ASCOT United manager Jeff Lamb praised his side for making an “amazing recovery” to beat Tuffley Rovers 6-3 at the Racecourse ground on Saturday, writes Dave Wright.

They trailed 2-0 after what Lamb had described as “our worst first-half performance so far this season.”

But Ben Knight came charging to the Yellamen’s rescue with a hat-trick, while there were two goals for Charlie Samuels and one for James Brazier.

Samuels would also have bagged a treble had he not tried to be a bit too clever from the penalty spot, chipping the ball over the crossbar as though he was converting a try in rugby.

The striker, however, has immense talent, is a proven scorer and is attracting attention from higher league clubs.

His former club Moseley have shown an interest, as have Basingstoke, whose manager Terry Brown saw Samuels score twice against Tonbridge Angels in the FA Cup recently.

For the first half hour of last Saturday’s game Samuels hardly got a look in as the Yellamen were given the runaround.

“We were shocking. It looked as if we were still recovering from the heavy defeat (7-0 at Tonbridge) we suffered in the week,” said Lamb.

“But we went in at half-time, spoke about what we were doing wrong. The guys responded well and things were spot on in the second half.

“We made a lot of chances considering we had hardly made any in the first half. It was a game of two different halves.”

With Carl Dennison ruled out with a leg injury, Aaron Watkins took over between the posts.

The youngster made a nervous start and needlessly gave away a penalty in the 12th minute by bringing down Brett James wide out on the left side of his penalty area. Warren Mann made no mistake from the spot.

Within 10 minutes Watkins conceded again, having been given no chance by a superb low left-footer from Mann.

Soon afterwards, United did threaten when right-back Jamie Smith embarked on a powerful run and exchanged passes with Knight before seeing his shot blocked by the legs of of keeper Dave Evans.

While Ascot had seen Samir Regragui carried off with an ankle injury, the visitors lost experienced centre-half Shayne Anson through injury and from then on the Tuffley defence never looked so solid.

Brazier opened Ascot’s account on 27 minutes with a powerful close-range header from Paul Coyne’s corner – the defender’s fourth goal in six games.

And it was all-square on 40 minutes when hesitancy in the Tuffley defence led to Samuels hammering a powerful shot under goalkeeper Evans.

The Yellamen went ahead in the 52nd minute when Luke Wilson produced a fine run and left-wing cross that led to Knight sweeping the ball home from close range.

Within two minutes Samuels set up Knight to make it 4-2 and both the Ascot strikers went close before the latter completed his hat-trick when he raced onto a through ball from substitute Gavin Brainch.

Shayne Bradley volleyed home Tuffley’s third on 76 minutes, then Samuels wasted his penalty chance, but made up for it by netting United’s sixth in the last minute.

Samuels has ‘lost’ two goals and Knight one as Ascot’s 3-0 win over Carterton on August 13 has now been deleted following the Oxfordshire side’s withdrawal from the league.

Ascot travel to Brimscombe & Thrupp this Saturday (3pm) then Henley next Tuesday (7.45pm).