Ashford United vs Whitehawk

Recap

Ashford United 2-3 Whitehawk

A 95^th minute strike from Rhyle Ovenden sealed a fourth straight Isthmian South East Division victory on Saturday with a 3-2 win at Ashford United

Both sides came into the game in the top six and it showed with the first half being played in a tense style, with neither side conjuring up many chances on goal, exchanging possession on a frequent basis. The hosts could have taken the lead first with around 20 minutes gone, but chances for Lee Prescott and Tom O’Connor went begging. The Hawks could only create one effort on target in an uneventful first half, this coming after 29 minutes as a well struck cross from Fintan Walsh found Dave Martin, who forced Ashford keeper Sam Mott into a comfortable save.

The second half couldn’t have been any different. Within four minutes of the restart, the Hawks took the lead with Martin chasing the ball down on the left wing, doing well to keep it from going out for a goal kick and crossing to Duane Ofori-Acheampong to smash into an ungaurded net for a 1-0 lead. Six minutes later the Nuts & Bolts were level in spectacular fashion as forward Jay May hit an unstoppable strike from 30 yards out to make it 1-1. With the game now being kick-started, more goals seemed inevitable and it was the Hawks who struck next to retake the lead after 73 minutes. A long Marvin Hamilton throw into the box wasn’t dealt with by the Ashford defence and it was prodded home by Ofori-Acheampong for his second of the game.

In a similar fashion after the first goal, the hosts equalised a short while later, again through Jay May, this time heading in from a nicely hit corner from the right. This goal seemed to encourage the hosts who looked as if they would go on and grab a winner as they laid siege to the Hawks’ goal, and craeting chances, the best of which coming in the second minute of injury time with Jerald Aboagye somehow heading over from a yard out.

It seemed that would be that, however in the 95^th  minute a rapid Hawks break upfield led to Martin crossing the ball to find Rhyle Ovenden on the edge of the box. His deflected strike bobbled past Sam Mott with the keeper helpless, to send the travelling Hawks fans behind the goal into raptures and also send the Hawks up to fourth in the Isthmian South East Division table.

Nuts & Bolts: Mott (c), Aboagye, McIntyre, Wisson, Bourne, Kamara, Prescott, O’Connor, May, Smith (Gold 86’), Condon – Subs Not Used: Walder, Osinfolarin, Lake, Hook

Hawks: Broadbent, Walsh, Emberson, Kissock, Lopata, Hamilton, Muggeridge (c), Unwin (Rodrigues 72’), Ofori-Acheampong, Ovenden, Martin – Subs Not Used: Torres, Banya, Deda, Munt

Goals: May 56’, 80’ (Ashford); Ofori-Acheampong 49’, 73’, Ovenden 90+5 (Whitehawk)

Yellow Cards: Ovenden, Martin, Kissock (Whitehawk)

Attendance: 197

Hawks Man of the Match: Dave Martin