Ashton undone by Dunn double strike

Vodkat North West Counties League

Ashton Athletic 2 Norton United 2

A lively start by Ashton and two early goals from Dave Sherlock and Chris Lawton were not enough to secure maximum points as they were cancelled out by two James Dunn efforts that found the back of the net, in a pulsating first half.

Ashton’s first goal was crafted by Paul Townshend, returning to action after a long injury lay off, with a perfect through ball that reached Sherlock who produced a clinical finish past the Norton keeper after just 2 minutes. Tom Potter then found room down the left wing breaking clear before blasting the ball goal ward, but this time the Norton keeper was up to the task and the effort was parried wide. At this stage Ashton were finding a way through the Norton with some ease and Sherlock was played in by Steve Wallace after 14 minutes, whose pin point cross was cooly dispatched by Chris Lawton to put Ashton two up.

Ashton continued to dominate and Sherlock almost grabbed his second rounding the keeper after latching on to a Potter through ball, but the keeper did enough to force Sherlock wide and the attempt was placed across the face of goal with no attackers advanced enough to take advantage.

After this early dominance by Ashton the game was turned on its head as Norton rose to the challenge whilst Ashton rested on their laurels. In the 24^th minute Norton’s James Dunn drove in a corner at pace and somehow defenders and the Ashton keeper Andy Paxton were wrong footed and the effort squeezed past Paxton and over line. A series of fouls and misplaced passes by Ashton allowed Norton the opportunity to build on the first goal and in the 37^th minute a slow reaction to a loose ball on the edge of the box gave the lethal left foot of Dunn enough room to steer the ball through a crowded penalty box and into the bottom corner. HT 2-2

The second half had both teams tightening up at the back, and Ashton did this most effectively preventing any more serious work by Paxton. On the other hand Ashtons attacks had more of a cutting edge but the back of the net could not be found, with three long range efforts by Clive Locke marginally off target whilst Ashton looked to have got the breakthrough as Mike Burke got a foot to a deep cross by Tom Potter in the six yard box, but over stretching he could only steer the ball wide of goal.

With time running out Ashton continued to press for the winner and substitute James Lawless almost grabbed the accolades as a Simon Gallanders through ball fell nicely for Lawless but his attempted lob over the stranded Norton keeper drifted agonisingly wide. FT 2-2

A point each for both promotion hopefuls, and this maintain Ashton’s position in third spot whilst Norton consolidated in the chasing pack.

On Tuesday night Ashton are in cup action, with a quarter final match at Oldham Town, 7.45pm KO