SKIPPER Kensley Maloney scored for the first time this season as Bracknell Town triumphed 4-2 at Ashford Town on Saturday, writes Dave Wright.

"It's been a long time in coming, but hopefully I can now get a few more goals," said the midfielder, who had not scored in the Isthmian League since the 6-0 romp against the same opponents last April.

Of the team which played that day, only midfielder Maloney, Seb Bowerman, who scored twice on Saturday, and Max Herbert were included in the starting line-up at the Robert Parker Stadium.

The latest departure is Carl Davies, who left last week to join Southern League Division One Central club Thame United.

There was another new face in Bobby Wilkinson's much-changed squad with experienced midfielder Michael Atkinson joining from Southern Premier League side Walton Casuals. He came off the bench to play for the last 25 minutes.

This was a game Bracknell were expected to win as second-bottom Ashford had picked up only one point in nine home games and the result was never in any real doubt.

In front of a crowd of 142, with at least half being Bracknell fans, Bowerman struck the home crossbar before he opened the scoring in the 14th minute. Nebay Haile was brought down just outside the area in a near central position to win a free-kick. With Ashford expecting him to curl the ball towards the far post, Bowerman curled the ball wide of the wall into the top-left corner.

Ten minutes later it was 2-0. Robins moved the ball in from their left pulling the home defence out of position, and a quick ball across found Maloney unmarked in the middle. It was a chance he didn't miss.

But just when it was looking like the team wearing an all-white strip were coasting, they came under a short spell of pressure and keeper Jason Matthews was forced to make a fine save at the expense of a corner. From the spot-kick, Darryl Harrison forced the ball home to halve Ashford's deficit.

However, it took Bracknell just five minutes to score again. Haile, who played for Ashford last season, was put clean through, just beating the offside trap, and he coolly slotted the ball past oncoming keeper Sam Mason.

Just before half-time, Haile's persistence in midfield saw him block an Ashford player's attempted clearance, and he laid off a perfect pass to Bowerman, who raced away and fired low into the net to make it 4-1.

Rather surprisingly, that was to be Town's last goal of the afternoon.

They continued to have much the better of the game, without being able to create many chances, with Bowerman and right-back Dan Carr going closest to getting a fifth goal for their side.

Overall, it was not quite a five-star performance from Bracknell – both Ashford goals should have been prevented – but it was still a comfortable win and moves them up one rung to 10th in the table ahead of their home game with 16th-placed Hertford this Saturday.

Shane Cooper-Clarke, who has missed much of this season through injury, showed he is on his way back by scoring twice for Bracknell's Suburban League side in their 7-0 cup win over South Division leaders Chatham at Larges Lane on Friday evening.

Bradley Farren, Eugene Morgan, Duarte Surpanu, Callum Wright and Jem Steinborn-Busse were also on target.