By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington FC defender Si Jakab lauded his team mates with praise following their 4-0 victory over Nottinghamshire-based opponents Carlton Town on Saturday.

The Colliers went through an unprecedented first half where despite holding a 2-0 lead, they sustained a succession of injuries which forced them to use their maximum allocation of three substitutes with almost an hour of the game remaining: “It’s always difficult when you get injuries early in the game but there were three in a row within ten minutes,” said Jakab, who is based in Sunderland, “On the pitch, you keep swapping positions and changing formation and it’s not easy to adapt to it. However I thought we did fantastically well and the subs that came on did themselves proud because sometimes it’s difficult to get into a game especially early on but credit to them and the whole squad.”

Jakab – who was born in Budapest in Hungary – believed that despite the changes, Ashington were comfortable: “Carlton posed some threats but as a back four – or a back five when we needed to depending on injuries – I thought we dealt with everything and having the midfield lads in front of us made us a bit more comfortable at the back,” he said. The 23 year old is enjoying his football with the Colliers and took time out to appreciate the whole set up at Woodhorn Lane: “It’s difficult to get into a team where you have got good people on and off the pitch,” he said, “But absolute credit to the management – they have put things together really well. I love it here – whether it’s at training; being in the changing rooms or spending time after the games. I feel we’ve got a squad who on our day can beat anyone because we stick together.”