HAVING restarted the National Outdoor League the previous week with a win and a clean sheet at Bath, Ashmoor were relishing the mouth-watering local Saturday Night 'under lights' derby with Isca.

Within the opening minute, England Under 18 defender Ben Barnett produced a great aerial pass to pick out Masters International Rich Fisher who controlled and drove the ball across the danger area.

It was met by Fletch Naisbett-Jones who almost found a gap between the Isca keeper’s legs to give Ashmoor the lead.

Ashmoor were resolute in defence, denying their opponents time and space, and timing their tackling and interceptions well. Isca showed from early on that they felt their only way to get a result was to win penalty corners and they did, but failed to convert.

Some rash tackling at the other end soon after meant that Ashmoor won a penalty corner of their own. Barnett stepped up and fired his drag flick just inches wide.

Ashmoor enjoyed good spells of possession, and as quarter time approached, they took the lead from a flowing length of the pitch team move.

The ball went from one end to the other as Lewis Hammett took a quick 16-yard hit out up the left-hand side with youngster Will Maynard playing the ball inside to a fast-advancing Jack Dinnie. The player-coach sent a lovely pass to Theo Bennett on the right side of the shooting circle.

He threatened the keeper's near post but then delivered a quality pass right across goal to Naisbett-Jones who finished emphatically from close range. It was a glorious end-to-end goal, and enthusiatically cheered by the large Ashmoor crowd of supporters.

The second quarter was more even with both teams' best chances coming from penalty corners. Isca mis-tapped their only one again and Barnett rifled his effort for Ashmoor goalbound but the home keeper got an outstretched toe to it.

After halftime, Ashmoor came out the brighter more positive team and almost doubled their lead immediately.

Lewie Jones, who was lively up front all game for Ashmoor, stole the ball off an Isca defender and set up Dinnie - but his shot was saved from point blank range. Blundy was called upon in the Ashmoor goal to parry away a drag flick comfortably from an Isca penalty corner.

Ashmoor moved the ball purposefully and accurately and from another effective counter-attack Jones fired a reverse stick effort over the crossbar.

Unfortunately for Ashmoor, who could have been two or three goals to the good on the balance of chances created, Isca forced an innocuous penalty corner award off a quickly taken free hit outside the D.

Finally, they got their routine sorted out and their South African defender equalised with a low drag. Ashmoor felt aggrieved and went immediately up the attacking end, creating a number of scoring chances from both flanks.

More questionable defending by Isca led to a third penalty corner for Ashmoor, but the stopper was blown for not trapping it cleanly just as skipper Jamie Bishop was teeing up his shot.

Ashmoor came out determined to set the record straight in the final quarter. Another flowing move up the left started with Maynard finding Galbraith on halfway, he rolled infield and as he strode forward he delivered a killer pass right into the opposition defending circle, where it was met and skilfully deflected home first time by Naisbett-Jones to restore Ashmoor's lead.

Five minutes later, Dinnie was unceremoniously fouled right on the edge of the shooting circle, but bizarrely no foul was given. To add insult to injury, 40 seconds later Isca contrived to get the ball into Ashmoor's D, and this time the umpire felt he had seen a foot offence and awarded Isca another penalty corner.

A deflected routine gave them another equaliser, rather against the run of play. From the restart Ashmoor went for it again, with Maynard going closest with a deflected shot but ultimately, they ran out of time.

Nevertheless, it was a thoroughly entertaining game, with Ashmoor's standard of play shining through and they now sit fourth in the league.