By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC boss Ian Skinner said at the weekend that if his players can’t look at Saturday’s 6-1 defeat at the hands of Guisborough and get motivated for the forthcoming quarter final cup clash against the Teessiders early next month, that his outfit have got problems.

Speaking in the wake of the heavy reverse, Skinner is challenging his players to bounce back for the Ebac Northern League Division One cup tie which is at Woodhorn Lane on Tuesday April 5: “After losing 6-1 at home today and knowing you have got an opportunity in a couple of weeks time to play the same opposition in a cup competition in a straight knock out, if that doesn’t motivate this group of players to say ‘let’s go and show people that the 6-1 defeat against Guisborough in the league was not the real Ashington and that we’ll really be trying our utmost to book a place in the semi final’ – then we really have got problems,” he said, “It’s not solely because it’s a quarter final tie with the opportunity of a home semi final – it’s also as we have been nowhere near good enough today.”

The Colliers have four league games remaining and Skinner added that he doesn’t want the season to merely peter out. However for Saturday’s home clash against Newton Aycliffe (March 26), the boss will have to reckon without Max Emmerson, Tom Bramley, Adam Johnson, Thomas Kalthoeber and Ben Sampson who are all ruled out through injury whilst Paul Robinson is suspended.