Kentish Express Ashford & District
Safety assured with win
Hockey Rugby
Ashford men’s 1sts travelled to Maidstone on Saturday knowing that a victory would safeguard their Kent/ Sussex Regional 1 status if Folkestone and South Saxons both lost.
All this duly happened, with Ashford themselves doing their bit with a 6-3 victory.
Lewis Elgar tapped home from a Rob Playford cross for Ashford’s opener.
However, Maidstone did not sit back and created several chances that were dealt with by keeper Rob Allan.
It was in the second half that Ashford took the game away from the hosts. Andrew Hill made it 2-0 with a trademark drag flick and then doubled his tally after the ball had been pushed goalwards by Robin Miller.
Maidstone managed to pull a goal back, but Ashford responded through Will Spain who rifled in a drag flick from a short corner to make it 4-1.
Again the hosts pulled a goal back but this time Ashford replied with two of their own, through Lewis Elgar and Frankie Andrews.
Maidstone had the last word, scoring their third in the dying minutes.
Ashford 3rds won 6-3 at Burnt Ash in Kent Open Premier A.
The visitors were 3-0 ahead at half-time scoring their first goal when Mike Wood drove into the circle, beat two players and found Callum Warner who deflected the ball home.
An Adam Mott effort was saved by the keeper but the ball fell to Matt Goodwin who turned his defender and struck the ball into the bottom corner to double the lead.
Matt Carter had the chance to make it 3-0 from a corner only to see his drag flick crash off the bar. The ball fell to James Logan who was able to flick it over the keeper.
Just before half-time Burnt Ash got one back from a corner and then made it 3-2 soon after the interval.
Ashford instantly replied to make it 4-2 when Warner played the ball into Carter, who drove into the circle between two players and took his reverse stick shot early which caught the keeper out.
Goodwin made it 5-2 when he flicked into the bottom corner off the angle from a short corner. Burnt Ash then hit their third but Goodwin completed the scoring with his 21st of the season.
A brilliant solo goal from Matt Anderson gave Ashford 4ths a 1-0 win against Canterbury Griffins in Kent Open Premier B.
Ashford struggled to get out of their own half but when they did, Anderson went on a solo run and scored from the top of the D with a powerful waist high shot.
There were telling contributions from Alex Roach on his guest appearance for the 4ths, Pete Boyd in defence and Joshua Baird up front, and keeper Jack Taylor made a number of saves.
Ashford Crusaders beat Bexleyheath 3rds 7-6 in a thrilling encounter in Kent Open Division 2.
In a topsy-turvy first half Ashford fought back to take a 4-2 lead before Bexleyheath made it 4-4 at half time. Ashford scored early in the second half and never relinquished their lead to record back to back wins.
■ Ashford ladies’ 1sts were unable to repeat the win against Sevenoaks in the first half of the season, going down 6-1 in East League South East Division 2 on Saturday.
The first half was even with Sevenoaks taking the lead and Ashford equalising from a short corner. Ashford were no match for their opponents in the second half, conceding five goals without reply.
The ladies’ 4ths moved within a point of Kent Division 4 leaders Blackheath & Elthamians 4ths with a game in hand following Saturday’s 2-0 win at Cliftonville 2nds.
The ever-improving defensive line of Matilda Forbes, Michelle Picton, Beth Cunningham and Alice Goodman were strong, enabling the midfield lines to push up and exploit the space in the centre of the pitch.
Player-of-the-match Cunningham linked up to Chloe Warner who slotted the ball into Lisa Riddle, getting the vital connection into the right bottom corner for the opening goal.
Ashford scored a deserved second goal, again through Riddle, who swept home at the back post.
A late converted try saw Ashford 2nds pipped to victory by Aylesford 2nds, who triumphed 21-19 in Kent 3 Rural on Saturday.
The game provided a contrasting mix between an older, heavier Aylesford side focusing on a 10 man game against a younger and more adventurous Ashford side looking to play more expansively. The game reached the half-hour mark before the opening score.
Adam Lloyd fielded a loose kick upfield, accelerated outside the Aylesford defence and provided a scoring pass to Will Blyth. Steve Golden added the extras to give Ashford a 7-0 lead.
Ashford added to their tally 10 minutes into the second half, when scrum-half Monty
Spicer initiated a break, finding Blyth who prised open the defence before feeding for Sam Waldman to touch down for a 12-0 advantage. On the hour mark, a converted try for Aylesford got the score back to 12-7.
Shane Redman then finished off a move he had started to score Ashford’s third try. Golden converted for 19-7.
A penalty try for Aylesford brought them back within one score, trailing 19-14.
The result was settled in the 78th minute when a penalty to Aylesford provided them with a last chance that saw the home side repeat an earlier tactic of kicking to the corner, and the ensuing try and conversion gave them victory by two points.