After one week’s lay off due to the weather, we welcomed Shinfield Rangers to St Crispins on a pleasant winter’s morning.
The visitors attacked from the off, almost opening their account in the very first minute, but in the 3rd minute they took the lead with an unstoppable drive from the edge of the box. 5 minutes later, it was a case of ‘right place at the right time’, when Dan cleared a goal-bound shot from his vantage point on the near-post. Almost immediately from the clearance, Alex created a chance out of nowhere and equalised. 5 minutes later, Dan set Alex free down the left hand side, whose first time cross was gleefully converted by Owen.
On 19 minutes, the visitors equalised, when a cross from the left eluded the statuesque Ashridge defence for the forward to head home unimpeded. This was the cue for Ashridge to reorganise, switching from 3-5-2 to a slightly more stable 4-4-2. This, of course, made no difference when on 27 minutes, Shinfield regained the lead when they converted a rebound from a 25 yard free-kick.
On 31 minutes, Dom smashed home a chance crafted by Alex, and then astonishingly he bagged a brace on 42 minutes, converting a pass threaded through by Todd.
Ashridge found themselves 4-3 to the good at half time, in a game dominated by the visitors.
The 2nd half lacked coherence, with the visitors coming close with a header on 50 minutes, Dom hit the bar with a cross cum shot from 25 years on 55 minutes, but it was no surprise to see the opponents equalise on 70 minutes.
The remaining 20 minutes were somewhat bitty, with neither team looking likely to score, until in the final minute, Dan’s high quality cross was converted magnificently by Alex.
Congratulations to Alex for his last minute winner, but this was a game which could have been won comfortably by the visitors, and we have to thank Lady Luck for the outcome of today’s match.