Marine 0 Ascot United 3

Match Report from Pete Crockett

Final preseason game ends in defeat

Ascot United deservedly won this preseason match. It was a result that was a simultaneous case of the visitors playing very well and Marine being short of their preseason best.

Marine manager Bobby Wilkinson said after the match that this was “A positive day in the sense of players having to learn from defeat. We didn’t play well today, and we now need to move on to the next game.“

“It is important to look at our preseason overall and not just focus on one game. It has been a good preseason with much to be positive about. Even in defeat today I was pleased that while not at their best the players did not give up. They kept going to the end. There is work to do but I am enormously proud of the way the players have approached the preseason programme.“

Marine started the match on the front foot and with three minutes gone Sal Abubakar picked up the ball 35-yards from goal. As he approached the edge of the area he fired a low shot to the keeper’s left and Kai Plumley in the Ascot goal made a good save. Three minutes later it was the visitors turn to go close. A cross from Luis Le-PaIh was hooked just over the crossbar by Joden Trickett.

On ten minutes a precise Jamie Edge pull back found Dan Warre. The striker did well to create an opening for a shot but the visiting keeper made a second good save. The game was one of attack and counterattack. The pacey Khalid Simmo broke free from his marker and advanced swiftly towards goal. Marine keeper Nick Harvey saved the day clearing the ball from danger with his feet.

Then Marine on the quarter of an hour mark had a cross shot from Dan Warre deflect out for a corner. In the 27th minute Ascot United took the lead Khalid Simmo went past his marker Josh Grant and with a few yards was away on goal. He rounded keeper Nick Harvey and slotted home with composure for an excellent finish.

This goal knocked Marine out of kilter and the visitors dominated the final quarter of an hour up to the half time whistle. They should have doubled the lead when Joden Trickett burst past the back four and entered the area in the inside left channel. He zipped a good ball across the face of the goal that looked destined to be the easiest of tap ins for Ascot’s Lamin Ceesay, however, Sam Turl chased an impossible cause, distracted the visiting player with his presence, and the player missed the opportunity and the ball roll to safety for a goal kick.

On 32 minutes Sal Abubakar harassed the visitors defence into an error of judgement. He ran clear of the defenders and lobbed the rapidly advancing keeper. Alas, from a Marine perspective, the ball just cleared the crossbar. With four minutes of the first half remaining Ascot’s Lamin Ceesay broke clear. Faced with a one on one with the keeper he got a shot away but this was well blocked by Nick Harvey in the Marine goal who stayed big and blocked the goal bound effort.

A minute before half time Ascot United doubled their lead. Baback Dehghani broke clear down the left and chipped a good cross to the back post where Baily Lamb headed home from close range. Those of a Marine disposition looked across to the assistant in anticipation of an offside flag that never came although those in line said it was marginal but he looked in an offside position.

The first twenty minutes of the second half was in all honesty a bit scruffy. Both sides made a large number of substitutions, and the fluency of the game suffered as a result. On 64 minutes Marine dared to hope when Sam Gbla broke clear for a one-on-one run on goal only to be halted by the referee’s whistle for the award of a free kick to Marine for an earlier offence. The referee at once held up his hands to acknowledge his error in not making better use of the advantage clause.

The scrappiness of the game during this period was not helped by several Marine free kicks being delayed by a visiting player standing directly in front of the ball to stop a quick restart. This resulted in the Marine player taking the kick looking to push the encroaching player off the ball. A push and shove would then ensue. It is a bugbear of mine that on a couple of such instances the referee admonished the free kick taker disadvantaged by an act of gamesmanship rather than dealing with the player who had deliberately stood right in front of the ball to delay the restart.

On 75 minutes a mazy run from Khalid Simmo saw him show several Marine players a clean pair of heels. As he entered the penalty area he drew his foot back for what looked a certain goal but his effort went wide of the far post.

Marine kept going until the end and with eight minutes remaining Dawid Regula forced a good save from substitute keeper Sam Sawyer. In the final minutes Frankie Monk also drilled a shot from the edge of the area over the crossbar and pulled another effort just wide of goal. But in jury time Ascot got their third with George Lock netting from close range following an incisive breakaway by smashing the ball into the net giving substitute keeper Louis Myers no chance. .

Credit to Ascot United for a very good performance. They played some slick attacking football with Lamin Ceesay and Khalid Simmo particularly catching the eye. Josh Edwards impressed defensively. From a Marine perspective the team were not at their best in this match but deserve credit for keeping going until the end. Looking at the preseason in entirety my glass is very much seven eighths full.

This Marine team has the willingness to dig deep, they have formidable team spirit, and, in my view, can improve still further. In the month after relegation Marine lost an entire squad. What has been achieved in six weeks of preseason is admirable – players and management should be immensely proud of the advances made. Onwards to the start of the competitive season next weekend.

Come on Marine!

Attendance: 126

SWINDON SUPERMARINE
Manager: Bobby Wilkinson
Colours: Blue & White Hoops
Line-up: 1. Nick Harvey (13. Louis Myers 46’ 2. Sam Turl (c) (14. Olly Case 65’) 3. Piotr Petrynski 4. Josh Grant (17 Marley Roberts 77’ 5. Nick Rhodesl (19. Josh Blyth 65’) 6. T’wanna Changa (21. Dayo Sonoiki 65’) 7. Sal Abubakar (15. Joe Selman 65’) 8. Jamie Edge 9. Dan Warre (18. Dawid Regula 65’) 10. James Harding (12. Sid Gbla 46’) 11. Jonny Efedje (16. Frankie Monks 46’)
Subs not used: 22. Cheldon Valere
Goalscorers: None
Editors Star Man: Sam Turl
Cards:
None
None
None

ASCOT UNITED
Manager:
Colours: All Yellow
Line-up: 1. Kai Plumley (13. Sam Sawyer 73’) 2. Ibrahim Sankoh 3. Troy Murray (14. Rayon Atkinson 46’) 4. Josh Edwards (c) 5. Bailey Lamb (16. Cass-Fried Jones 46’) 6. Kai Allsopp (17. Ollie Mason 46’) 7. Lamin Ceesay (12. George Lock 46’) 8. Luis Le-Paih (15 David Garlinge 46’) 9. Joden Trickett (30. Javan 46’) 10. Khalid Simmo (18. Stephen Sylla 73’) 11. Baback Dehghani (19. Kris Naicker 46’)
Subs not used: None
Goalscorers: Khalid Simmo 27’, Bailey Lamb 43’, George Lock 91’
Editors Star Man: Khalid Simmo
Cards:
None
None
None

Match Gallery

Photo’s
Courtesy of Alex White Photography

Match Officials

Referee: Ben Williamson
Assistant Referees: Sam Walker, Dan Crowley