ASCOT UNITED 1-3 BRACKNELL TOWN: FULL MATCH REPORT...

Bohane Boosts Bracknell, Eventually…

Ascot United 1-3 Bracknell Town

I had been made aware of some animosity between these two clubs, I believe due to several United players moving to Bracknell in circumstances which had displeased a number of people at the Racecourse. That and the hot weather did not excuse some unpleasantness on and off the pitch at times however, with verbal abuse mentioned within my earshot. Mustn’t dwell on such things though and with the Ascot racecourse’s grandstand as a backdrop, the football area was rather delightful, in truth. This would be the first of two games on the day for me, for I later moved on to Henley Town for their evening kick-off against Flackwell Heath, which was a lively and dramatic affair.

Bracknell always seemed to have a greater cutting edge, provided by forwards Terence Bohane and Adam Cornell but creative midfielder Jamie McClurg and the influential Kensley Maloney were very prominent in their team’s victory. Ascot were less offensive throughout and needed a central defender’s header after the interval to reduce the arrears to 1-2 but certainly Luke Wilson was lively and industrious for them in attack, although their main character was the interesting Charlie Samuels. The striker, favouring the right side, was so tough to shake off the ball, he showed commendable control in tight situations, some real spirit too but his finishing let him down on the day. A late fluffing of chances by Bracknell was offset by a decent strike from Bohane in the final moments to settle the outcome for good, meaning that three of their four most influential players, Bohane, Maloney and Cornell all scored goals. 

BRACKNELL: A LITTLE PUSHY...

Jack Smillie, from right-back for Ascot was the first to test Bracknell but a shot, then a free-kick from 23 yards rolled wide of the Town goal, before Ben Knight worried Town ‘keeper Chris Grace enough to see the custodian dive at the striker’s feet. Bracknell midfielder and set-piece executor Carl Withers was cautioned for three accumulative offences during the half but for United, both Samuels and then Luke Wilson squandered chances, as Bracknell’s defence held reasonably firm. Gavin Brainch’s left-side cross was fed to Samuels by Knight but the resulting shot was a miscue and a one-two involving Luke Wilson left him approaching the left post with only Grace to beat but like Arda Turan for Barcelona at Bilbao on Sunday, he poked his shot past the near upright. A caution for Theo Jones, otherwise a strong player for the hosts, who blotted his copybook but their two goals apart, Bracknell’s general attacking play had really been no more effective than Ascot’s before the break.

CHRIS SAYS GRACE...

Bohane’s 20 yard free-kick had struck Knight in a defensive wall, the industrious Luke Bowerman had shot wastefully wide, McClurg had drifted a shot past the goal-frame and home defender Wes Harrison had sliced a dangerous delivery over his own crossbar. The goals were snaffled well, however. First Bohane, on the right, slipped a pass inside for the insanely unmarked Maloney to latch onto on the 18 yard line and he beat Carl Dennison with a low shot, then Bohane switched play to the left, McClurg sent left-back Dan Wing (if he’d been a winger, would he have been called Dan Back?) into the penalty-box but Dennison was unable to hold the Bracknell man’s low cross-shot and there was Cornell to accept the crumbs.

0-1: MALONEY...

SAMUELS: IMPRESSIVE IN POSSESSION... 

0-2...

CORNELL THE SCORER...

PICKING UP THE PIECES...

Jesse Wilson’s far post lobbed header from a left-flank corner somehow dropped over Grace and into the net at the start of the second period but again, despite some really good foraging, footwork and fending off of defenders, Samuels could not find the net. During the half he fired disappointingly past the near post, then straight at Grace and also saw an angled effort deflected for a corner but after being fouled a few times, he reacted angrily when one of his team-mates was badly fouled and it was inevitable that he would be cautioned before the end. He was, at the death. Jones and Brainch had been booked in the first-half, but replacement Samir Regragui and Jesse Wilson (after he moved into midfield) also joined Samuels in the referee’s notebook.

AN UNPLEASANT MOMENT...

NOT GOOD...

1-2...

JESSE WILSON'S HEADER...

Bracknell’s forward play was spasmodic but after Maloney’s fine run, McClurg fired off target, skipper Carl Davies headed wide, Cornell drove too high, then replacement Joe Grant twice got into the 18 yard box for his team late on but was unable to shoot under pressure. Home replacement defender James Brazier did well to hook a long Town ball over his head and away from his goal but Bohane fastened onto the loose ball, only to see Dennison dive left to beat away his shot and Cornell blazed the rebound towards the straight mile track beyond on the racecourse. Bohane shot wide following McClurg’s fine run then Bohane and Cornell failed to score on a break in the final five minutes and so it was fitting that the bruised Bohane should complete the scoring, latching onto Cornell’s header and wrong-footing Brazier at 18 yards, shoving the ball from left to right boot and beating Dennison low to the goalie’s right from 15 yards.  

McCLURG: A BUSY MIDFIELD INFLUENCE...

ANOTHER BRACKNELL MISS...

CORNELL FLAT OUT, FRUSTRATED...

CRAMP ALLEVIATED BY A FOE...

1-3 NOW...

JOY FOR BOHANE...

3 POINTS FOR BRACKNELL...

DESPAIR FOR ASCOT...

RELIEF SHOWS IN THAT CELEBRATION...

A deserved victory for Bracknell, I would say, although had Samuels been more clinical, Ascot could easily have nicked it, I guess. Withers never backed off from challenges, despite his early caution, whilst Maloney was quick, ran well but also dispossessed opponents effectively on occasions. Davies and Alex Rodrigues worked hard to quell Samuels, and Wing ran well along the, ahem, wing…

CAUTION FOR SAMUELS...

Ascot’s efforts had brought no reward, despite the defending of Jesse Wilson and Harrison, who were well supported by the power of Jones. They used replacements Regragui, James Goodey and Brazier, although not Luciano Venturini, sadly and the guests used substitutes Grant and Khalid Senussi…

 TEAMS:

ASCOT UNITED:

CARL DENNISON, JACK SMILLIE, GAVIN BRAINCH, WES HARRISON, JESSE WILSON (CAPT), THEO JONES, JAKE PARSONS, LOUIE GILPIN, CHARLIE SAMUELS, BEN KNIGHT, LUKE WILSON.

SUBS:

SAMIR REGRAGUI, LUCIANO VENTURINI, JAMES BRAZIER, JEFF LAMB (AT A RACECOURSE?), JAMES GOODEY.

BRACKNELL TOWN:

CHRIS GRACE, DAVE HANCOCK, DAN WING, CARL WITHERS, ALEX RODRIGUES, CARL DAVIES (CAPT), KENSLEY MALONEY, JAMIE McCLURG, ADAM CORNELL, TERENCE BOHANE, SEB BOWERMAN.

SUBS:

JOE GRANT, LEE RUSHE, DAN MONEY, GEORGE SHORT, KHALID SENUSSI.