Hill hat-trick secures the points for the Nuts and Bolts.
The Crows haven't got the best of records when playing on the artificial surface at Homelands, whether we're playing Ashford United or their soon to be departed tenants, Canterbury City, and that situation hasn't changed after our latest game there yesterday.
On arriving at the ground there was definitely a mood of optimism amongst the Crow faithful that a positive result and performance was on the cards and with the sun shining and little breeze the omens seemed good.
The squad was at full strength with only Clarke and Appiah not in attendance so that further enhanced the "feel good" factor and with a big turnout of Crow fans expected to make the journey in support of the boys in navy blue, all the signs were that an exciting game of football was in our midst.
Once the teams were announced it seemed that both were at very nearly full strength, West being the obvious absentee from the United line up, whilst for the Crows it was a formation change that stood out, switching to a 4-4-2 rather than the 3-5-2 which has been employed since last September.
The teams arrived on to the pitch for this top two clash in a crescendo of noise made by the crowd of 457 and I personally think that at least 100 of those came to support the Crows, a great turnout when you consider the distance and the fact that the journey from Crowborough to Ashford is more of a cross-country one and not the motorway journey most of our away games use.
The game started well for both teams who had shots on target which needed saving inside the first 5 minutes, Smith first for the Crows and then Hill, who proved to be the Crows nemesis later on, putting an effort in for the home side.
The action was very much end to end and in the 19th minute the Crows took the lead, Treleaven putting a screamer past Kamurasi's left hand from the edge of the area after good build up work by Attwood and Muggeridge.
The visitors carried on going forward at every opportunity, Carey and Attwood having efforts saved by Kamurasi before Botterill saw yellow for the home side in the 29th minute. However, the Nuts & Bolts gave as good as they were getting and with Welford winning most of the aerial challenges and Hill always looking to benefit, it led to Ellis having to make a great save at the feet of Hill when the forward had a 1-on-1 with the Crow's 'keeper in the 32nd minute after a poor back pass by Crabb.
It became 1-1 in the 39th minute when Hill was allowed to come off the left wing and dance through four challenges before rifling a shot past Ellis at his near post from the edge of the area. It had to be a good shot to beat Ellis and was no more than they deserved as 1-1 was a fair reflection of the play so far.
Both sides traded efforts up to the break, some high and wide, some had to be saved but the half time whistle blew after 48 minutes and 7 seconds with the score line the same and many in the crowd looking forward to the second half being much the same with plenty of attacking football from both teams.
It was notable that the home side were sent out early for the second period, as if they meant business and wanted to get on with things, whilst the Crows were seemingly late getting back out on to the pitch, why that was I have no idea but the home side started the period on the front foot and never relinquished the advantage again.
The hosts had a lot more of the possession and controlled the pace and pattern of the game with the Crows struggling to get any good ball throughout the second 45 minutes. With the pressure mounting it led to Walder receiving a yellow card in the 53rd minute for what referee Dempster adjudged to be one foul too many.
Hill became the next player booked in the 61st minute for disputing a decision when a free kick was awarded against him when he thought he was breaking clear on the left of the Crows defence. This also led to the United manager, Lye, running on to the pitch to remonstrate with the match official, an action that saw him removed from the dugout and banished to the dressing room, not that he actually went there, as he stood in the tunnel entrance for the rest of the match.
The game became a bit fractious at this point and Attwood then became the second Crow to see yellow in the 63rd minute for a tackle. From the resulting free kick the home side were awarded a penalty when Turner brought down an Ashford player inside the area, an action that earned him a yellow card. Welford is the home side's penalty taker however, Ellis made a fantastic save, diving low to his right to palm the penalty wide of the post for a corner, still 1-1.
The reprieve was short lived however, as in the 69th minute the home side deservedly took the lead, the ever dangerous Hill curling a right foot shot past Ellis from the right edge of the Crow's area, much to the delight of the home fans behind the goal at that end.
The Crows were still struggling to get a foot hold in the second period so a change was made in the 74th minute to see if that could be changed, Smith going off to be replaced by Perry who was now fit again after his recent injury.
Unfortunately, it was still the home side who had control of the game and the chances, Hill on more than one occasion putting shots in and then in the 78th minute, Ellis had to make a great save from a rasping drive from distance by the United defender, Kingwell, I bet he's never hit a sweeter strike in his career before.
Savage was the next player to see yellow in the 79th minute before the score became 3-1 only a minute later. The Crows gave away a free kick right on the edge of the area and Hill duly punished the away side by putting the free kick in the back of the net for his hat trick. In all honesty, the Crows never got to grips with Hill throughout the whole game and he exacted punishment on the Crows defence for that lack of care.
From here on to the end the Crows had some more possession as the home side were obviously happy to see the game out but the away side never really threatened the home goal that much. Pearson replaced Treleaven in the 83rd minute and 3 minutes later Vickers came on for Walder.
In the dying seconds Hill went off to rapturous applause with a slight knock, replaced by Vines and there was still time for Muggeridge to pick a yellow card up in the 90+3rd minute for dissent for the Crows.
When the final whistle blew in the 90+6th minute all anyone could do was say "well done" to the home side as they deserved the win, especially due to their second half dominance and the Crows will have to look at themselves and reflect on why there was such a contrast in performance from the first 45 to the second 45.
The title race is now in the hands of Ashford United, it's theirs to lose now however, there's still a lot to play for for the Crows and the title is still there to play for. They'll be many more twist and turns before the final game comes around and all we can do from now until the end is to win every game we play.
Big Dan Ellis was quite rightly given our Man of the Match award as the margin of defeat would have been greater had it not been for his superb display. There's no doubt that missed chances and a drop of performance in the last month has definitely come at the wrong time for the Crows and has dented our title chances, however, there is still a chance and whilst that chance is still there, we have to go for it.