Men's 1st XI vs Ashford (Kent) M2

Words:           Dan Mees

Oppo:             Ashford (Kent) 2, Home

Final Score:    W 7-0

Goalscorers:  Dan Vinson (3), Alex Cowell. Harry Harrison, Oscar Percival (2).

Cliftonville Men’s 1s returned to action against Ashford and delivered one of their most commanding performances of the season, cruising to a 7–0 victory that genuinely could and probably should have been even more.

From the first whistle, Ville controlled every inch of the pitch. Wave after wave of pressure pinned Ashford deep, and it didn’t take long for the breakthrough to arrive. Dan Vinson opened the scoring with a tidy finish, setting the tone for the afternoon. Moments later, Cowelly pounced on a loose ball from a short corner, reacting quickest to slam home Cliftonville’s second.

The momentum kept rolling. Oscar added a third with a composed strike, and Dan grabbed his second before the break, giving Ville a deserved 4–0 halftime lead and leaving Ashford hanging on.

The second half brought more of the same: relentless pressure, slick passing, and a forward line that always looked dangerous. Harry got in on the action with a classic back‑post finish, arriving at just the right moment to tap home. Oscar then produced a brilliant baseline run, sneaking the ball past the keeper from an impossible angle.

But the final word belonged to Dan Vinson. Chasing his hat‑trick, receiving the ball with his back to the keeper he dragged the ball to create space and perfectly lifted the ball over the diving keeper, and sealed a superb treble to round off a dominant 7–0 win.

A complete performance from Cliftonville, disciplined, ruthless, and in control from start to finish. On another day, the scoreline might have been even more emphatic, but seven goals, a clean sheet, and total dominance will do nicely.

SQUAD:

Dan Mees (Capt), Will Ainsworth, Archie Bates, Alex Cowell, Isaac Dilkes, Harry Harrison, Tom Harrison, Charlie Morgan, Alex Newson, Oscar Percival, Josh Tutton, Jamie Ullyett, Dan Vinson.