15 14 76 7
Tunbridge Wells 3rds 1 errors. Allan was again in the action, saving twice and Davis cleared an effort off the line.
Ashford saw a penalty corner charged down and miscued another from the top of the D.
They continued to press, the game becoming open, only for Gravesham & Wellcome 3, Folkestone Optimist 4ths 5 Marden Russets 2nds 2, Canterbury 5ths 1 Herne Bay 2nds 6, Gore Court 4ths 5 Ashford 4ths 0, Sevenoaks 4ths 3 Burnt Ash (Bexley) 4ths 3, Holcombe 4ths 1 Sevenoaks 5ths 1.
Gravesham & Wellcome v Sevenoaks 4ths, Sevenoaks 5ths v Canterbury 5ths, Marden Russets 2nds v Holcombe 4ths, Herne Bay 2nds v Tunbridge Wells 3rds, Ashford 4ths v Folkestone Optimist 4ths, Burnt Ash (Bexley) 4ths v Gore Court 4ths. E London ...... 19 17 2 0 54 7 53 Burnt Ash...... 19 15 1 3 56 27 46 Havering ....... 19 11 2 6 41 27 35 Walt Forest ... 19 9 3 7 28 28 30 Cant 2A ........ 18 7 7 4 38 30 28 Basildon ....... 19 6 4 9 18 22 22 Redbridge ..... 18 6 4 8 33 45 22 Ashford ......... 18 6 3 9 27 28 21 Southend ...... 19 7 0 12 35 42 21 Blackheath ... 20 3 5 12 25 43 14 Tun Wells 2... 18 2 6 10 24 45 12 Gore Court .... 18 3 3 12 21 56 12
Basildon 2 Canterbury 2A 2, Waltham Forest 2 Ashford 1, Southend & Benfleet 2 Havering 3, Blackheath 0 East London 4, Burnt Ash 5 Tunbridge Wells 2nds 0, Redbridge & Ilford 4 Gore Court 1.
Havering v Ashford, Canterbury 2A v Waltham Forest, East London v Basildon, Tunbridge Wells 2nds v Blackheath, Gore Court v Burnt Ash, Southend & Benfleet v Redbridge & Ilford. K Alleyns....... 19 12 2 5 64 33 38 Marden Rus .. 19 12 1 6 49 39 37 F’stone O 2 ... 20 10 4 6 44 33 34 Old Borden.... 18 10 0 8 33 25 30 Sevenoak 4... 18 9 2 7 44 35 29 BBHC ............ 19 9 2 8 39 57 29 Cliftonville..... 20 8 1 11 32 38 25 Old Willis ...... 18 7 1 10 34 50 22 Canterbry 3... 18 5 2 11 34 49 16 Gravesend .... 19 2 3 14 28 71 9 Meopham ..... 19 1 2 16 15 54 5
Meopham 0 Old Williamsonians 1, Sevenoaks 4ths 3 Marden Russets 1, Cliftonville 0 Old Bordenian 1, Gravesend 3 Sevenoaks 3rds 6, Bexleyheath & Belvedere 0 Kings Alleyns 9, Folkestone Optimist 2nds 2 Canterbury 3rds 1.
Old Bordenian v Gravesend, Marden Russets v Meopham, Canterbury 3rds v Sevenoaks 4ths, Sevenoaks 3rds v Folkestone Optimist 2nds, Kings Alleyns v Cliftonville, Old Williamsonians v Bexleyheath & Belvedere. Maidstone 2.. 20 14 1 5 58 22 43 BromBeck 3.. 19 13 1 5 40 18 40 Herne Bay ..... 20 10 4 6 57 42 34 Blackhth 2 .... 19 10 3 6 44 34 33 S’oaks Acrn .. 17 8 3 6 38 31 27 Gill Anchs ..... 19 6 8 5 32 29 26 Holcombe 2 .. 19 8 3 8 24 23 26 B Ash (Bex)2 . 18 6 5 7 27 30 23 BromBeck 4.. 19 6 4 9 30 36 22 Ashford 2 ...... 19 6 3 10 26 41 21 BBHC 2 ......... 19 4 1 14 21 68 13 Tun Wells 3... 18 2 4 12 23 46 10
Maidstone 2nds 3 Sevenoaks Acorns 0, Burnt Ash (Bexley) 2nds 0 Blackheath and OEs 2nds 3, Ashford the final pass to elude a home stick, condemning Ashford to a first defeat in five games.
Matt Reeve was Ashford’s second-half scorer in the 1-1 draw against Gore Court the previous day.
Dawson made it with some 2nds 4 Bexleyheath & Belvedere 2nds 0, Gillingham Anchorians 4 Tunbridge Wells 3rds 0, Bromley and Beckenham 4ths 6 Herne Bay 3, Holcombe 2nds 0 Bromley and Beckenham 3rds 1, Maidstone 2nds 6 Ashford 2nds 0.
Tunbridge Wells 3rds v Bromley and Beckenham 4ths, Bromley and Beckenham 3rds v Ashford 2nds, Herne Bay v Maidstone 2nds, Bexleyheath & Belvedere 2nds v Gillingham Anchorians, Blackheath and OEs 2nds v Holcombe 2nds, Sevenoaks Acorns v Burnt Ash (Bexley) 2nds. Sevenoak 5... 18 14 3 1 61 14 45 K Alleyns 2.... 18 13 2 3 67 21 41 Dartford ........ 20 13 2 5 56 25 41 Edenbridge ... 17 12 1 4 56 21 37 Holcombe 3 .. 18 10 3 5 34 20 33 New Becc ..... 20 9 3 8 65 38 30 B Ash(Bex)3 .. 18 8 3 7 33 37 27 Deal .............. 19 6 3 10 18 49 21 Cant 3A ........ 17 5 1 11 30 59 16 Ashford 3 ...... 18 4 1 13 20 43 13 Maidstone 3.. 18 2 3 13 18 53 9 Gore Crt 2 ..... 17 0 1 16 14 92 1
Canterbury 3A 2 New Beccehamian 8, Gore Court 2nds 0 Deal 2, Sevenoaks 5ths 2 Dartford 0, Burnt Ash (Bexley) 3rds 0 Edenbridge 3, Holcombe 3rds 2 Ashford 3rds 0, Kings Alleyns 2nds 4 Maidstone 3rds 1.
Ashford 3rds v Gore Court 2nds, Deal v Canterbury 3A, Edenbridge v Sevenoaks 5ths, Maidstone 3rds v Holcombe 3rds, Burnt Ash (Bexley) 3rds v New Beccehamians, Dartford v Kings Alleyns 2nds. smart build-up play, his ball across the D taking a deflection before Reeve finished to level the scores after Gore Court had taken the lead midway through the first half with a reverse stick shot from a penalty corner.
Chances to win the match came and went – Reeve fired over after Bridges’ ball put him through and two penalty corners were narrowly missed, before Simon Cowling fired wide with the last play of the game.
A goal five minutes from time robbed Ashford 2nds of the chance of a point in a 5-4 Kent 1 defeat at Canterbury.
Rory Miller finished on the losing side in an end-to-end game, despite a hat-trick, with Alfie Miller getting the other goal.
The 3rds went down 7-0 at home to Holcombe 3rds in Kent 2.
The Crusaders won 3-0 at home to New Beccehamians in Open Division 1, while the 6ths were beaten 4-1 away to the same club’s 4th XI.
Ashford ladies’ 1sts included two junior debutants, goalkeeper Alice Bussey and Laura Brightling, in the side as they went down 2-1 at Waltham Forest in East Women’s League, Division 2 South East.
They trailed 2-0 at half-time in the game played at the Olympic Park, conceding both from set-plays.
However, the second half was a complete contrast, Ashford keeping control, having excellent possession and pulling a goal back.
Annie White and Emily Jakeman went close, while player-of-the-match Liv Palmer and Karina Greensmith both did well.
Amy Thomas continued her impressive scoring sequence with a hat-trick as the 2nds boosted their chances of staying in Kent 1 by beating fellow strugglers Bexleyheath & Belvedere 4-0 in a must-win Kent 1 game.
Jodi Tanton added the other goal with goalkeeper Mollie Smith in fine form, earning her the player-of-the-match award. Disappointment followed on Sunday, with a 6-0 defeat at leaders Maidstone 2nds. The 3rds lost 2-0 at Holcombe in Kent 2.