Kentish Express Ashford & District
Whitmore upbeat despite defeat
It’s now nine successive away defeats for Ashford United but manager Jason Whitmore took positives from their performance at Corinthian Casuals on Saturday.
This result took Casuals top of Bostik South while the Nuts & Bolts remain second-bottom with just nine points from 20 games.
However, the visitors outclassed in Surrey.
Whitmore said: “From a team that are top of the league to a team near the bottom of the league, the difference wasn’t great.
“For all their huffing and puffing, we had some good chances as well.
“Their goal came from a mistake again by our defender. The ball went under his foot and put them through. It weren’t Ashford Athletic celebrate Dale Horton’s goal against Deal Sports Reserves New Romney defeated fellow Premier Division side Kennington 4-0 in the second round of the Bill Manklow Inter Regional Challenge Cup on Saturday. This weekend the sides return to league action. Second-placed Kennington visit Staplehurst, while CORINTHIAN CAS ASHFORD UTD was a good finish but it was a mistake, so that wasn’t what we wanted. The last thing you want to do is give away a goal to Corinthian Casuals.
“It was a good game and Max Watters did well down the right. We were competing against the team at the top and didn’t look like we were a team at the bottom.
“Their manager said ‘how are you where you are?’ but the reason is we’re in transition and we’re getting players in that can do the job we want them to do. There were lots of positives and we New Romney are at Borden Village. In Division 2 Central & East, bottom- of-the-table New Romney Reserves were no match for Ashford and slipped to a 6-2 defeat. Ashford Athletic beat Deal Sports Reserves 1-0 in Division 3 Central & East. had a chance to make it 1-1 just before they scored their second.
“But our right-back had to go off injured and we didn’t have another right-back so we had to put a midfielder at right-back to cover. He tried to play offside but he’s out of position so what can you say? That’s not his job and that goal killed the game.”
There were only eight minutes gone when Fraser Walker misjudged a pass and Reyon Dillon ran through to score from 20 yards.
Dillon missed a good chance to make it 2-0 but Ashford grew in confidence towards the end of the first half.
Chances came and went for Dillon, Josh Uzun and Max Oldham after the break but Casuals did get the crucial second goal 20 minutes from time.
Mu Maan played an inch-perfect pass and Oldham fired the ball between Aaron Lee-Wharton’s legs.
Gabriel Odunaike crossed for Dillon to double his tally in the 82nd minute but Whitmore went away with reasons to be optimistic.
He said: “For a long time we were in the game and not looking like we were a million miles apart from them.
“Football’s about fine margins. We’re not having the rub of the green and you seem to not get it a lot more when you’re at the bottom.
“But the difference from where we were four weeks ago to now is massive.
“That doesn’t count unless we start picking points up, I know that but we’ve got the ability to beat teams if we cut out these mistakes and give ourselves a chance.”
Lee-Wharton, Walker (Mohamed 65mins), Cooney, Fitchett, Difford, Healey, Watters, Davisson, Dalhouse (Odubonojo 71mins), Bingham, Jackson (Cox 60mins). Sub not used: Williams.
182.
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