Under 17's bounce back

Ashton Athletic U/17s – 5 Southport Youth U/17s - 0

A good performance was needed after last week’s drubbing in the league cup. With 3 players missing due to illness and injury and 2 players playing when not 100% fit the Ashton squad was down to 12. Ryan Connolly was also drafted in from the under 16/s team, after he had played the 1^st half for the younger team.

Ashton’s management held a good training session in midweek, and team talk before kick off, and all issues about getting back on track and working harder as a team were pointed out.

Ashton started very well with neat passing and sharp tackling and it was evident that the lads had taken on board what had been asked from them. Our captain Jake Leyland led from the front with a great work ethic and some tough tackles. For the first 15 minutes we played all of our football in the Southport half, creating a couple of chances and making the Southport defence work hard.

A corner swung in by Tom Starr caused the Southport goalkeeper to flap at the ball and it fell kindly to Martin Latham 6 yards out who made no mistake in coolly passing into the goal.1-0

Ashton’s work rate was forcing Southport to make mistakes, and the only chances they had came from long range efforts which did not trouble Ashton’s goalkeeper. As half time approached game Southport upped the tempo and for a 15 minute period got on top. The Left winger for ‘port started to cause Ashton major problems, and with better finishing they could have got back on level terms. H/T 1-0

With Ryan Connolly introduced at half time Ashton made a couple of positional changes and within 5 minutes of the restart our new signing Joe Wakefield broke clear of the Southport defence, rounded the goalkeeper and slotted into the empty net 2-0.

It was evident that this deflated the Southport team and Ashton took full advantage. The extra breathing space encouraged the home team to pass the ball sharper and created more and more chances.

A defence splitting pass by our right back Daniel Ferguson put our winger Josh Taffe through on goal and with a good first touch he struck a low shot into the Southport goal to make it 3-0.

Southport had a couple of chances and were unlucky when Ashton’s goalkeeper tipped a good shot over the bar and from the resulting corner another scramble in the box saw the defence stand firm with Ross Sheppard throwing himself in front of the ball to prevent the visitors from scoring.

A clearance from the Southport goalkeeper found Daniel Barton on the half way line, and with a swing off his right boot he sent the ball back over the goalkeeper’s head and into the net, for a spectacular a goal. 4-0.

Another positional change with Joshe Taffe sitting in at right back for Ashton allowing Daniel Ferguson to move out on the left wing. This nearly paid immediate dividends as clean through on goal he shot but the ‘port goalkeeper managed to get his fingertips to the ball and push it out for a corner.

Ashton carried on playing good football and from every attack a goal looked on the cards. With 5 minutes left Daniel Ferguson again left his marker for dead and got himself into a goal scoring position, with only the goalkeeper to beat he then unselfishly squared the ball to Adam Brown who rolled the ball into the net to make it 5-0.

What a difference a week makes! Everybody in the Ashton team upped their game today and got due rewards, something that must be remembered for every game, well done.