Earls’ Early Burst Leaves Ajax Hopes Tangled In The Grass…
Earlswood Town 3-0 Central Ajax
The Mowdog’s thoughts…
Strange game, this…
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| BRIDGES & DYKE DO THE TOSSING... |
The Earls netted three times in the opening 45 due to calamitous defending by their guests and in truth, Ajax were never able to recover, despite a more disciplined second period showing. Indeed, Ajax’s penchant is to pass the ball out from the back and through the trenches in a reasonably slick manner but on the Pavilions surface, consisting of lush and rather long grass, that method was sorely tested then cruelly exploited by a lively and intuitive Town offense.
Striker Dan Elwell was twice clinical for goals one and three but also assisted Connor Doyle for goal two, which was actually a splendid team goal after winning possession in midfield. Goals one and three came from suicidal back-passes by Ajax, not an ideal tactic on the slow turf but Elwell was alive to both situations and struck a brace of daggers into the heart of Ajax’s hopes.
The visitors’ finishing was often careless too, which subsequently added up to an untidy overall performance by the guests, despite having a good deal of possession and threatening a few times after the recess.
The Earls stood firm however and didn’t panic, even threatening a fourth goal in transition but that might have been cruel on their already ailing opponents.
Thanks to ETFC for the kind welcome and it was great to see John Sharpe still manning the gate for his beloved club and to acquire the match programme which he has always taken so much time and care to produce…
Those three goals…
Recent Ajax signing Steve Ruck’s pass from the left towards his goalie Chris Rowberry was fastened onto by the predatory Elwell, running gamely upon Earlswood’s slow wicket and he shot low past the stunned goalkeeper for an early Earlswood lead.
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| 1-0 & FOLEY (FOREGROUND) DISPLAYS WITH HIS ACTIONS A SKILL FOR A DRAMATIC SILENT MOVIE PART... |
Goal two was smartly, accurately and clinically executed, following the mugging of Ajax midfielder Jack Keeling by the industrious and usually effective Joe Drake-Cervantes. Doyle picked up possession, moved the ball on to Tom Kinsey and he fed a first-time pass to Elwell lurking on the right. Doyle had moved unattended to left of centre and Elwell’s first-time pass-assist was perfect for the forward to collect then shoot the ball past Rowberry into the right side of the net from 12 yards.
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| 2-0... |
The third Ajax error came from the unfortunate Keeling too and away went Elwell again, although this time as he reached the 18 yard box, he checked, defender Tom Dyke lost his footing and as Rowberry advanced, Elwell seemed to spoon the ball slowly upwards, like he was lifting a prune from a bowl of rice pudding and then the action went into slow-motion mode. The ball looped just high enough to edge over Rowberry’s gloves and landed on the ground near the goal-line but as the goalminder scurried after it, the ball rolled apologetically into the net to complete the scoring…
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| 3-0... |
More offense by the Earls…
Most of their opportunities came before the break, bar a second period Doyle clip which drifted over the left angle of bar and upright and then a right-side centre by Doyle, who had been cleverly freed by Elwell, bounced wide off Kinsey at the near stick.
Before the interval, Brad Littlehales had seen an effort from downtown drop just over the target, then he crossed for Kinsey whose header was caught by Rowberry. Skipper Michael Bridges had a shot deflected away by Ruck and also a low drive from inside-left stopped in front of Rowberry by Ajax defender Dan Holt. A rising shot by Doyle was caught under the crossbeam by Rowberry too but in truth, the visiting gloveman wasn’t otherwise threatened.
Ajax as an attacking force…
Despite flattering to deceive a few times in-between conceding three such shoddy first period goals, only four times in that half did the guests cause home ‘keeper Ethan Pheasey any real alarm themselves. Shaye Eden nodded a Che’ O’Connor cross from the right too high at the far post and the industrious Adam Taylor drove a 25 yard effort wide of the left upright, whilst Pheasey leapt on the loose ball with Eden lurking during a rare goalmouth melee and Holt slammed a 25 yard free-kick wastefully over the target.
After the break for soup and hot chocolate (not really…) the visitors seemed to be more offensive later in the encounter, when suddenly Ryan Palmer exploded into the game with some silky rushes on the right-flank. First he threaded through the Earls’ defence only to shoot against the inside of the far post, then following a similar sortie, his low shot was well saved by Pheasey’s outstretched right boot.
Pheasey got down to gather a low Palmer centre, following another smooth run on the right, before the goalie blocked a poked effort by Eden and as the game petered out, both Eden and Taylor smashed shots over the target and the game ended with the Earls securing the victory.
The final words…
The quickness of Earls Harry Street, Doyle and particularly Zach Taylor caused Ajax problems, of that there is no doubt but the home defence remained stout, with Joel Hughes, John Palmer and Littlehales standing firm against the 11-goal Eden, O’Connor who was rarely a factor and the clearly frustrated, yet pacy, Adam Taylor for whom little went right.
Elwell affected the game enough to win it for Town to be fair, yet visiting skipper Dyke, the wholehearted defence play of Jared Randall and the work-rate of midfielder Aidan Foley (yes, he did get booked again…) actually kept the visitors in with a slim chance until the end.
The substitutions made by Ajax brought considerable effort but no rewards, whilst one of the home replacements, Johb Benjamin, made a few important challenges in the latter stages of the affair to help his team keep a valuable clean sheet…
Images...
FOLEY EXCELS IN HIS SCREEN ROLE OF INNOCENT MIDFIELD ASSASSIN...
(ALSO CAUTIONED...)
PHEASEY: CLEAN SHEET... 
ELWELL: A BRACE + AN ASSIST... 
ELWELL, DRAKE-CERVANTES & HUGHES... 
JEFFRIES & KINSEY... 
SPECTATORS WERE HERDED LIKE CATTLE INTO AN ADJACENT FIELD...
