Cherry Red Premier Cup Round 2

Although Fleet Spurs are struggling with their league form - 5 straight losses so far - their cup form has taken an upturn and Ash United were the latest to suffer from this. Ash made a number of changes to their team, following on from injuries incurred in the 5-1 loss in the FA Vase the previous Saturday, to Brimscombe & Thrupp. Fleet Spurs on the other hand were coming into this game having beaten Cove 2-0 in the same competition and also on the previous Saturday.

No sooner had the referee blown for the start, Luke Cairns had the ball in the Fleet Spurs net with only 18 seconds on the clock. So 1-0 to Ash. The game ebbed and flowed, with both teams mixing up play between long balls from the keeper and playing out of the back. On 33 minutes Fleet Spurs gained their reward from former Ash United player, Jay Foster, to make the game all square at one-a-piece. Nine minutes later and Sam Knowles scrambled the ball into the Ash net for Fleet Spurs second and it stayed 2-1 to Fleet Spurs at half-time.

Sam Wilson, Ash United's manager, made changes in the 57th and 63rd minute and, on 65 minutes, Luke Cairns had scored his second of the game to bring the score back level-pegging at 2-2.

Until the final few minutes of the game, extra time was looming on the horizon when Karl Dallaway scored for Fleet Spurs on 86 minutes and that was that. Final score 3-2 to Fleet Spurs and, with it, some local bragging rights for those within the Fleet Spurs camp who had been at Ash United some seasons previously.

Ash Utd team: Nicholas; Cracknell, Edwards, Robertson C, Devanney, Passfield, Cairns, Holmes, Wilson, Hamill, Hardy. Substitutes: Cunningham; Nwaubani; Bale, Rowthorn, Chalrton.

Attendance: 74