Won 2-1
Scorers: Thomas Newell, Ollie Neal
MoM: Ben Hancock
With thanks to team sponsor MMil http://www.batchelorcoop.co.uk
In one of the days early starts, the Batchelor-Coop Millers played their part in an attempt to secure a ‘Chairmans round’! Captain Sharratt (half man-half bandage), having managed to avoid nailing, gluing or sawing through any of his major body parts for seven consecutive days, presented himself as fit and able to lead from the front.
And so to the match itself. The first half was a fairly even affair but, having had several good attempts on the Ashford goal, it was the Millers who found themselves a goal down conceding from a well struck Ashford short corner midway through the half. Both sides were evidencing some classic early season rustiness and the Millers were able to capitalise on an intercepted pass out from an Ashford 16-yard hit. The resulting cross into the D was well-dispatched by Thomas Newell to level up the scores. Ben Hancock, Nick Gray and Ollie Coope all provided excellent individual performances in the first half, with Pete Ratcliff also notable for some marauding runs out of defence, putting the opposition on the back foot.
Half-time saw a decent helping of honest feedback on the general team performance, served with a sprinkling of positives to maintain morale. As a result, the second half saw a much improved level from the home-side and it was not long before talismanic striker, and genial pitch-side personality, Ollie Neal, finally put the home side in front with a well-placed effort. The chances were coming thick and fast for the home-side following this but as the goal-miss-per-capita rose higher and higher, so did the feeling that this match could easily slip away.
Ben Beatty, in goal, was performing reassuringly well though and was more than equal to most efforts from the visitors, although, it was Nirpal Saraon who perhaps provided the save of the day with a diving clearance off the line when the ball looked all but in the goal. Ben Hancock was awarded MoM this week and our thanks to Andy and Matt for umpiring.