Vodkat cup exit ends 22 game unbeaten run

Ashton crashed out of the Vodkat League Cup on Saturday, beaten by the better side on the day as Bootle hit top form to move into the third round to play Darwen FC.
This put to an end a superb sequence of results that started with the second league game of the season on Tuesday 14th August, a 3-2 win, coincidentally against today's opponents Bootle FC. The unbeaten run produced 15 wins and 7 draws, the type of form that will need to be repeated in the second half of the League season if the chase for a top 6 slot is to be achieved by the end of April.
The Ashton team were noticeably jaded after the bruising extra time victory over Ramsbottom United on Tuesday night in the Lancashire Cup, and Bootle took full advantage playing some slick high tempo football, and for the most part looking the sharper team.
Although this was apparent in the opening exchanges the Ashton defence held firm and it was the home side that actually took the lead as Tom Potter latched onto a Paul Mcveigh header and his early strike took a friendly deflection and looped over keeper David Parkinson to give Ashton the lead in the 25th minute. 1-0

Potter strikes again
to give Ashton the lead

Bootle kept playing and stretched the home defence with efforts from Fowler, Hopkins and O'Conner keeping Hewitt in the Ashton goal busy. Then in the 37th minute a Bootle corner was swung in from the left and Carberry pulled off the keeper to meet the dross with a thumping header. 1-1.
Bootle should have increased the lead after being awarded a dubious penalty but a terrific save by Hewitt denied Hopkins and sent the teams in level pegging.
Andy Hewitt keeps Ashton in the
game with fine penalty save.
The second half got off to a great start for Bootle as a long free kick was delivered into the box to find O'connor at the far post who headed home for his team 1-2.
Ashton rallied but the instinctive passing was misfiring and as hard as the team worked the fluid play of previous games was absent and half chances for Townshend, McVeigh and Gallanders came and went. Substitutions were made but Bootle kept the upper hand and an uncharacteristic error at the back presented the lively Hopkins with a gift which he gladly accepted and give his side brething space in the 75th minute. 1-3.
Ashton thre cation to the wind in an attempt to salvage the game but the final pass and the favourable bounce of the ball was not evident and the excellent Bootle defence held firm.
with Ashton pushing forward this left Bootle free to use their counter attacking to its maximum and only two excellent saves by Hewitt prevented Bootle from increasing the lead. The excellent Andy Fowler then made it a convincing scoreline for Bootle as he cut in from the right and unleashed a powerful drive into the bottom corner. 1-4.
Man of the match awards for Chris Tyson for Bootle and Chris Almond for Ashton.
A good and deserved win for Bootle who move on to the last sixteen and once again suggested that they will be in the mixer for the promotion spots at the end of the season, and on this showing will certainly take points off the other teams in the top 6.

Ashton must dust themselves down and focus on next Saturdays trip to Billingham Synthonia for the FA Vase match, hopefully refreshed by the absence of a midweek match for a change!

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