By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner admitted that there was a touch of irony attached to Lewis Suddick’s goal which clinched the Woodhorn Lane outfit victory over North Shields in the JR Cleator Cup final on Saturday.

The Colliers – 2-0 behind at the interval – clawed themselves back into the contest to start the new season where they had left off in early May – by winning silverware. Only three months ago, they lifted the Ebac Northern League’s division one cup against Newcastle Benfield at North Shields’s Daren Persson Stadium.

On Saturday, Danny Anderson and Lee Mason brought the scores level inside the opening quarter hour of the second half before Suddick’s header from a free-kick on 75 minutes proved to be the clincher. However, Skinner revealed afterwards that had Dean Briggs listened to a few of his team mates, the goal may not have materialised: “It was quite ironic,” said the Ashington boss, “I think a couple of the lads were telling Dean (Briggs) to slow down before taking the kick because Robbie (Dale) was coming up to join the players in the penalty area. Dean mustn’t have heard them – and he’s played a delightful ball into the box where Lewis (Suddick) has scored with a thumping header! To be fair, we’ve been looking to be better from set plays and had put one or two visuals up in the dressing room – so it was nice for one of them to come off.”