Darwen at the double
Ashton secured their first league double of the season taking maximum points from visitors Darwen FC in a 2-0 convincing win, hot on the heels of taking three points from Darwen's Anchor ground in a narrow 1-0 win less than a month ago.
The result consolidates the Latics' 3rd place position in Vodkat Division Two just three points adrift of leaders Kirkham & Wesham and equal on points with 2nd place New Mills.
A defensive lapse in the first minute nearly presented Darwen with a dream start however as direct play and a flick header dropped at the feet of striker Stephenson who finished tidily before having his effort scratched off for offside by the assistant referee.
This stung Ashton into immediate action and 25 minutes of high tempo football from the home side penned back Darwen, and produced a flurry of goalscoring opportunities that had all and sundry scratching their heads as to how the score remained goalless.
On 5 minutes a superb volley from Adam White skimmed the top of the bar after a corner, and a minute later Mark Court threaded a ball into Paul McVeigh who kept going despite having his legs taken from under him, regained his balance but shot over the top as keeper Upenieks closed him down. McVeigh thought he might have had a call for the play to be brought back and a penalty awarded, however referee Thomson indicated that McVeigh had sufficient advantage to score.
In the 8th minute McVeigh controlled a Chris Almond pass superbly and shot inches wide. Darwen fought to get a foothold in the game but got frustrated as Ashton won most first balls and invariably got to any second balls on offer.
Gallanders then played in Tom Potter down the left and his early cross found McVeigh who guided the ball towards the goal but just wide again. McVeigh then found space in the box with the keeper stranded but his header went over.
An Adam White effort finally found the target for Ashton but having beat the keeper he was denied by a goal line clearance by Danny Finch.
A turning point in the game came in the 30th minute as Darwen striker, frustrated at the lack of service picked up a second yellow card and with it a red. Strangely this triggered Darwen's best period of the game as the ten men suddenly upped their game and came at Ashton, forcing a sequence of free kicks around the Ashton box. Darwen's efforts were however also off the mark and as half time approached normal service resumed as another McVeigh effort flew wide. Then Tom Potter finally got the breakthrough benefiting from good work by Chris Almond and Si Gallanders receiving the ball before to cut in from the left and unleashed a swerving shot that flew into the top corner. 1-0. HT
Ashton started the second half with real determination not to let 10 man Darwen back into the game as an early Gallanders effort dipped too late and cleared the cross bar. The result of the game was then sealed as Chris Almond broke through after 55 minutes to score his 3rd goal in 4 games since his return from injury. 2-0
On 65 minutes a driving run from Adam White pierced the Darwen defence before laying the ball off to Si Gallanders whose delicate chip beat the keeper but could only rest on the roof of the net.
A Paul McVeigh flick header then fell to substitute Paul Townshend whose powerful volley was well saved by the Darwen keeper in the 70th minute, and then a top quality cross from Potter once again reached the head of McVeigh whose header once again went the wrong side of the post.
Ashton then had a blatant penalty shout refused by referee Thomson before Steve Bennett had a terrific 40 yard volley fly agonisingly wide. Then with seconds on the clock a maisy run inside the Darwen box by Gallanders saw him beat several defenders and the keeper before taking too long to blast the ball home, thereby allowing a recovering defender to get a last ditch foot in to block the shot.
A superb performance by Ashton and this quality of play will need to continue (with goal sights adjusted slightly) in readiness for the visit of 5th place Bootle FC to Brocstedes Park on Tuesday night.
Ashton's MoM was Tom Potter with some excellent wing play whilst the hard work of midfielder Martin Parkes received his teams plaudits.
The result consolidates the Latics' 3rd place position in Vodkat Division Two just three points adrift of leaders Kirkham & Wesham and equal on points with 2nd place New Mills.
A defensive lapse in the first minute nearly presented Darwen with a dream start however as direct play and a flick header dropped at the feet of striker Stephenson who finished tidily before having his effort scratched off for offside by the assistant referee.
This stung Ashton into immediate action and 25 minutes of high tempo football from the home side penned back Darwen, and produced a flurry of goalscoring opportunities that had all and sundry scratching their heads as to how the score remained goalless.
On 5 minutes a superb volley from Adam White skimmed the top of the bar after a corner, and a minute later Mark Court threaded a ball into Paul McVeigh who kept going despite having his legs taken from under him, regained his balance but shot over the top as keeper Upenieks closed him down. McVeigh thought he might have had a call for the play to be brought back and a penalty awarded, however referee Thomson indicated that McVeigh had sufficient advantage to score.
In the 8th minute McVeigh controlled a Chris Almond pass superbly and shot inches wide. Darwen fought to get a foothold in the game but got frustrated as Ashton won most first balls and invariably got to any second balls on offer.
Gallanders then played in Tom Potter down the left and his early cross found McVeigh who guided the ball towards the goal but just wide again. McVeigh then found space in the box with the keeper stranded but his header went over.
An Adam White effort finally found the target for Ashton but having beat the keeper he was denied by a goal line clearance by Danny Finch.
A turning point in the game came in the 30th minute as Darwen striker, frustrated at the lack of service picked up a second yellow card and with it a red. Strangely this triggered Darwen's best period of the game as the ten men suddenly upped their game and came at Ashton, forcing a sequence of free kicks around the Ashton box. Darwen's efforts were however also off the mark and as half time approached normal service resumed as another McVeigh effort flew wide. Then Tom Potter finally got the breakthrough benefiting from good work by Chris Almond and Si Gallanders receiving the ball before to cut in from the left and unleashed a swerving shot that flew into the top corner. 1-0. HT
Ashton started the second half with real determination not to let 10 man Darwen back into the game as an early Gallanders effort dipped too late and cleared the cross bar. The result of the game was then sealed as Chris Almond broke through after 55 minutes to score his 3rd goal in 4 games since his return from injury. 2-0
On 65 minutes a driving run from Adam White pierced the Darwen defence before laying the ball off to Si Gallanders whose delicate chip beat the keeper but could only rest on the roof of the net.
A Paul McVeigh flick header then fell to substitute Paul Townshend whose powerful volley was well saved by the Darwen keeper in the 70th minute, and then a top quality cross from Potter once again reached the head of McVeigh whose header once again went the wrong side of the post.
Ashton then had a blatant penalty shout refused by referee Thomson before Steve Bennett had a terrific 40 yard volley fly agonisingly wide. Then with seconds on the clock a maisy run inside the Darwen box by Gallanders saw him beat several defenders and the keeper before taking too long to blast the ball home, thereby allowing a recovering defender to get a last ditch foot in to block the shot.
A superb performance by Ashton and this quality of play will need to continue (with goal sights adjusted slightly) in readiness for the visit of 5th place Bootle FC to Brocstedes Park on Tuesday night.
Ashton's MoM was Tom Potter with some excellent wing play whilst the hard work of midfielder Martin Parkes received his teams plaudits.
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DP at 5:13 PM
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