PARISH PILES ON THE PAIN
Nuts & Bolts striker leaves the Wasps stinging with clincher
ASHFORD UNITED 1 E GRINSTEAD UNITED 0
LADY luck shone on Ashford United as Danny Parish popped up in the right place at the right time to keep the Nuts and Bolts’ play-off ambitions in working order. Ashford’s war of attrition with East Grinstead Town looked to be heading towards an uninspiring goalless draw but Parish slid in to make the most of a miscued strike on goal with four minutes of normal time remaining, handing his team a vital three points. Victory keeps Ashford third in the South East Division table, a point behind second-placed Horsham but vitally, with a buffer of 13 points between themselves and sixth-placed Hythe Town. Respective goalkeepers Sam Mott and Luka Nakon were barely tested throughout, with the visitors’ Greg Cundle firing wide in the fist hal. Meanwhile, his teammate Jerson Dos Santos saw a goalscoring opportunity come to nothing as his effort was manfully charged down. With neither the hosts nor the Wasps looking as though they would conjure up a winner, the stage was set for Parish to settle matters with the full-time whistle approaching. A frantic strike at goal from the right-hand side of the area looked to be skewing well wide of the target. But striker Parish was on hand, sliding the ball into the net to light up an otherwise unforgettable encounter. Ashford have now chalked up three successive victories following their 2-0 loss to Phoenix Sports on February 23. The Wasps, will go searching for a return to winning ways next time out, having now gone four games without a win, their last triumph coming last month. STAR MAN: Danny Parish (Ashford) ENTERTAINMENT: ★★★★★