Ashton tame the Bears and force Vase replay

Saturday 22nd September 2007 - The Carlsberg F.A. Vase 2nd Qualifying Round
Congleton Town 1 Ashton Athletic 1 (AET)

Ashton traveled for the Carlsberg FA Vase 2nd qualifying round to Congleton of the Vodkat NWCFL Division One in buoyant mood after a 9 game unbeaten run in league and cup games that has seen them settled in 3rd place in Division 2 of the Vodkat League.

In an effort to sure-up the Bears defensive frailties, Congleton manager Anthony Buckle signed Andy Bostock, a left-back from Newcastle Town and Carl Nesbitt, a strong tackling midfield player from Vauxhall Motors, and gave them both their debuts at Booth Street.

Meanwhile Ashton were fielding an unchanged outfield side for the third match in a row, with the only change to the staring line up being Andy Hewitt replacing Andy Paxton in goal. Ashton made an eager start with Dave Sherlock firing wide, after cutting in from the left in the first minute. After this initial flourish the game settled into a more cautious phase as both sides probed for defensive weaknesses.

There were a couple of half-chances at either end with Simon Gallanders curling one in at the near post but Wilkes was able to collect comfortably. Congleton started pressing hard and won a free-kick that Johnson delivered into the box. Through a crowd of players the referee somehow saw an infringement on the goalkeeper and awarded a free-kick to Ashton.

A good interchange of passes after 13 minutes released Williams down the left and his low driven cross into the box found Johnson in a central position, but the influential Congleton midfielder drove the ball over the bar from 18 yards.

Then in the 21st minute a Rothwell free kick found Mcveigh in the box whose header reached Steve Bennett who found space to float the ball over his shoulder which beat the Congleton keeper Wilkes but the effort flew just wide of the corner apex of the goal.

A minute later Congleton skipper Alston misjudged his clearance, which went high into the air, before falling to Gallanders who shot high and wide from the edge of the penalty area.

Ashton winger Dave Sherlock then robbed two Congleton players of the ball in two separate incidents, which first creating a chance for Bennett, a chip over Wilkes that drifted wide. in the second he dispossessed Jordan Johnson on the half way, executed a good on two with Paul McVeigh to get in behind the Congleton back line but was then confronted by a determined Wilkes who was up to the task as he came out bravely to block Sherlock's first effort, and having forced Sherlock wide of goal, the rebound was placed just wide and into the side netting.

In the closing minutes of the first half Congleton's Haddrell bought some space but put his chipped shot over the bar. The home side were then awarded a free-kick that was taken quickly and with the Ashton defence still trying to organise itself Hurst stole in to meet the cross but could only glance his attempt across the face of goal.

Half-Time: Congleton Town 0 Ashton Athletic 0

Both teams took to the field for the second half knowing that there had been chances for both sides in the first half and that a solitary goal might be the difference between the two sides.

Ashton once again started on the front foot as another great ball from Dave Sherlock found McVeigh but again the shot was blazed over the bar.

The more defensive Harris was introduced in place of Congleton's JP Jones at the start of the second half, which was perhaps an indication of the approach that the Congleton manager would be adopting, and Johnson moved out to the right to accommodate Harris in the centre.

An early free-kick was wasted by Ashton’s Lawton as he also put his effort over the bar from 25 yards. Then Ashton's Chris Almond, having been soldiering on since picking up a knee injury midway through the first half eventually had to succumb, and was replaced in the 59th minute by Paul Townshend.

Town were doing most of the pressing in the stage of the game, but without much penetration and always looked vulnerable to a quick counter-attack from Ashton. Conglton had two long range efforts by Hurst who also failed to hit the target before he was replaced by Twigg

For Ashton Daniel Hitchen replaced Bennett after 70 minutes and he was almost instantly up ended in a dangerous area just to the right of the penalty area. The curled in free kick created a scramble in the Bears’ defence before a relieved Wilkes finally gathered at the near post.

As the prospect of extra time loomed large both teams had a chance to grab a win as first Johnson squandered an opportunity to win the game for the Bears when he cut inside two defenders but dragged his shot wide of the near post.

And then a moment of controversy as McVeigh latched onto a through ball running between the Congleton centre half's, drew the keeper and blasted the ball into the net only to be denied by a late flag from Linesman that disallowed the goal, a decision that had the Ashton bench and supporters up in arms, and the Congleton faithful breathed a sigh of relief as McVeigh appeared to have been a yard on side when the ball was played

Full-Time: Congleton Town 0 Ashton Athletic 0

Ashton almost took the lead straight from the restart as Gallanders was allowed to carry the ball too far into the Bears’ defence and Wilkes had to get down smartly to smother his near post shot. A free-kick at the other end created problems for the Ashton defence and Twigg rose just too early to get a touch on Johnson’s in-swinging ball. Hitchen then narrowly missed out on a low cross as he moved unmarked into the penalty area.

The Bears finally got the breakthrough they were looking for when the nimble feet of Johnson were scythed from under him as he danced his way into the opponents’ penalty area. The referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot and the reliable Haddrell made no mistake from the spot sending the goalkeeper the wrong way.

Extra Time - 1st period: Congleton Town 1 Ashton Athletic 0

A slight knock meant that Captain Alston had to be taken off and Keeling was sent on with Haddrell dropping back into the centre of defence. This seemed to spur on the Ashton forwards who knew they had the beating of Haddrell for pace.

McVeigh late strike earns Ashton
a well deserved replay

Lawton then saw his free-kick from a central position take a nasty deflection off the wall and the wrong-footed Wilkes was happy to see the ball go wide of the far post. The writing was on the wall though and Ashton equalised from the very next free-kick that they were awarded. From out on the right the ball was put into the danger area and striker McVeigh was on hand to finish with a first time shot into the far corner of the goal.

There was almost an instant riposte as one of Town’s better passing moves allowed Johnson to get a low cross into the box from their right and Keeling, sliding in, was unable to get a touch on the ball as it flashed across the face of goal.

Hitchen almost put his side in front when left unmarked at the back-post from a deep cross. With time to set himself, the Ashton replacement could only guide his headed attempt over the crossbar from a narrow angle.

Aspinall picked up the only caution of the day in the final minutes as a wild tackle once more sent Johnson sprawling to the ground, although nothing would come of the resultant free-kick. Potter replaced Sherlock for the final two minutes for the visitors and as the game came to an end it was the Bears who were hanging on for the draw and the chance to progress via a replay which will take place at Ashton's Brocstedes Park on Tuesday 25th September 7.45pm Kick off.