Kentish Express Ashford & District
Goal burst sinks United
ASHFORD uTD SOuTH PARK A disastrous 20-minute period in the second half ruined Ashford United’s chances of taking anything from their Bostik South match against South Park at Homelands on Tuesday.
Already trailing to Jack Mazzone’s first-half strike, United conceded three goals in nine minutes before midfielder Dave Botterill was shown a straight red, leaving them to play the last quarter-of-an-hour a man light.
The result left the Nuts and Bolts in 21st place although manager Jason Whitmore felt the contest was in the balance until Jonathan Difford’s own goal just before the hour doubled the Park lead.
He said: “We were definitely well in it up to about the hour mark but once the own goal went in, we just fell apart.
“It’s the story of our season if I’m honest, we’re only a 60 or 70-minute team at the moment and it’s something we need to change.”
Whitmore felt his side had two or three good chances in the first half with Ben Davisson seeing one goalbound effort deflected wide after good work by Max Watters, while Isaac Boateng squandered a good opening when he looked to square the ball rather than shoot.
The deadlock was broken in the 36th minute after United had failed to defend a long ball, which allowed the South Park centre-forward to cut in.
His first shot was saved by United keeper George Kamurasi but the ball ricocheted off team-mate Luke Eldridge and fell to Mazzone who turned it home.
The game’s turning point came just before the hour when Ashford gave the ball away while on the attack and Park countered swiftly.
The ball was crossed in from the left and with a visiting player immediately behind him, United defender Difford stuck out a leg only to divert the ball into his own net.
Within seven minutes Mazzone had claimed his second, which was followed almost immediately by South Park’s fourth, scored by Kieran Lavery.
A bad night became even worse on 76 minutes when midfielder Botterill reacted to a bad challenge by a South Park player and was shown red for his part in the altercation that followed.
Whitmore felt his player – who was left with a split lip – had done little wrong and says the club will look at a video of the incident before deciding whether to appeal.
He said: “One of their players scythed Dave down, he did react but I didn’t see him do anything that warranted him being sent off.
“If anything, the other player put his head towards Dave’s mouth but the referee saw it differently.”
Kamurasi, Eldridge, Dickens, Botterill, Difford, Kingwell, Phillips (Day, 64mins), Davisson, Watters, Boateng (Westney 87mins), Richardson-Brown (Woodcck 87mins); Subs (not used): Seaman, Lee-Wharton.
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