Chessington & Hook United 1 vs 2 Ash United

Consumed by fear and lack of belief we received the perfect tonic with a goal inside three minutes.

Matt Ellis’s perfectly flighted corner was headed goal wards by Green and when the rebound fell to the same player he smashed home from six yards.

For fifteen minutes we looked assured, and whilst the football all round was scrappy we were certainly the better side.

From the visitors first foray into our half we were punished. Oldershawes tame header fell invitingly into the midfield and was won by an opponent who reacted quicker than any Chessington player, and from his pass wide the incoming cross was deflected home.

The goal affected us and for twenty minutes we were second best and were grateful to be level.

During the latter stages of the half we found our rhythm again and our sudden resurgence gave good cause for optimism.

Right on half time and we conceded what proved to be the decisive goal in similar fashion. A cross that we struggled to clear despite having two or three opportunities to do so, was drilled goal wards and yet another deflection saw our visitors take the lead.

At the start of the second half we again looked lively and could have drawn level with our first chance however Green shot wide.

Unfortunately the opening five minutes proved to be our best chance of getting back on level terms, as the game became more and more scrappy and any real threat on the visitor’s goal had disappeared.

A series of unpunished fouls on us contributed to the scrappiness as we became embroiled in a battle to get our own back, and in hindsight one such incident where we decided to contest a drop ball rather than give it back probably suited the visitors rather than us. As after this point the referee became ever more picky and the continual stop start nature of the contest took any last bit of our momentum away.

Two changes with twenty to go with Reece Jackson and Kofi Hagen replacing Kyle Green and Harry Smart proved fruitless, as with three players up top the need to get the ball forward early was not realised and they had very little to work on.

As the final whistle went we could only contemplate what might have been given our excellent start, having yet again to accept a painful defeat.