By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner said he was ‘most definitely delighted and overall thoroughly pleased’ with the performance from his players after the 0-0 draw against Morpeth Town at Craik Park on Saturday.

Skinner commented: “Obviously it’s the first pre season game we’ve had against higher ranked opposition, It was good that the lads still stuck to the process; the system and the style in which we are trying to play and what today will do subconsciously is that it will show that the way we are trying to play works regardless of the opposition. I thought we dominated the ball for spells; I certainly thought we created the better opportunities and the only slight disappointment is that we haven’t taken some of them – and on another day if we had, we probably would have won the game.”

He continued: “I don’t get carried away with pre season results and what I’m pleased with is the minutes we have got into people. We have pushed players through 70, 75, and 80 minutes today which we needed to do. I also thought the way in which we looked after the ball and moved the ball and rotated position to cause the opposition problems worked really well. I was most definitely delighted with the performance – and overall, I was thoroughly pleased.”