Rovers ended a three game losing streak on Friday night when the ten men turned in a solid rearguard action when picking up a point away at Ashford Town (Middx). After bowing out of the Surrey Senior Cup with the U23s on the Monday it was back to the experienced eleven for a vital Isthmian South Central fixture
Ashford started brightly forcing an early corner and pinning us back for a while but they were unable to trouble Kacper Orlowski in our goal. Our first chance fell to Darnell Bromfield and his free kick into the area was well defended by the home backline. Orlowski did well to claim a floated Ashford free kick and a near post Ashford corner was well defended by Cam Dobell as the hosts turned up the pressure with a plethora of corners.
Ashford had a glorious chance to open the scoring on 15 minutes, a poor Orlowski clearance was picked up in the middle of the park by Sam Humphreys and he found Scott Day who cut inside but could only drag his effort wide of the right hand post. Rovers almost played themselves into trouble when Dobell ducked under a long Ashford free kick, and after a hurried clearance Ashford found themselves with a free kick on the edge of the area. From the free kick Orlowski claimed superbly under pressure.
Ashford were proving a handful at corners but despite numerous chances our backline were holding firm. Going the other way and a great ball down the line from Folarin Awoleke found Christian Gyamfi and from a ball out to Francis Sey a low driven cross was just anhead of the onrushing Rovers.
Sey and Charlie Stallard linked up midway through the half, but Stallards driven shot went wide of the left hand post.
Rovers opened the scoring shortly before the break when Adam Aziz converted a penalty following a handball in the area but the aftermath of the decision saw a scuffle between the players with Darnell Bromfield seeing red for Rovers and Ashford keeper Nick Jupp, picking up a yellow.
Early in the second half Deven Reid-Solanki escaped down the left hand channel and was fouled, and from the free kick into the area was cleared by our Awoleke for a corner. From the corner a header by Elliot Poley and a follow up shot by Basim Mirtahmasebi both beat Orlowski but Cameron Dobell was on hand to clear off the Rovers line.
The scores were level on 52 minutes, a deep corner was spilt by Orlowski leaving Mirtahmasebi with the simple task of firing home for 1-1. Connor Cullen and Jayden Atkinson then linked up, with Atkinson fouled and a free kick in a dangerous area. Atkinson took the kick himself and fired goalwards, Orlowski dropped the ball but recovered superbly to make a block with his legs.
On the hour Awoleke sprayed the ball out to Sey but his effort flew over the bar. Midway through the half and Cullen, Atkinson and Humphreys linked up well but Orlowski was smartly off his line to make the save. We then had a big opportunity to take the lead, with neat link up involving Troy Walters and Stallard ended with the ball falling to Humphreys but he blazed over.
Rovers were ending the game strongly, despite having played all the second half with ten men. Dobell found Smith, who in turn found Walters but his cross was well defended. Moving into stoppage time and a low delivery by Atkinson almost set up Ashford but Jack Arnold was just unable to set up Cullen for a shot on goal.
Stallard fired over deep into stoppage and we almost snatched a win deep into stoppage time when Walters released Smith but he dragged an effort wide, and back at the other end there was almost time for Ashford to win the game, a ball into our area by Humphreys was just turned wide at the far post by Atkinson.