Late rally draws a blank for Ashton
Saturday 25th April 2009
VODKAT Premier Division
Ashton Athletic 3 Alsager Town 4
Ashton signed off their last home match of the season with a disappointing reverse against Alsager Town at the weekend, with slack defending presenting the visitors with a 3 goal lead at half time. Despite a second half rally the challenge proved too great and Alsager held on for the 3 points with the odd goal in seven.
Numerous opportunities were spurned by Ashton in an eventful first half, before poor marking in the box allowed Alsager striker Joe Roberts two chances that he put away with ease in the 17th and 27th minutes. Ashton continued to dominate and further chances came and went as a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Luke Hebblewhite kept the visitors lead intact. With the exception of the two goals Alsager failed to muster a further goal scoring chance until the dyeing moments of the half, whilst Ashton’s dominance created opportunities running into double figures without the necessary composure being shown to reduce the deficit.
To add insult to injury Ashton’s first half misery was completed in the 44th minute as a long ball out of defence caught the Ashton back line square. As Matt Wooley broke through he was forced wide by the advancing Ashton keeper Fitzpatrick who then toed the ball away before colliding with Wooley in the process. A half hearted call for a foul from the visitors struck a chord with referee Johnson who pointed to the spot for a penalty, which Wooley himself converted.
The second half followed the pattern of the first with Ashton in the ascendency and 2 minutes after the restart a great Mike Burke header from a corner was cleared off the line. This was a short reprieve for the visitors as Burke was first to another Sherlock corner and this time he powered a header into the roof of the net to reduce the arrears in the 60th minute. Alsager were being pressed all over the field and rode their luck on several occasions, whilst also working tirelessly to close down Ashton’s options on the edge of their box.
In the 69th minute Ashton reduced the deficit further as a long range effort from Dave Sherlock found a way through a crowded box to nestle in the corner of the Alsager goal. Ashton poured forward for the equaliser but a smart break down the left by Alsager caught out the Ashton defence again and when the ball was cut back from the byline Matt Wooley pounced with an unstoppable shot from just inside the box into the top corner to complete the perfect counter attack in the 78th minute.
Ashton continued to press and in the last ten minutes further good openings failed to be converted by Ashton. In the closing minutes the intense Ashton pressure brought its reward as the referee spotted an infringement in the box during an Ashton corner, pointing to the spot for an Ashton penalty that was eventually converted by Jon Bathurst.
A disputed throw in then saw the referee brandish a straight red card to Ashton’s Adam Hallam for a misplaced comment, and despite the fact that far worse had gone before and after the incident, which the man in black chose to ignore. Further controversy involving the officials during stoppage time as substitute Richard Sharpe burst through the Alsager back line only to be dragged back by a defender. Clean through on goal Sharpe would have gone on to test the Alsager goalkeeper but the referee deemed that this was not an obvious goal scoring opportunity and chose to be lenient in this instance.
A more one sided match you could not have seen but Ashton were left ruing sloppy defending allowing the visitors to score 4 goals from just 5 goal scoring chances, whilst at the other end dominance of possession produced well in excess of 20 clear goal scoring chances returning just 3 goals, ratios that at both ends of the pitch must be significantly improved in the last few games of the season.
Athletic are in cup action on Tuesday night with a local Derby match against Ashton Town in the Atherton Charity Cup Semi final, 7.30pm Kick off. Then on Saturday a trip to New Mills to face the current League Leaders in the last game of the season, a game that could have a large bearing on the eventual league Champions. Ashton however will be keen to grab the three points to hold on to claim 6th place in the league which would be an excellent return for their first season at this level.
Ashton’s reserves maintained their excellent league form with a 3-2 win at Colne as a brace of goals from Carl Grimshaw and one from Kev Kynaston secured maximum points. They play their last league match of the season on Saturday against Chadderton before looking forward to the Reserve Division Cup final against the winners of the outstanding semi final between Atherton LR and Glossop North End, the date and venue for which will be announced this week.
VODKAT Premier Division
Ashton Athletic 3 Alsager Town 4
Ashton signed off their last home match of the season with a disappointing reverse against Alsager Town at the weekend, with slack defending presenting the visitors with a 3 goal lead at half time. Despite a second half rally the challenge proved too great and Alsager held on for the 3 points with the odd goal in seven.
Numerous opportunities were spurned by Ashton in an eventful first half, before poor marking in the box allowed Alsager striker Joe Roberts two chances that he put away with ease in the 17th and 27th minutes. Ashton continued to dominate and further chances came and went as a combination of poor finishing and good goalkeeping from Luke Hebblewhite kept the visitors lead intact. With the exception of the two goals Alsager failed to muster a further goal scoring chance until the dyeing moments of the half, whilst Ashton’s dominance created opportunities running into double figures without the necessary composure being shown to reduce the deficit.
To add insult to injury Ashton’s first half misery was completed in the 44th minute as a long ball out of defence caught the Ashton back line square. As Matt Wooley broke through he was forced wide by the advancing Ashton keeper Fitzpatrick who then toed the ball away before colliding with Wooley in the process. A half hearted call for a foul from the visitors struck a chord with referee Johnson who pointed to the spot for a penalty, which Wooley himself converted.
The second half followed the pattern of the first with Ashton in the ascendency and 2 minutes after the restart a great Mike Burke header from a corner was cleared off the line. This was a short reprieve for the visitors as Burke was first to another Sherlock corner and this time he powered a header into the roof of the net to reduce the arrears in the 60th minute. Alsager were being pressed all over the field and rode their luck on several occasions, whilst also working tirelessly to close down Ashton’s options on the edge of their box.
In the 69th minute Ashton reduced the deficit further as a long range effort from Dave Sherlock found a way through a crowded box to nestle in the corner of the Alsager goal. Ashton poured forward for the equaliser but a smart break down the left by Alsager caught out the Ashton defence again and when the ball was cut back from the byline Matt Wooley pounced with an unstoppable shot from just inside the box into the top corner to complete the perfect counter attack in the 78th minute.
Ashton continued to press and in the last ten minutes further good openings failed to be converted by Ashton. In the closing minutes the intense Ashton pressure brought its reward as the referee spotted an infringement in the box during an Ashton corner, pointing to the spot for an Ashton penalty that was eventually converted by Jon Bathurst.
A disputed throw in then saw the referee brandish a straight red card to Ashton’s Adam Hallam for a misplaced comment, and despite the fact that far worse had gone before and after the incident, which the man in black chose to ignore. Further controversy involving the officials during stoppage time as substitute Richard Sharpe burst through the Alsager back line only to be dragged back by a defender. Clean through on goal Sharpe would have gone on to test the Alsager goalkeeper but the referee deemed that this was not an obvious goal scoring opportunity and chose to be lenient in this instance.
A more one sided match you could not have seen but Ashton were left ruing sloppy defending allowing the visitors to score 4 goals from just 5 goal scoring chances, whilst at the other end dominance of possession produced well in excess of 20 clear goal scoring chances returning just 3 goals, ratios that at both ends of the pitch must be significantly improved in the last few games of the season.
Athletic are in cup action on Tuesday night with a local Derby match against Ashton Town in the Atherton Charity Cup Semi final, 7.30pm Kick off. Then on Saturday a trip to New Mills to face the current League Leaders in the last game of the season, a game that could have a large bearing on the eventual league Champions. Ashton however will be keen to grab the three points to hold on to claim 6th place in the league which would be an excellent return for their first season at this level.
Ashton’s reserves maintained their excellent league form with a 3-2 win at Colne as a brace of goals from Carl Grimshaw and one from Kev Kynaston secured maximum points. They play their last league match of the season on Saturday against Chadderton before looking forward to the Reserve Division Cup final against the winners of the outstanding semi final between Atherton LR and Glossop North End, the date and venue for which will be announced this week.
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DP at 10:03 AM
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