BAMFORD CONFIDENT IN FRONT OF GOAL AND THE ENGLAND INTERNATIONAL

ASHOVER FC 0 V BAMFORD FC 2

PSF AT MILKEN LANE

5 SEPTEMBER 2020 --- 2PM

ASHOVER ON THE ATTACK WITH PERRY RICHARDS

Bamford taught Ashover a lesson in finishing after the Milken Lane based side had the bulk of possession in the ninety minutes but could not find the back of the net thanks to some good goalkeeping from the visitors number one and a shyness in front of goal.  Bamford had certainly been banging the goals in along their pre-season journey and the regular appearances of Christy McCorry and James Gregory on the score sheet was echoed again here.

That time of the year has arrived when cricket is winding down after its much truncated season and football has started its season or is in the last call of its warm up games.  The dilemma of which sport to cover was sort of made up by a cold afternoon and the chance of seeing Bamford a side I had not covered before.  So with both these sides looking to feature in the top echelons of The Hope Valley Premier Division it would appear a good chance to catch up with the pedigree of the challengers for the 20/21 season.

STILL NO COMMUNICATION

A gentle amble would still see a 3 mile walk to the village take just over an hour and I need to mention the alpacas of course, purely for those who are interested in their welfare, they have returned but I have to report were still non communicative much as I tried.  Ashover manager Don Carline is still in situ and has now past the mid thirties in consecutive years in charge age though has not dampened his enthusiasm from the sidelines and he can be regularly heard offering his pearls of wisdom to his troops ably assisted by Chris Sharman.  Don has he tells me assembled a good squad this season that when all players are available is a very strong outfit it will as ever be of interest to see how this serves a man committed to football in Ashover.

BAMFORD KEEPER IN FINE FORM AS ASHOVER PILE ON THE PRESSURE

As ever there is of course little chance of obtaining teams and my only source of information to confirm the visitors is their Facebook page but whether the two scorers are in the correct order so I will hedge my bets by naming both in the report.

DERRICK MILLER SEES A CHANCE FOR ASHOVER

The early stages saw Ashover start at a pace with free flowing attacks being well repelled by the visitors defence and the confident keeping of their number one with Ashover's Perry Richards assisted by the promtping of Tom Torrington they looked comfortable.  The superb dead ball ability of Luke Knightley with some excellent corners was testing Bamford but the man between the sticks was flying about with a confidence.  A good start but no ball in the back of the net fell apart just short of the quarter of an hour mark when McCrorry/Gregory slotted home with ease as the home defence turned off for the briefest of moments to give Bamford the lead.

THE CHASE IS ON

The second period would see Ashover to the fore as early as the forty eighth minute when Torrington nipping in on the back post saw his stooping header saved by the visitors number one and then it would be the woodwork that denied the same player along with a tantalising mix to corners from Knightley that Bamford continued to repel it would appear it wasn't the home sides day.  This was a proved theory with twenty minutes remaining when a corner off the right was lofted back in and Gregory/McCrorry met the cross with a sharp unmarked header that nestled in the back of the Ashover net to double the visitors lead.

TOM TORRINGTON JUGGLING SKILLS

As the watch of referee Archie Anderson ticked away Bamford became more confident of the win and were denied by the Ashover keeper in the closing stages when he saved well from number 15 in a one on one situation.  

THE BAMFORD WALL DOES ITS JOB AGAINST A TORRINGTON FREE KICK

At the final whistle the Facebook page for Bamford summed this up as a great win against a team who will be right up there this season, but I wouldn't bet against both of them challenging if the visitors keep their top scorers in fine form it is though something that Ashover needed today somebody to rustle the back of the net, sometimes they appeared over elaborate and in need of getting a shot away early rather than over play it.

BAMFORD NUMBER ONE CLAIMS A KNIGHTLEY CORNER TO DENY MILLER

With time to take a trip back up Malthouse Lane and a different climb out of the village it would give a chance to take a view in from the edge of the former Ashover Zoo that fine Victorian house that previous readers will remember was mentioned in a cricket blog just a few weeks ago.  This was a property purchased from the closing zoo owner and is now the most wonderful property with commanding views.  The afternoon was enhanced when the current owners were on the forecourt of their property and a wonderful ten minutes spent discuss our family friend Stuart who they knew had tried before his money ran out to renovate the property in the 70's and they explained the previous owners had lived their over twenty years as was the case with their ownership.  The property and its surrounds had also been used for filming in the ITV series Peak Practice which spent many a time around the villages of the area.  A very interesting and illuminating conversation upon leaving and about to take a right at the junction would see me saying 'hello' and then when looking up adding 'Geoff' as I encountered former England cricketer Geoff Miller, something later supported by a cricketing friend who lives in the village which is also the residence of the former all rounder.

THE VIEW FROM THE ZOO WITH THE FOOTBALL GROUND IN SIGHT

Walking back along the ridge that offers some superb views of the village and as far away as Nottingham and the power station at Ratcliffe I encountered a weekender stopping in a holiday cottage and enjoying the area and then a selection of animals from stubborn horses refusing to come to their owners and then the usual inquisitive cows who seem more than happy to pose for pictures with scenic backdrops.  A different drop back towards base was down the steep Alton hill and I spent a moment looking at its converted old style phone box now a community defibrillator which replaced the former telecoms equipment well remembered for its former press 'A' or 'B' buttons in one of the prototype early phone box designs.

For Ashover for now they just need to call up the goals most of their other play looks spot on.