A great win away at Ashford

Folkestone 41 v Ashford 29
By Steve Hughes

This was a thrilling and exciting game of open rugby with both sides determined to throw the ball about and keep the fair sized crowd on its toes. The game was only slightly marred by the determination of so many players to keep the ball alive even when circumstances determined that they should do otherwise.
The game was littered with loose passes, knock-ons and off loads that failed to reach its intended recipient. For all that it was enjoyable to watch and a worthy match for a local derby.
Folkestone opened the score in three minutes when Adam Tolman sliced through the middle with ease to score under the posts. Seyhan Fell added the conversion.
Ashford then did exactly the same to Folkestone and the game was even at 7 -7.
An Ashford player then received a yellow card for an indiscretion and Fell duly slotted the penalty - 10 – 7. An Ashford sortie down to the Folkestone line saw a breakdown and Tolman twice hacked the ball up field only to see his last kick just cross the dead ball line. The visitors were putting tremendous effort into the catch and drive from the line out and Mike Gardner and Kevin Murray were emulating the proverbial salmon (though salmon did not have the benefit of lifters.) Clean ball off the top saw Jordan Godden feed the threequarters who were all eager (perhaps a little too eager sometimes) to move the ball and attack the opposition line. Gardner and Godden were involved in another move which saw John Morton squeezed out near the corner flag and then followed the best try of the match for Folkestone when Godden fed the line and an inside pass from one of the centres - either John Eustace or Jack Brooks (it was so quick I couldn’t tell who gave the pass) who passed back inside to find Fell storming through the middle to score under the posts without a finger being laid on him. He converted his own try to make the score 17 - 7.
Constant pressure by Folkestone again saw another near miss by Morton but then Ashford hit back when Folkestone tried to run the ball out of their own 22 area. Not finding any space to move they tried a kick for touch which was charged down to let the home centre in for a try. No conversion 17 -12. Ashford then capitalized on some poor tackling to slice through under the posts and the resulting conversion saw them lead for the only time in this match. 17 -19 at half time.
A kick out of defence by Ashford was collected by Fell who ran it back into the home half and kicked wide out to the left. Having crossed the try line a basic error by an Ashford player allowed Ben Brooks to dive on the ball to score. Fell failed with the conversion. 22-19. Folkestone were trying their best and giving everything, which required substitutes when Warren Blandford, Adam Fullerton and Richie Bowen used up Coach Darren Malloy’s bench. He is unfortunate enough to have Ben Flatman, Ben Stringer, George Flatman, Pat Smith and Rob Hudson all carrying injuries and not expected back all that soon.
Folkestone jumped further ahead when a dropped ball by Ashford was pounced on my John Eustace to sprint in and score, which Fell converted 29 19.
Folkestone then appeared to become a little complacent and let in two quick tries which remained unconverted to bring the score to a draw at 29 -29.
Tolman then showed his class to intercept an attack by Ashford and waltz in under the posts with Fell adding the extra two points. Ashford then threw everything into attack but determined defence by the visitors kept them out. The icing on the cake came close to the end when Ben Brooks chipped ahead to catch it and score in the corner making it a satisfying finale to an excellent exhibition of rugby. A good day for the Folkestone Club as all three sides playing Ashford recorded a win - a ‘whitewash’, which isn’t ever easy against Ashford.
Moose Murray and the Coaching team can be proud of the spirit shown by all their players and look forward next week to taking on Thanet at the Burlington Fields, preceded by a Vice Presidents lunch.
Team: S. Fell (Vice Capt.); B. Brooks, J. Eustace, J. Brooks, J. Morton; A. Tolman, J. Godden; M. Roots, J. Cox (W. Blandford), M. Murray (Capt.); D. Baxter (A. Fullerton), ; K. Murray, C. Petley, M. Gardner.