Kentish Express Ashford & District
Hill treble puts United back top
Rory Hill’s hat-trick helped Ashford United back to the top of the Southern Counties East League, Premier Division at Homelands on Tuesday night.
However, a seemingly comfortable win for Danny Lye’s men turned into a nervy finale as they conceded twice late on.
Sevenoaks skipper Chris Edwards converted an 87th-minute penalty before defender Corey Holder headed home a close-range free- Adrian Stone was a surprise inclusion in the United side as their 18-match unbeaten away record spanning exactly a year came to an end in front of a crowd of nearly 300 at the Community Stadium in East Sussex on Saturday.
The 34-year-old striker started on the bench after switching clubs last Friday afternoon, having scored four times in three games for the Crows. He had only moved there from Thamesmead Town a month ago.
Stone served Ashford Town in three spells, scoring 38 goals in 124 games, including five in an 8-1 win over St Leonards almost 14 years ago. Goalkeeper Nic Taylor ASHFORD UTD SEVENOAKS T kick in the third minute of stoppage-time.
The victory put United ahead of AFC Croydon Athletic on goal difference and ended Sevenoaks’ six-match winning run.
Boss Lye said: “After losing at the weekend, for the first 20 to 30 CROWBOROUGH ASHFORD UTD also returned to the side in place of suspended George Kamurasi, who began a three-match ban following his recent red card.
The defeat cost United top spot in the table against a side who are reported to have invested heavily in their bid to win the Southern Counties East League title this season.
An early skirmish between Ben Davisson and home player Jack Walder resulted in a yellow card minutes we looked like a side who were bottom of the league and hadn’t won a game all season.
“Rory then showed his quality scoring the first goal and I told the boys at half-time to go out and enjoy the second half because if we win, we would be top again,
“Rory got two more, only for us to then press the self-destruct button.
“Ryan James conceded the penalty with a lunge on Byron Walker after Pat Kingwell didn’t each before Crowborough went in front after 16 minutes.
The ball was already in the back of the net when referee Dan Doyle awarded a penalty, deciding not to play the advantage.
Taylor saved Zac Attwood’s spot-kick, only for the rebound into the path of the former Margate and Hastings striker who made no mistake.
Taylor then bettered that with another fine save, tipping Dan Perry’s powerful effort over the bar.
However, he could do nothing to stop Sam Carrington doubling Crows’ lead on the stroke of half-time, finishing in the top get close enough to him.
“I said, then, if Sevenoaks scored a second, it would be a tight finish – and they did.”
Walker hit the bar three times in seven minutes in the first half before Hill – seven goals in the last four games – put United ahead after 35 minutes, scoring from outside the box with an effort that seemed to catch out keeper Oshane Brown.
Hill added his second four minutes after the break, rifling left-hand corner.
Taylor denied Perry again, forced to scramble the ball off the line after seeing it squirm under his body.
Stone and Brett Ince both came off the bench as United looked for a way back into the game.
Luke Miller went close twice in quick succession, before Stone fired just wide.
Perry almost got a third for Crowborough in stoppage-time, hitting the woodwork.
Taylor, Savage, Botterill, Michelson (Ince 73mins), West, Kingwell, Palmer (Stone 59mins), Davisson, James, Miller, Hill (Eldridge 78mins). Subs not used: Howland, McCleod. home a 20-yard swerving and dipping effort, before completing his treble, curling home a free-kick around a four-man wall.
Adrian Stone, back at Homelands for a fourth spell and facing another of his former clubs, went off with a hamstring injury soon after, before Sevenoaks’ late rally left United hanging on.
Taylor, Savage, James, Michelson, West, Kingwell, Eldridge (Botterill 70 mins), Davisson, Stone (Ince 61 mins), Miller, Hill (Howland 83 mins). Subs not used: Lye, McCleod.