MATCH REPORT: WHITEHAWK FC 1-4 ASHFORD UNITED

Fagg opened the scoring early on for the Nuts & Bolts, heading in from close-range, and that was followed by a first-half brace from Jay May.

After a stern talking to, Whitehawk came out for the second half with a sense of urgency and pulled a goal back immediately thanks to Javaun Splatt.

But that didn’t faze Warrilow’s Ashford side, and it was Luke Burdon who had the last laugh, scoring from the bench once again, this time to wrap things up on their travels to Whitehawk.

TEAM NEWS:

Tommy Warrilow made one change to the side that beat East Grinstead 2-1 in their previous Isthmian League fixture.

Dan Hull returned after serving his suspension, and he came into the side in place of Mamadou Diallo, who dropped to the bench.

[STARTING XI: McCarthy, Ossai, Gorham ©, Hull, Simms, Ovenden, Patton (OFF 85’), Steventon (OFF 68’), Fagg (GOAL 8’), Ter Horst, May (GOAL 27’ 42’ OFF 68’)]

[SUBS: Diallo, Wisson, Camara (ON 85’), Burdon (ON 68’ GOAL 71’), Bolarinwa (ON 68’)]

MATCH REPORT:

Ashford didn’t take too long to get things ticking correctly, and some early pressure was put to good use when the Nuts & Bolts took the lead inside 10 minutes. Ossai’s set-piece delivery was met by the head of Gorham at the back-post, but his effort hit the post. Fagg was the first to react, nodding in from close-range.

Fagg presented Steventon with the perfect opportunity to double their lead moments later, whipping in a cross from the right, but Steventon hit over.

Hawks keeper, Stroomberg, was handed a get out of jail free card by his teammates after spilling Fagg’s powerful free kick, with the danger eventually cleared by his teammates.

Jay May glanced a header agonisingly wide of the target following Ossai’s delivery into the box, and the pressure was well and truly on Whitehawk, who struggled to stop the onslaught.

Just a few minutes later, Patton, on the edge of the 18-yard box, threaded the ball through to May inside the box. The Ashford No.9 battled through to ensure he would beat the onrushing keeper to the ball, and fired into an empty net, leaving Stroomberg enraged.

Before the half could come to a close, May bagged his brace. His shot outside the box took a wicked deflection off the Whitehawk defender before trailing in, strengthening Ashford’s grip on the game.

It was a poor start to the second half for the Nuts & Bolts, and what looked like an inspired Whitehawk, pulled a goal back in the 48th minute via Javaun Splatt. He got on the end of a loose ball inside the box and curled an effort past McCarthy in goal.

But normal service was resumed for Ashford after a mere ten-minute blip in concentration, and it was Luke Burdon to wrap things up for Warrilow’s men, tapping in from close-range towards the end of the second-half.