Griffin goal enough to preserve winning start

Kent County League

Ashford FC extended their winning start to the new Kent County League season to three games with 1-0 victory over Burgess Hodgson at the Pound Lees Sports Ground.

Jordan Griffin scored the only goal of the game as early as the third minute as the Steamers moved two points clear at the top of Division 1 East.

Wayne Everest returned in goal for the Steamers after missing last weekend’s win against Snodland Town, and the 17-year-old stopper was in fine form demonstrating great handling to grab several Burgess crosses and corners from under his crossbar.

Calvin Smith, who turned 21 during the week, also impressed at centre back after his recall to the starting eleven. The decisive only goal came after just 140 seconds when Stephen Cowell’s perfectly weighted diagonal cross was met on the volley by Griffin, who steered the ball inside the left hand upright. Griffin’s pace caused Burgess Hodgson all sorts of problems in the first half, although when the in form forward managed to get around his marker, his delivery into the box was either headed away or plucked out of the air by Houston.

The away side rarely threatened as they struggled to get the ball past the Ashford defence with both Calvin Smith and Kieran Shrimpton dominant in the air.

On the one occasion they did break through young Everest was on hand to make a decent stop from Dominic Wood’s effort.

Forster thought he had scored right at the start of the second half,but his lofted effort was stopped again by Houston before being cleared off the line by Burgess Hodgson defender

Chris Rigden. Houston was called into action again 10 minutes later when he turned substitute Bekim Ahmetaj’s shot around the post.

He had the woodwork to thank soon after when Griffin’s acrobatic overhead kick cannoned back off the crossbar before both Ahmetaj and Cowell followed up only to see their efforts blocked by defenders.

As Ashford continued to push Richard Floyd just headed over the bar, before Griffin’s shot was blocked just after leaving his foot as the visitors hung on. Burgess Hodgson had a great chance late on to snatch a share of the points when the ball was lofted up to Jack North, but Everest showed great bravery to head the ball away on the edge of his area despite taking a boot to the face to maintain his well-earned clean sheet.

Ashford travel to South London on Saturday to take on AFC Mottingham in the first round of the Kent Intermediate Cup.