The day started with tributes to Mr Faversham Ray Leader who passed away last week at the age of 85. Faversham then went on to do him proud, beating Ashford three goals to one.
The East Kent derby took a while to get going but then in the ninth minute Handbags occurred as a few of the players started having a go at each other after a foul was not given by the Referee Harrison Clark, after each team had calmed down, one from each team was booked.
This was what the game needed as in the thirteenth minute a Louis Collins free kick from twenty-five yards out was saved by Archie Burford.
A minute later a Nathan Wood free kick into the path of Kieron Campbell on the left and his cross was saved by Taite Holtam. Then three minutes later Tommy Fagg twenty-five yards out tried his luck, but it went just wide of the post.
Faversham should have taken the lead in the eighteenth minute when in a counter attack Tashi-Jay Kwayie put Wood through on the right wing and he went on and crossed into the area for Fagg on his own but he stumbles and missed the chance, another chance came two minutes later when Campbell was put through on the left wing and he went into the area but shot straight at Holtam.
Faversham finally took the lead when Campbell on the left crossed to the back post for Ernie Amgbaduba who headed across the goal for Kwayie who headed in from two yards. Faversham nearly doubled their score in the forty second minute when Kwayie in the area on the right saw his low cross shot go fizzing across the area with nobody able to stab home.
Then in the very next minute they did score when Kwayie latched onto a long ball outmuscling Jack Dixon who ended up fouling him in the area and conceding a penalty as well as being sent off for the offence, Kwayie stepped up and shot into the bottom left-hand corner.
Half time arrived and it looked like mission impossible for Ashford who would play the second half with only ten men.
The second half was only five minutes old when Faversham got their third when Campbell on the left passed inside to Jack Parter who straight away passed into the path of Harrison Pont and from twenty yards he shot into the bottom left hand corner beating Holtam, this was game over.
In the sixtieth minute they nearly scored their fourth when Campbell went down the left wing and his cross rebounded to Kwayie who stabbed goal wards beating Holtam but not Joe Ellul who cleared it off the line.
Faversham were in cruise control and only complacency would stop them taking the three points. Ashford kept going and in the sixty eighth minute they got a goal back when Miquel Scarlett crossed to the back post which was headed back for Gary Lockyer to head in from five yards.
This was a bit of a shock for Faversham and in the seventy second minute could have got their three-goal lead when Johan-Caney Bryan ran into the area, and his curling effort was pushed away by Holtam.
Three minutes later Wood was put through and he went into the area but from fifteen yards his shot was easily saved by Holtam. In the seventy ninth minute Amgbaduba battling on the edge of the area put Wood through, but his shot went past the far post.
In the eightieth minute the new law came into effect when Holtam was penalised for keeping hold of the ball for more than eight seconds and a corner was given but he made amends by clearing the corner.
Ashford in a rare attack nearly scored their second when a Joe Taylor free kick from the edge of the area was tipped over by Burford and the last chance of the game came in the ninetieth minute when Amgbaduba went through on goal and decided to shoot which was saved while it seemed easier to pass inside for a colleague who probably would have scored but it didn’t matter as the final whistle went and the three points earned pushed Faversham to top of the table but it is early days.
Faversham Town:
- A. Burford 2. T.Ossei 3. J.Parter 4. H.Pont 5. C.Davies 6. B.Gorham 7. N.Wood (84)
8. T-J Kwayie (80) 9. E. Amgbaduba 21. T.Fagg (63)
Subs Used: 16. Jc Bryan (63) 14. E.Smith (80) 15. M.Ademiluyi
Subs Not Used: 12. M.Newman 17. B.Simms
Bookings: 21. T.Fagg (9)
Ashford Town:
- T.Holtam 2. M.Scarlett (86) 5. W. Moses (25) 6. H.Hume 7. R.Deacon (53) 8. J.Dixon
9. G.Lockyer 10. L.Collins 11. J.Albangbee(53) 14. B.Fuller 16. K.Penn
Subs Used: 4. J.Ellui (25) 12. L.Gillies (53) 17. B.Tavares (53) 3. J.Taylor (86)
Subs Not Used: 18. M.Bodkin
Bookings: 7. R.Deacon (9)
Sent Off: 8.J.Dixon (44)
Referee: Mr H.Clark
Assistants: Mr I.Isak & Mr A.Khaldi