TAKE ME HOME COUNTRY ROAD

ASHOVER 4 FAIRFIELD 0
HOPE VALLEY PREMIER LEAGUE @ ASHOVER PARISH HALL
18 JANUARY 2020 --- 2PM

THE HOME OF ASHOVER FC

Two goal in either half including a brace from Ryan Booker was enough for Ashover to close the gap to one point on their Buxton based rivals and give long serving manager Don Carline a real go at the top four spot with games in hand on their fellow challengers.
The annual visit to Ashover Fc would take me along the country roads that feel like were you would want to be your home as you arrive in the beautiful village of stone buildings, pretty streets and the home to three pubs.  The village also is home to a well renowned butchers and now a coffee shop/Post Office plus of course my required tuck shop which I visited again today offering homemade cakes, sausage rolls and a selection of general store items alongside a mini coffee shop its well worth visiting Anna who has been in the village for over 50 years now.  The look around Ashover has been well covered in previous blogs so I wont re visit but needless to say if you fancy a little trip off the beaten track to see some what is in reality step 8 football this is well worth the effort.  The Hope Valley League purely for its Peak District location offers some excellent grounds with views and exquisite villages and Ashover is no different.

ROLLING HILLS ALL AROUND

Regular readers will know that manager Don Carline has been in charge now for 35 years and counting and after a mid morning call back from him to say the game was definitely on, which was a surprise as most of the higher level games were off but Don was confident he had already put the nets up and everything was good to go.
The local service bus dropped me in the village just over an hour before kick off and after a walk round the streets and of course the 'Tuck Shop' call it was time to move onto the Milken Lane ground.  The playing surface has a famous across pitch slope and was a little damp in places bur sure was ready for ninety minutes and after a greeting from the boss and a few of the players known to the blog we were underway with the whistle of referee Stuart Gould who was strangely from Buxton.


FAIRFIELD FIRST HALF ATTACK

Former Sheffield United player Ryan Booker was just off target in the opening minutes for Ashover before Fairfield got the upper hand Jamie Prince tried to lob Jordan Price in the home goal but the keeper was wise to it.  Then remarkably you knew it would not be the Buxton sides day when they hit the bar twice through Ashley Thorpe and Lewis Betts.  Eight minutes before the break Ashover took the lead and then that it was doubled two minutes before the break when Booker powered home a header form a corner off the right.

RYAN BOOKER POWERS A HEADER TOWARDS GOAL MOMENTS LATER HE REPEATED THE EFFORT TO SCORE THE SECOND GOAL

The second half again saw Fairfield in the ascendancy when Rhys Chadwick, Joel Donnelly and Stone all went close, but in most games I have seen with Ashover involved this was roles reversed as they found goals against the run of play.  Mid-way through the half a ricocheted clearance n the box flew back in off a fellow Fairfield player to make it 3-0 and then on full time the goal of the game saw Booker make it four when he fired home a superb strike on the volley from 20 yards out.  At that the referee blew for full time before the restart could take place their was a suggestion that he had blown before the ball crossed the line somewhat like Clive Thomas in the World Cup in 1978 to deny Brazil a goal.
So for the first time Ashover they had gained all three points since I have blogged them and that probably stopped Mr Carline from telling me to take that country road home and don't come back.  Great game and a refreshing afternoon.