By Brian Bennett

Marc Ellison thought his side were outstanding in the second half as they churned out a 2-1 win over Heaton Stannington on Bank Holiday Monday.

However Ashington’s interim boss could not heap enough praise onto the supporters of the Woodhorn Lane club describing them as being ‘absolutely tremendous’ as they drove their team on.

The win was just what the Wansbeck side wanted – but the Colliers are not out of the relegation woods yet.

Ellison said: “Unfortunately certain results didn’t help us, but we’ve done what we can to look after ourselves. Other than that there were no complaints from me today. We’ve asked the lads to go unbeaten at home for the rest of the season, and they keep delivering. If we can start matching that level away from home, then I think we’ll be in a really good place.”

Ellison – left frustrated by events in the opening quarter of an hour –  praised the players: “First half, we miss a penalty and then have another big chance straight after. Then they (Heaton Stannington) go up the other end and score, and you start thinking it might be one of those days. But credit to the players – we regrouped, got in at half-time and tweaked the shape a little bit. I thought we were outstanding in the second half and on the balance of play, we probably deserved the result.”

Ellison then spoke about the Ashington fans in a crowd of 731: “I’ve got to mention the supporters again,” he said, “They were absolutely tremendous today and really drove us on when we needed it. It’s in our hands now. We’ve got three big games left, and we need to carry this momentum forward and make sure we finish where we want to be.”