By Brian Bennett
Ashington’s manager Marc Ellison spoke of his frustration following the Colliers 2-1 defeat against Silsden at a windswept Woodhorn Lane ground on Saturday.
For the umpteenth time this campaign, the Wansbeck outfit conceded a late goal and Ellison was quick to point out: “Against Dunston, Stocksbridge, Heaton Stannington, and today against Silsden – that’s four games off the top of my head – where we have conceded late on and I think there’s more. We just don’t play for the full 90 minutes. We’ve been good in first half’s but concede from kick-offs and in the second half it’s not been the complete performance all year. Guisborough away was probably the best we’ve played over the full game yet we didn’t get a result so sometimes you just think we’ll not play as well and take the three points. We want to play the right way and we are trying different things. We worked really hard in the week on a new formation and first half it worked a treat but I expected more. You can’t play one half of football and think it’s done – you’ve got to go again, kick on and find new ways to affect games if something has been sussed out.”
He continued: “To play how we did first half and look really comfortable and probably have them on the ropes, we should have been going in at half time more than one goal up for sure. We had good chances, but after being in good positions we refused to cross the ball or have a shot. I was really pleased and more so when we got the goal because I felt it was the least we deserved. Silsden have just shown in the second half that if you do pull the trigger then you’ve got a chance of hitting the back of the net. I wanted us to go again (second half) and I expected a little bit more than we gave. Ryan Donaldson came off with an injury after five minutes which changed the game in my opinion. He is pivotal to the way we want to play, to get on the ball and get us moving it (the ball) and I think that could be a reason but the goals we conceded are just basic – we have to get out and stop a cross or stop a shot.”
Ellison added that his team had not carried out the game plan after the break: “The wind has probably played a part in both half’s but that’s not really an excuse,” he said, “I just don’t think we kept to the game plan that we wanted to play in the second half – to keep hold of the ball and keep it on the floor, kick on and go again. I know conditions were difficult but we have got to be braver in those situations when we are winning. I know we haven’t won for a while and they (the players) may be thinking that they want to sit back or sit off but that wasn’t the plan – that’s not what we asked them to do. We asked them to go and score more goals – so it’s disappointing.”
Ellison is looking for a reaction from his side for Tuesday night’s trip to face Lincoln United: “They (Lincoln United) have started the season well and are in a play off position. It’s a long way to go (to Lincoln) but I’ll be able to see what characters we have in the group. If we can play like we played in the first half today – indeed for the majority of the game – then we will give ourselves a chance.”