League title just one win away

With the Kent League 1 title very nearly in their grasp, Ashford welcomed New Ash Green to Kinneys Field and ran out convincing winners.

In the corresponding fixture earlier in the season, Ashford had secured a narrow 26-17 win.

Ashford will look to confirm the title when they travel to face Southwark Lancers on Saturday.

The home side enjoyed the early pressure, but were disrupted early on when scrumhalf Ben Gray left the field with a hand injury. His replacement, Rhys Fussell, was quickly in the action, moving play from a midfield scrum, and the speed of passing by Ashford’s backs created the space for winger Andy Ticehurst to run in the first try.

The visitors responded by playing a direct running game, but against an Ashford defence that has defied all the other teams in the league, their efforts proved fruitless. As the first quarter came to a close, Ashford struck again, on this occasion capitalising on a handling error by the visitors in their 22.

Fussell broke from the base of the scrum and proved too fast for the covering defence as he crossed the line for Ashford’s second try. Rory Beech’s conversion extended the lead.

Ashford continued to test the visitors’ defence, and a penalty kick to the corner set up the platform for a pick and drive off the lineout that led to Jamie Farris scoring the third try.

Any thoughts that the bonus point try would follow quickly were dismissed as New Ash Green upped their efforts and capitalised on poor decision making in the Ashford defence to secure a try that was converted to leave the game at 17-7.

A recurring theme for Ashford this season has been their ability to score tries just before the break, and they maintained this practice, adding two tries, the first a repeat of his earlier try by Farris, the second a long range effort as Ashford’s backs created a yard of space for Farai Myezwa who outpaced the visitors’ defence to round off the first half leaving Ashford 27-7 ahead.

The key message at the break from Ashford coach Chris Dengate was that the home team needed to be patient in their build-up and ensure final passes went to hand. From the players’ reaction, they obviously took this on board. In the third quarter, they registered a further four tries, the first from Rory Beech straight from the restart, the second an interception by Dan Sherrin and the third from captain Chris Baker. The fourth was a piece of good play between Baker and Fussell, rounded off by the latter. Together with four conversions, Ashford reached the hour mark 55-7 ahead.

The final quarter provided more of the same, with tries from Fussell, Henry Hall (2), Baker, Farris, Logan Chandler, and Myezwa. Three conversions rounded off the scoring.

Team: Baker ; Myezwa, Hall, Bushell, Ticehurst;

Beech, Gray; Stuckey, Farris, B Knight, Remington, A Knight, Wellard, Sherrin, Norman. Replacements: Huxted, Chandler, Fussell