The Angels opened their pre-season campaign with a comfortable 2-1 victory over Kent neighbours Ashford Town at Longmead on Tuesday evening. Goals either side of the interval from strikers Luke Piscina and Ray Powell was enough, despite a spectacular late consolation from the impressive Simon Glover.

Sticking with the 5-3-2 formation that was so successful during last season, player-boss Tony Dolby gave debuts to new signings Aaron Kerr, Scott Gooding and Scott Kinch. Also lining up in the heart of the midfield was trialist Rob Kember, formerly of Crystal Palace, Woking and Crawley Town. Drew Watkins and Jon Heath started the game as wing-backs whilst former Gravesend defender Gooding lined up alongside John Beales and Lew Watts at the back. Kinch, O’Brien and Kember made up the midfield with Luke Piscina partnering last year's Player of the Year Ray Powell in attack. Two absentees were skipper Steve Aris (holiday) and also Danny Lye (injured).

The Angels started the game very brightly indeed and could have gone ahead as early as the fifth minute but the sprightly Luke Piscina saw his drilled effort palmed wide by ex-Angels keeper Dave Wietecha. Moments later, the Angels deservedly took the lead through Piscina. Capitalising on a howler from Wietecha, Piscina coolly shrugged off the challenge of defender Marc Cumberbatch before slotting into the empty net. The Angels continued to press and could have been even further ahead had Scott Kinch and Drew Watkins made the most of their efforts. Ashford offered very little up front and never really looked like beating the confident Kerr. The Angels led at the interval 1-0.

Watkins had another effort after 63 minutes but his deflected left-footed drive fell agonisingly wide of the post. With just a quarter of an hour remaining, Jon Main, on as a half-time substitute for the goalscorer Piscina, picked up the ball from deep and ran at the ‘Nuts and Bolts’ defence before feeding a cross to Ray Powell who made the most of his opportunity to give the Angels a two-goal cushion. It should have been three-nil moments later when Main found himself in acres of space just a couple of yards out but somehow blazed his tap-in over the crossbar when it seemed easier to score. Almost immediately, our visitors went straight up the other end and grabbed what turned out to be a consolation goal. Ex-Heybridge Swifts man Simon Glover powered past a couple of defenders before unleashing an almighty thunderbolt into the top left hand corner, leaving Aaron Kerr with absolutely no chance. A very good finish from the impressive 25 year-old midfielder. That was the last of the action and the Angels held out for a comfortable victory, despite the scoreline suggesting otherwise.

An assured debut from Scott Gooding at the back gave him the reporter's Man of the Match Award.

Report by: Gary Cornwell

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