Son of Eric watched yesterday's game between Ashton United and Hereford FC.
The club’s welcoming to all bar, a tea bar still serving hot food at the end of the game, and team sheets for every programme purchaser show a focus on the fan that many of the larger clubs in this division have lost. This doesn’t happen by accident and it was sad to see so many Ashton fans in mourning after the tragically early death of Supporters Club Chairman Ste North. The programme was packed with tributes to him. Ashton’s attendances have regularly dipped below 200 this season, but over a hundred fans gathered on the home terrace before the game and released a panoply of different shaped red and white balloons. Red roses were strewn all around and there were many bouquets with poignant messages. On the 66th minute (the year Ste was born and a nice nod too, to hero of 66 Gordon Banks) all sides produced a minute’s applause.
Hereford FC have grown so quickly, so well because of many similar volunteers. They were coordinated by Ken Kinnersley who has now gone on to be the unpaid Chairman. At half time the directors walk from the main stand past the bar to the directors’ “lounge” which is more of a cross between a portacabin and a summerhouse in the corner. As Ken walked past a few Hereford visitors, pints in hands serenaded him with “Kinnersley out”. They waited, and when he walked back to the stand for the second half, again the same shouts came. On a day to honour a volunteer, they chose to dishonour a volunteer.
There are some things in life and death more important than football.
It may have been a 0 0 draw, but this was a good game Hereford should have won comfortably. The sun always shines on Hereford in Ashton. After a balmy day at Curzon Ashton on the west side of town, this time it was bright with a bit of breeze on the east side of Ashton. Hereford went from little to large with Symons replacing the suspended Waite, the rest of the team being the same as started against Leamington. Lloyd played wide right and getting forward hit a shot which went well wide. Ashford had more of the play and won a free kick just outside the box hitting it straight into the wall.
Hurst Cross has lots of slopes and on the top side Greenslade got down the left and won a corner. Tom Owen-Evans excellent delivery found Symons at the far post, he brought the ball down in a surprising amount of space and shot at goal, but a defender blocked it away for another corner. From the next corner the ball was partly cleared to O’Sullivan who well placed centrally hit a hard shot, but unfortunately straight at keeper McMahon.
Hereford were getting on top and Lloyd danced down the right (or lower side) and put in a great deep cross arcing away from the keeper. It was perfectly placed at the back post for Owen-Evans who should have at least got his header on target, unfortunately nodding the ball over the bar. Richards was running well with ball and had a shot over, and then headed a good chance over from an Oates cross.
The game was all Hereford, Owen-Evans had a free kick on target saved and then Thomas’s cross-shot was tipped over by the impressive McMahon.
From another good Owen-Evans corner the ball fell to Cullinane-Liburd whose touch fell to Gowling who shot hard, the ball being deflected by an Ashton defenders’ arm for another corner. Gowling was not listed in the programme, but on the team sheet was listed as Josh Growling. Josh did a lot of growling at the referee but to no avail, I presume it was seen as unintentional, but referee Cox was weak and inconsistent throughout the game so who knows.
Owen-Evans was in a groove whipping balls with dip to the near post and Ashton did well to defend it. Back came Hereford and Owen-Evans tricked his way into the box on the left but shot ambitiously from a tight angle into the side netting when a pull back to Symons or a cross to Lloyd looked better options. Owen-Evans was irrepressible even when Ashton tried to double up on him, next he combined with Oates who got in behind, and teed up Lloyd for a free shot on the edge of the box. Lloyd’s technique was awful leaning back and hitting the ball well over the bar.
Ashton had a bit of play and won a corner, but Hereford were seeing most of the ball. Just before half time Ashton produced their best move. Mantack beat Greenslade on the right and then found Sheridan who crossed to Martin on the edge of the six-yard box. He shot and Yates got a hand to it, but it did not seem enough as the ball looped towards the goal. Super athletically Cullinane-Liburd raced back stretched and cleared a certain goal.
HT 0-0 Hereford should have been one or possibly two up at the interval. Owen-Evans had been on fire and produced an impressive sequence of dead balls.
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| A Chance For Lloyd |
Owen-Evans continued this form with another good corner at the beginning of the second half. To cope with Hereford Ashton became more physical with lots of fouling and the referee saw an imaginary world where every time there was a tussle, Symons was the culprit and captain Ashworth was an angel. Defensive midfielder Kay was the maestro of pushing things to the edge and the referee seemed to be unable to understand that no matter how many times he told them they were naughty boys that unless he brought his mystical yellow super power out of his back pocket the Ashton players would keep taking him for a fool. On several occasions when he could not get a clear view, he did not consult his assistant referees who had better views. This was the poorest refereeing display I have seen this season. Capped by spending time to insist Oates moved a free kick back a yard or so to the exact place despite it being well in Hereford’s half, and following it up by ignoring the Ashton player standing only about seven yards in front of the free kick. Hereford players suggestion that if he wanted to be pernickety then he should be consistently pernickety, being airily waved away as he ran off.
Hereford’s players started to openly and repeatedly swear at referee Cox and were able to do so with impunity. Perhaps in accepting the bad language referee Cox was acknowledging his bad day at the office. He did not seem up to this level.
Eventually Cox booked Sheridan for a professional foul when he held back Richards who was on the edge of breaking clear. Ashton kept the niggly physical side going, and to a degree brought Hereford down to their level. Only bottom of the table Nuneaton have scored less, and the longer the game went on the scoreless draw looked more and more likely.
Owen-Evans was fouled again for a free kick on the edge of the box and took the free kick drilling it low towards the corner only to see the impressive McMahon tip it round for a corner. Hereford continued to have most of the play, but Lloyd was having one of his poorer games with experienced team mates telling him time and time again where they wanted him to be and Lloyd not gambling on being high up the pitch for through balls. Roberts came on for Lloyd after 69 minutes and brightened things up. Scott Kay had been the master of the dark arts for Ashton with lots of “clever” fouls which the referee just tolerated. After one of his worst on Owen-Evans the referee gave him another final warning, but Regan said something about this and was booked. Soon after with Kay surely due to be booked for his next foul he was substituted with Tomsett coming on.
One of the key factors in Hereford’s improved form has been having Eliot Richards playing so well. He had another good game with several delightful pieces of skill, but he was taken off after 79 minutes with the fresh legs of Finn coming on.
Roberts won a tackle on the edge of the box and burst through on the right and shot powerfully across the goal, but the ball went past the post.
Greenslade received a heavy challenge and went off the pitch for treatment, he came back on and tried to run it off but was clearly still affected by the knock, so Wharton came on after 84 minutes. Owen-Evans dead balls today were the most consistent he has shown, and a peach of a corner found Oates unmarked at the far post. Jimmy headed wide when he should have scored.
A Symons flick found Roberts racing through, he shot but McMahon saved again, and a defender scrambled the ball away. The referee announced six extra minutes and Ashton put their best spell of the second half together but neither side could score, Yates having a quiet game.
Hereford should probably have won this game by two clear goals, they had the better possession and chances. Across the park it was hard to see many Ashton players better than their Hereford equivalents. The stand out exception was eighteen-year-old keeper George McMahon on loan from Burnley. There’s no doubt the talents of Burnley’s three England keepers have rubbed off on this very impressive player. On this performance he will play considerably higher and he earnt the point for Ashton almost single-handedly. Burnley will no doubt have had a member of staff watching his progress, and their report will say the man who tested him most was Tom Owen-Evans who again stood out. At times Tom’s dead balls have been a little erratic, but today they were excellent. In a slightly swirling wind, he sent a series of corners into near and far post causing problems for Ashton’s defence. They doubled up on Tom but could not stop him. Without McMahon in goal there surely would have been greater reward for Hereford.