Molesey 3-2 Ash United

Molesey twice came from behind to see off ten men Ash United and move into the top three of the Combined Counties Premier Division.

In a dramatic finale Dale Marvell’s header deep into injury time secured the points for the Moles after a moment of magic from James McShane had drawn the sides level two minutes from time.

Tom O’Reilly had looked to have won the game for Ash when his deflected effort 15 minutes from time put the visitors in the lead, however, a rash challenge from Jourdan Coleman reduced them to ten men for the final eight minutes, and sensing blood, the Moles were bold and threw men forward in search of the three points.

Coleman had given Ash a deserved first half lead, which was cancelled out six minutes before the break by Nick White.

It was a clash between two sides at the opposite end of the form table with Molesey going into the game having won six of their last eight, whilst Ash had picked up just a solitary point from their previous five outings.

However, the only blemish on that sequence for the Moles was a 2-0 defeat at Ash six weeks ago, so despite the battering given out to Ash’s landlords Badshot Lea in midweek, they would have taken nothing for granted.

It was a bright start for the home side. McShane clipped the top of the Ash bar from 25 yards, and Ross Chalke should have done better than to head McShane’s cross harmlessly wide shortly afterwards.

As the half wore on the visitors came into the game more, with Ben Bouhorza regular finding space in the hole behind Molesey’s midfield and his clever link up play released the pace of Coleman and Michael Campbell to get in behind the Moles on several occasions.

They took a deserved lead when Bouhorza found space on the edge of the box and his effort was tipped onto the bar by Wester Young, making his 200th appearance for the Moles. Coleman was quickest to the rebound and he headed home from three yards.

Ben Small fired across goal as the visitors looked to add a second, and it was against the run of play slightly that the home side drew level.

Tom Windor’s attempted through ball took a kind deflection and fell invitingly to Nick White – in the team for the suspended Matt Baxter – and he confidently swept the ball past Ryan Bone into the far corner.

The Moles then finished the half the stronger, with Marvell sending a free header over the bar.

The home side were on top for much of the second half but rarely troubled Bone. Ash defended and counter-attacked in a way that belied their lowly league position, however, there was an element of fortune in the way they took the lead, both in terms of the nature of the goal and the run of play.

An Ash corner was half cleared and fell to O’Reilly on the edge of the box. His effort took two deflections en route to goal, giving Young no chance and putting Ash in sight of an early season league double over the Moles.

They may well have achieved that double were it not for Coleman’s moment of madness. Having already been booked he needlessly lunged in on Joe Pratley-Jones deep inside Molesey territory.

The game had been officiated in a sensible manner all afternoon, with the ref avoiding booking players where possible, but he was given no option but to show Coleman a straight red.

It was the bit of luck that Molesey needed, and within four minutes McShane got himself between the Ash centre halves, and with one touch brought Craig Lewington’s 40 yard through ball under his spell, and with the second he lobbed the ball over the advancing Bone to draw the sides level.

92 minutes were on the clock when substitute Tim Pitt’s cross from deep was headed back across goal by Krsitian Webb for Marvell to plant a header beyond Bone to give the Moles all three points.

It was the second time this season that Marvell had struck deep into injury time to give the Moles victory in a five goal thriller, and they will hope those four points prove crucial as the season rumbles on.

Their title credentials will be thoroughly examined over the next seven days as they welcome the two sides they’re sandwiched between, with fourth placed Windsor due at Walton Road on Tuesday followed by second placed Epsom & Ewell next Saturday.