Bottom Two Battle It Out

Attention this Sunday turned to the battle for survival in Division One North. The bottom two sides, Kidlington Youth and Ascot United Reserves going head-to-head for the first time this season. The state of play before kick-off was that Kidlington sat at the foot of the table with four points, three points adrift of Ascot but with two games in hand. However, Kidlington's goal difference of -38 was significantly worse than Ascot's -13. Both teams were still in touching distance of third-bottom Oxford City Development who, although six points above Ascot had played three more than United and five more than Kidlington.
Although this was the first meeting this season, last term Ascot held sway, winning both games. They edged a close game 2-1 at Exeter Park and thrashed the Greens 8-0 at The Racecourse.
This match blog will be slightly different to normal because, on request from both coaches, due to Ascot having a very young squad, I will not be using player names for The Yellows and I did not take any photos of the match action. If any Ascot players see their shirt number in the blog and want mew to substitute their name, I'll be more than happy to do it, but privacy and safeguarding comes first.
Before we get into the match action, let me just reiterate that, in the past, I had a connection to Kidlington. My daughter spent a very happy season and a half with their youth setup a couple of years back. I do have a soft spot for the club because if she had not moved to Kidlington, I don't think she would still be playing football.
Thanks to Kidlington manager Vinny Murphy for sharing his team sheet with me prior to kick-off.
I must also mention the fantastic International Women's Day post that Kidlington made on Facebook, a collection of photos of their current squad as toddlers. Brilliant!​

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There have been a couple of changes to the Kidlington squad since I last visited in October, a 2-1 home defeat to Abingdon United Development (United Getting The Winning Habit). Both Sara Pinna and Kiera Isaac have left for Brackley Town, with a few new names to me appearing on the team sheet, such as Amy Busby and Elyse Thomas-Collaire.
The importance of this game would not have been lost on the players from both teams, but it was the more experienced heads of the home side that took some early control. Just over ten minutes were on the clock when Ascot's captain and goalkeeper stopped Courtney Sumner's initial strike, but was powerless to prevent Julia Rushmere from slamming in the loose ball. 1-0
A few minutes later, with the bit between their teeth, The Greens possibly should have been two up. Sumner sent Abi Haynes clear but her powerful shot went high and wide. We then had a lengthy break in play after Sumner and Ascot's Number 6 had a nasty clash of heads in the centre circle. Thankfully both were able to walk off the pitch and both would return to the fray later in the game.
After the restart Rushmere test the Ascot keeper again before, just before the half-hour, Ascot's Number 15 let fly from outside the box. A decent strike, but not testing Emily Murphy. It was, however, a sign that the visitor's were beginning to believe in themselves a little more. Their Number 11 was next to show intent, twisting and turning on the edge of the box, before sending a low drive inches past Murphy's left-hand post.
At the other end, Haynes was very unfortunate to see her 25-yard, dipping drive crash back off the bar. Then, two minutes before the end of normal time in the first-half substitute Amy Busby was sent clear of the Ascot defence and finished clinically to make it 2-0.
Into added time at the end of the half and Ascot came very close to pulling one back when Number 11 was first to react to a loose ball dropping behind Kidlington lines. She lofted the ball over the onrushing Emily Murphy, only to see it clip the outside of the post on its was out for a goal-kick. Then, with the final kick of the half, Ascot's Number 11 did get the ball in the Kidlington net, but the offside flag had gone up well beforehand.


HT Kidlington Youth 2 Ascot United Reserves 0. A good half for Kidlington but Ascot have created enough chances to indicate that they can do some damage. If they got one back, who knows?

The signs were there towards the end of the first-half, Ascot had started to cause Kidlington some problems and, three minutes into the second period, those problems became reality when Number 9 struck a beautiful effort from outside the box, beating Murphy to make it 2-1.
The way the game had started to swing it would have been easy for Kidlington's confidence to crumble. However, they are made of sterner stuff and, five minutes after conceding, they restored their two goal lead. It came from a long ball over the top and, when goalkeeper and central defender hesitated, Courtney Sumner got between them to lift the ball over the keeper into the net. 3-1.
That goal felt decisive and, for a while it took the wind out of Ascot sails. However, as the half progressed, the visitors began to exert more and more pressure as the home side began to feel the pace of the game. Ascot kept probing at the Kidlington back-line until, in the 72nd minute, they once again broke through. Number 11 finally beat the offside trap before sliding the ball past Murphy. 3-2
With just a goal in it, Ascot were scenting blood and Kidlington began to get pushed deeper and deeper. Murphy was called upon once again, making a crucial block to prevent a leveller. However, five minutes after their second goal, Ascot did square the game up when a cross from the right flank was swept home by their left-back, Number 14. A very tidy finish to make it 3-3.
At this point there looked to be only one winner. Ascot were all over Kidlington and, despite making a few changes, the home side looked dead on their feet. Ascot's Number 9 turned and shot in the area, but dragged her effort wide, then Murphy made another great block, this time with her feet, as the Greens hung on.
Approaching the last minute of the half, however, Kidlington showed that steely resolve once more. Amy Busby burst down the right flank, running clear of the defence. The Ascot keeper, once again, saved the initial shot well, but Busby followed in to squeeze the ball over the line despite the best efforts of both goalkeeper and a defender. 4-3 and surely the winner.
After battling back from two goals down, Ascot could have been forgiven for folding at this point, but it wasn't just the home side who were displaying bravery today. Five minutes into added time, Ascot's Number 11, who had run the home defence ragged at times, drove down the right, almost to the goal-line, before cutting inside and drilling the ball past Murphy from a very tight angle. 4-4.

FT Kidlington Youth 4 Ascot United Reserves 4. What a game, especially the second half. You would not find better entertainment that that second 45 minutes anywhere. Two teams who refused to be beaten, refused to give in and fought to the last second of the game. In the end, a draw was a fair result because neither team deserved to lose, although a point each is certainly not the result they were looking for. On this showing, however, Oxford City Development, who lost at Farnborough, will still be looking over their shoulders. Neither of these teams are planning to get relegated with a whimper, that's for sure.
Next up, Kidlington have a Chairman's Cup clash at home to Premier League Sholing. Meanwhile, Ascot are preparing for the visit of league leaders, Denham United.

Kidlington Youth: 1.Murphy, 2.Cotton, 4.Owen, 5.Dunbavin(c), 6.Keal, 7.Clements, 8 Woodward, 15.Haynes, 10.J.Rushmere, 16.Sumner, 23.Chewings. Subs: 27.Ward, 3.Altonen, 12. Thomas-Collaire, 9.Busby, 11.I.Rushmere