Ashley FC 4 vs 2 Wellington Wanderers

<p><br><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Another fine Saturday afternoon saw a confident Ashley team take the field against the newly promoted, young and talented Wellington Wanderers outfit. Those players not wanted by Lord Butler for his Ressies Dream Team consoled themselves with turning out for the first team and began in confident form, Freeman in goal largely a spectator as Ashley pressed the opposition well and mounted a number of dangerous attacks, with the pick a fine Chappell cross from the left which didn't get the finish it deserved from co-manager Bendall whose header slid wide and rudely awoke the two old men on the bench beside the goal. The deadlock was finally broken when Chopper Bradley won the ball near the half way line and broke forward before releasing one of his customary tackle passes (minus the tackle this time, he's adding to his repertoire it seems) to put the lively Turner through on goal who made no mistake with the finish. The pressure continued and a deserved second followed not long after as a lofted pass over the Willington defence was met by the head of Bendall to send the ball back across goal where Turner produced a tidy close range finish from an acute angle at the far post.<p>As the game moved into the second half, 2-0 up and playing well what could possibly go wrong? Well, just about everything it seemed as Wellington's twin playmakers, one up front and one in midfield, began to find space and influence the game more and more, the mighty Ashley were failing to cope and the tide was turning as Wellington enjoyed the lion's share of possession and then a got a life line to reduce the arrears to a single goal. This prompted a full on storm as Wellington now knocked the ball about with ever more confidence and the Ashley lost any foothold in the game, it was no great surprise when an equaliser followed to even things up. As the game entered the final stretch it was all to play for, against the run of play an Ashley break down the left saw Scoins cross for Bendall to atone for his earlier miss with a brilliant header, the keeper diving to his left got a touch but could not stop it crossing the line. 3-2 up and with something to defend the Ashley composure (and marking!) returned, the Wellington play makers were reined in and ascendency was wrestled back in the Ashley's favour, man of the match Turner rounding off the game by completing his fine hat-trick with a close range finish after collecting his own charge down.<p><br><p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">A cracking win, if achieved by a slightly unnecessary rollercoaster ride, to maintain the excellent unbeaten start and an almost perfect Saturday was capped off by news of a Ressies win and other results meaning the Ashley go top of the table. Stuart Lancaster and his boys clearly didn't get the memo but who needs glitzy World Cups anyway, amateur park football is where it's at. Roll on next Saturday. Up the Ashley!<p>Dan Scoins