ERRORS UNDERMINE GOOD AWAY DISPLAY AT LEAGUE LEADERS

Match report by James Florence –

Not one I’ll save for the scrap book.... My day was just about topped off when I popped a tyre on a curb driving home!

The Second XI arrived, remarkably promptly (except Clover, standard) at a freezing Ashford, with a much changed team David Forsyth, earning his first 2nd XI cap and starts for Will Tate and Tom Cleall and with Jack Colgate earning another start, after a good performance in last weeks win.

Blackheath started strongly against the league leaders, spreading the ball wide and finding the left and right wing forwards and allowing Archie and particularly the tricky Tate and elusive Dow to drive along the line with some success, creating several goal line scrambles, but as has so often been the case this season, they were unlucky and unable to force the ball home. Several short corners resulted, but the opportunities to take the lead where spurned.

Ashford struggled to hold the ball up front and created only a handful of half chances, with Ders and Dewitt nipping in to make some excellent interceptions and Tom settling in well in the unfamiliar left back role. However a reasonably tame short corner slap somehow eluded Florence and snuck between his legs to give Ashford a somewhat fortuitous lead. This blow affected BOE who were too keen once again to get the ball forward and where guilty of forcing the ball first phase too often, though a revitalised Ashford press made it tough, particularly Cleall and Dow to move the ball effectively.

With Tate partially subdued by a particularly vicious blow to the knee (dimples visible) BOE struggled to create a clear cut chance in the second half, though looked pretty dangerous when they did get in the final third. With Ashford growing in confidence and moving the ball well at the back, BOE conceded another freak goal, with a long ball evading Ders and Dewitt, well received by the forward who Florence hadn’t noted lurking (unsporting)? right in the bottom corner of the pitch… (something of a tactic clearly passed on my their Verteran centre forward). He picked up the ball and finished on the reverse with ease. Oops.

The game was secured with 6 minutes to go when a sudden stop by the Ashford forward in the D caused Dewitt to upend them both, though he complained fervently to the umpire (I’m pretty sure you can’t rugby tackle people though Erick)! The corner stood. A slick ashford routine eluded the increasingly effective BOE corner defence, leaving their veteran forward to slot calmly passed Florence for the win. A late drag flick from Clover was well saved by the excellent Ashford keeper (I’ll ask him for some tips) to deny BOE a consolation.

Two weak goals and a Corner shouldn’t take the gloss off a good away performance, especially with a changed squad and only 12 players. BOE where the better team for much of the first half and if we had taken the lead then I feel we would have given high flying Ashford a real fright.

Jflo.