Post by delayedtram on Feb 1, 2015 22:07:37 GMT
Ashford 4 (Zanone 12 & 61, Marsden (pen) 43), Curtis (og) 71 Croydon 0
It was touch and go if the game would take place. Although an 11.30 inspection had passed, helped by no overnight snow or rain, part of the pitch was questionable and sand was needed on that part of the pitch, which meant kick off was delayed for a few minutes. It didn't help that rain and snow would fall during the game.
Only twelve minutes passed when Ashford, who had most of the possession so far, scored. Andy Irvine had a shot that hit the post, and Stuart Zanone scored off the rebound. Croydon's first chance of note came in the 25th minute when Matthew Gardner attempted to score following a Karl Douglin corner, then some Ashford defending, then Douglin passed to Gardner whose shot was saved. Soon, Ashford had a shot that went wide, but Croydon could have gifted the Nuts and Bolts with an own goal when Adam Allen thankfully hit the post following a throw in.
Fray James had a good game, keeping the ball in play on the left wing, and following one good run, the ball fell onto Douglin's chest, but it bounced right in front of the Ashford keeper Joe Mant. Captain Craverio also played well, having done a good shot stop and brought the ball forward to James, then Ashford played through the middle, and a couple of chances were saved by Ameyaw.
41 minutes into the game, there was an Ashford corner, and then the referee blew the whistle, and Ameyaw was booked, although it was unclear at first why he was booked, apparently he held an Ashford player. Ameyaw and captain Michael Craverio were then booked, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Darren Marsden took the penalty, the gentlest of shots, which went above Ameyaw in the net.
Just like the Fisher game the previous week, Croydon had a better second half compared to the first. Certainly for the first five minutes, Croydon kept possession of the ball, and in one half of the pitch as well. Eight minutes into the second half, Tristan Toney passed to his left to Douglin, and his shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Then, following a run on the left, Matteo Badchkam's shot was saved by Mant. Ashford replied with a couple more attempts to score, including one where Ameyaw had to reach out with his fingertips to push the ball out of the goalmouth area.
In the 61st minute, dangerman Zanone scored again, following poor defending from Croydon and Ameyaw in no mans land, and no one in front of him, Zanone tapped in his second goal. In the 71st minute, Robert Curtis attempted to stop the ball going goalward, and in doing so, in stopping a Zanone hat-trick, reached out but his foot's contact with the ball meant that the home side were now 4-0 up. The Nuts and Bolts could have been 5-0 up when Ameyaw was away from the goalmouth area but for a Trams clearance.
Towards the end, Croydon were doing their utmost to make sure they wouldn't leave Homelands empty handed. in the 84th minute, Rhys Martin was held back from a goal scoring opportunity, and so his subsequent free kick towards debutant Hamid Bangura's direction was in vain as it went out of play. In the 89th minute came the closest chance for the Trams, when following a run through the middle, Allen passed to Douglin, whose shot was agonisingly wide. Douglin had a shot saved a couple of minutes later, and just before the whistle blew, Allen's shot was saved by the goalkeeper.
The next game is at Croydon Sports Arena on Saturday 7 February when the Trams host Rochester United in a game that kicks off at 3PM
Team - Ameyaw, Leandro Amaro, Gardner, Allen, Craveiro (capt), Curtis, Badchkam, Wise, Toney, Douglin, James. Subs Martin (on for Gardner, 74) , Hamid Bangara (on for Badchkam, 75), Alexander Afful (on for Wise, 25), Levin.
It was touch and go if the game would take place. Although an 11.30 inspection had passed, helped by no overnight snow or rain, part of the pitch was questionable and sand was needed on that part of the pitch, which meant kick off was delayed for a few minutes. It didn't help that rain and snow would fall during the game.
Only twelve minutes passed when Ashford, who had most of the possession so far, scored. Andy Irvine had a shot that hit the post, and Stuart Zanone scored off the rebound. Croydon's first chance of note came in the 25th minute when Matthew Gardner attempted to score following a Karl Douglin corner, then some Ashford defending, then Douglin passed to Gardner whose shot was saved. Soon, Ashford had a shot that went wide, but Croydon could have gifted the Nuts and Bolts with an own goal when Adam Allen thankfully hit the post following a throw in.
Fray James had a good game, keeping the ball in play on the left wing, and following one good run, the ball fell onto Douglin's chest, but it bounced right in front of the Ashford keeper Joe Mant. Captain Craverio also played well, having done a good shot stop and brought the ball forward to James, then Ashford played through the middle, and a couple of chances were saved by Ameyaw.
41 minutes into the game, there was an Ashford corner, and then the referee blew the whistle, and Ameyaw was booked, although it was unclear at first why he was booked, apparently he held an Ashford player. Ameyaw and captain Michael Craverio were then booked, and the referee pointed to the penalty spot. Darren Marsden took the penalty, the gentlest of shots, which went above Ameyaw in the net.
Just like the Fisher game the previous week, Croydon had a better second half compared to the first. Certainly for the first five minutes, Croydon kept possession of the ball, and in one half of the pitch as well. Eight minutes into the second half, Tristan Toney passed to his left to Douglin, and his shot was saved by the goalkeeper. Then, following a run on the left, Matteo Badchkam's shot was saved by Mant. Ashford replied with a couple more attempts to score, including one where Ameyaw had to reach out with his fingertips to push the ball out of the goalmouth area.
In the 61st minute, dangerman Zanone scored again, following poor defending from Croydon and Ameyaw in no mans land, and no one in front of him, Zanone tapped in his second goal. In the 71st minute, Robert Curtis attempted to stop the ball going goalward, and in doing so, in stopping a Zanone hat-trick, reached out but his foot's contact with the ball meant that the home side were now 4-0 up. The Nuts and Bolts could have been 5-0 up when Ameyaw was away from the goalmouth area but for a Trams clearance.
Towards the end, Croydon were doing their utmost to make sure they wouldn't leave Homelands empty handed. in the 84th minute, Rhys Martin was held back from a goal scoring opportunity, and so his subsequent free kick towards debutant Hamid Bangura's direction was in vain as it went out of play. In the 89th minute came the closest chance for the Trams, when following a run through the middle, Allen passed to Douglin, whose shot was agonisingly wide. Douglin had a shot saved a couple of minutes later, and just before the whistle blew, Allen's shot was saved by the goalkeeper.
The next game is at Croydon Sports Arena on Saturday 7 February when the Trams host Rochester United in a game that kicks off at 3PM
Team - Ameyaw, Leandro Amaro, Gardner, Allen, Craveiro (capt), Curtis, Badchkam, Wise, Toney, Douglin, James. Subs Martin (on for Gardner, 74) , Hamid Bangara (on for Badchkam, 75), Alexander Afful (on for Wise, 25), Levin.