Denzel Gayle’s strike on the stroke of half time settled this top of the table tussle at the Artic Stadium.

Fielding an unchanged side from Tuesday night’s demolition of Hythe Town, Valley kept their fifth consecutive clean sheet in the league with a confident defensive display.

The afternoon started badly for the visitors when Nathan Green’s first minute challenge saw Ashford United defender Tariq Ossai stretchered off with a shoulder injury.

This set the tone for a high tempo opening – the visitors looking to unsettle their hosts with their direct approach and quick movement.

Connor Dymond was next to require treatment – the Millers midfielder feeling the full force of an aerial challenge from Ellis Cormack which saw the Nuts & Bolts man lucky to receive only a yellow card – one of four issued in a combative first half.

Eventually however, a football match broke out as the hosts started to wrest the majority of the territorial advantage.

Five minutes before the interval, Jack Sammoutis broke down the left for the Millers before crossing low across the six yard box – the ball narrowly evading the outstretched leg of Matt Warren.

And in injury time, the deadlock was broken. Some acute interplay around the edge of the Ashford United penalty area saw the ball fed to Gayle. The winger turned and fired low beyond Tyler McCarthy into the bottom corner.

As Ashford pushed forward in search of an equaliser, the home defence stood firm with Dymond providing an excellent shield for his back line.

Valley were still able to create excellent chances to extend the lead however as Rory Hill was twice denied – firstly following an excellent break by Barrington, then when Dymond’s clever free kick found him, his close range effort was  excellently denied by McCarthy.

Despite an increase in urgency from the visitors, Chris Lewington in the Millers’ goal remained largely untroubled.

Table topping Valley now take a two week break from league action before a visit to fellow promotion chasers Hastings United.

MILLERS’ STAR MAN: – MATT WARREN – Revelling in a freer role with an all action display 

MATCH RATING: – **** 

MILLERS : Lewington, Dymond, Green (Ompreon 33), Blanks ©, Tumkaya, Gayle, Sammoutis (Semakula 59), Barrington, Brefo, Warren, Hill (Babalola 74)

Substitutes Not used : Salmon, N’Guessan

Caution : Dymond 

NUTS & BOLTS : McCarthy, Ossai (Diallo 6), Simms, Ovenden, Friend ©, Hull (Burdon 56), Kwayie, Steventon, Ratti, Fagg, Cormack (Wisson 56)

Substitutes Not used: Ter Horst, Hook

Cautions : Cormack, Ratti, Hull, 

Referee     : Jamaal Horne

Assistants : Joshua Howard and Tommy Breen

Match photos by Michael Brown – @BSportsphotos