By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner said his side ‘lost their way’ during the 4-1 defeat against Stockton Town at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday.

The Teessiders looked a well drilled and organised outfit – but after going into the interval with the game goalless, Skinner commented: “At half time I was happy. We chatted about one or two things and we talked about being a little bit more positive and playing a little bit more on the front foot but I thought we came out and started really poor and Stockton were brighter than us. Then we lost our way and they scored a really good second goal. We made some changes and tried to push real high numbers up front to just try and steal some territory and pin them (Stockton) back a little bit – and we did that for a little spell only we didn’t really threaten the goal anywhere near enough. We moved the ball too slow and allowed Stockton to get into a low block and credit to them because they worked really hard. After that whether it was a lack of belief that we weren’t going to break them down I don’t know but they (Stockton) scored two goals in the last few minutes which was really disappointing. However all in all, I don’t think anybody can begrudge Stockton leaving here with three points as I thought the best team on the day won.”

Skinner said his outfit did well in a first half which he found to be ‘uneventful.’ He added: “I thought Stockton started the game brighter than us; they were on the front foot and quicker than us and they moved the ball with pace and purpose more than we did. However credit to our lads as we managed to dig in and find a way into the game and the second half of the first half petered out into a sparring match where both sides had the ball for a little while but there weren’t any real great opportunities and I thought it was a pretty uneventful first half.”

Skinner described Wilson Kneeshaw’s late goal as being the only ‘bright spot’ in the second 45 minutes: “To be fair the only bright spot for us to take out of the second half was Wilson’s goal. I thought he worked tirelessly all day and we’ve tried to really work with him, looking for him to run in behind – which is more of his strength – and to use his pace albeit I thought when he did get in behind and took all those extra touches he might have missed the chance which resulted in the goal – but fair play to him. He’s danced inside and danced inside again so I was pleased for him.”

Ashington now have two away games on consecutive Saturdays – against Winterton Rangers and Sheffield FC – and the boss added: “We have got two huge fixtures coming up – they’ll not be easy but we’ll prepare properly as we always do. We’ll study the video footage this week from the Stockton game and review it as a group – but what we won’t do is to fall out with each other. There’s still a long way to go in the season but the sooner we start winning games of football the better.”

Meanwhile Skinner spoke about the updates on four players. He said: “Striker Scott Heslop has chosen to go to Birtley Town and we wish him all the best whilst Oli Thompson picked up an injury at Gateshead hence that’s why he hasn’t been available.  Max Emmerson has been out of action for the best part of two years. He’s getting five minutes here and ten minutes there and I think we’re at a stage with him now where he really needs to go and test himself in terms of playing regular so he’s going to Whickham on a 28 days loan. Charlie Exley – who is suspended for us at step 4 level – can play at the level below us so we’ve allowed him to join West Auckland also on a 28 days loan.”

He concluded: “We are actively looking to possibly bring in one or two players but at the moment it’s difficult to do that.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner admitted after his sides single goal defeat against Cleethorpes Town on Saturday that it was a ‘hard one to take.’

Shortly after half time, Will Annan scored for the Owls then Skinner looked on as his outfit were unable to find the net despite carving out a handful of chances inside the final quarter hour.

The boss said afterwards: “It was a hard one to take today to be honest because I thought from one to 16 we were really, really good. We looked very well organised and limited them (Cleethorpes) to very little. In fact they only had one shot on target and scored and it came from a little bit of an error and Paul Van-Zandvliet is distraught by it. Mistakes are part of the game and at the moment we just seem to get punished when we make them. However, I’m not sure I could have asked much more from the players today.”

He continued: “There wasn’t a lot in the game if I’m honest. First half we had a chance early on cleared off the line and I don’t think they (Cleethorpes) had a shot on target in the first half. After the break, we came out and did okay and were on for what I would call as being a classic away performance whereby we were solid and we tried to play on the counter attack. The mistake led to the goal and they (Cleethorpes) have scored. With 20 minutes to go we changed one or two things to go on the front foot and we’ve dominated possession. We’ve also created some very good chances; their ‘keeper (James McKeown) has made two or three very good saves; we’ve had a couple of scrambles in the box whilst Craig Spooner has hit the bar – and I don’t anyone could have complained had we taken something from the game.”

He went on: “Nobody likes to get beat and I acknowledge that we have lost but I’m not sure the performance warranted a defeat today and its one of them where at the end I said to the lads ‘listen, you’ve performed really well both in and out of possession; we’ve had a plan and stuck to it and on another day we could have won it or at least certainly taken a point.’ If you look at statistics we will have had more of the ball than them (Cleethorpes) and had more shots than them both on and off target – but we just haven’t put the ball in the net.”

For the all round trip of over 350 miles to North East Lincolnshire, Skinner travelled down without nine players and he said: “Nine were out but I’m not using that as an excuse – far from it. The lads who played today stood up and were counted and were brilliant – and it shows the strength and depth of the squad that we have got. Cleethorpes are on a good run whilst we were also on a good run and I thought we deserved something from the game. However sometimes football can be cruel and we’ve been punished for a mistake and we’ll learn by it. We’ll dust ourselves down; train twice this week and prepare for Stockton Town at home on Saturday.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington FC’s assistant manager Andy Coyles admitted that the ‘chat’ in the dressing room at the interval proved pivotal on Tuesday night as the Colliers reached the quarter finals of the Newcastle Flooring Senior Cup after a 5-1 win over Newcastle University.

“We said at half time that if the lads from the University had been 3-1 in front they would have deserved it – 100 per cent,” he commented, “We had a couple of opportunities ourselves but they had two one on ones and a penalty and I thought they had the better of the chances. We were open and honest with the lads as we always are and we thought we were very fortunate to be in front. We broke it down and said to them ‘we are 1-0 up and they need to score two goals away from home to actually win the game – lets not make that happen.”

He continued: “It was a classic case of a game of two halves. I thought in the first period we were very poor – poor by our standards considering the standards that we set a week ago against Dunston. We made a few changes in order to protect a few lads going into Saturday’s league game at Cleethorpes – only we couldn’t get going. We got off to a great start with a goal inside two minutes but I think it was probably the worst thing that could have happened to us. Our standards slipped from the minute Declan Bisset put the ball into the back of the net and the way we conducted ourselves and the way we played the game just wasn’t us – it wasn’t what we have been doing.”

He went on: “We had a ‘chat’ at half time and the second half was a lot more promising and a lot more pleasing. We produced a lot more combination play; the link up play was good; decision making was better and as a result we got our just rewards.”

Coyles added that the crowd of 320 had been treated to some ‘great’ goals: “The first which we scored came after excellent build up play out wide and great link up play by Wilson Kneeshaw with Declan Bisset in a great position to score,” he said, “In the second half Declan (Bisset) has added another fantastic goal and I thought he was close to – if not – being the player of the match. Declan and Si Jakab gave two terrific performances and of the lads who came on, I thought Scott Heslop deserves a mention after netting twice and nearly getting a third – but there were some great goals tonight. The University also scored with a fantastic effort in the second half which put us under a lot of pressure at 2-1. However, the job tonight was to win the game and we’ve done that – but we just need to make sure that we don’t replicate that first half performance anytime soon!”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner is adamant that his players will ‘turn things round’ – as the Colliers slipped down a notch and now occupy fourth from bottom spot in the Northern Premier League East Division table following a 2-0 defeat against Newton Aycliffe on Tuesday night.

Two goals in the last quarter hour of the first half from Jake Petitjean and Kyle Davis secured the points for the home side who as a result, came off the basement and leapfrogged over the Colliers.

It was Ashington’s fourth league defeat of the season and fourth consecutive game where they have failed to score but there were other issues on the night with the Wansbeck side having the play out the final 35 minutes with nine men after Charlie Exley and Karl Ross were sent off either side of half time – both for second yellow card offences.

However Skinner said afterwards: “The players know they need to be better; the management team know that too and it’s a collective whereby we are all as one where we win together and lose together. But I’ve got no doubt that when we maybes get a little bit of a rub of the green in certain situations that we’ll turn it round because we have got too much quality.”

During the interval, the boss brought on Ben Sampson and Scott Heslop for Damen Mullen and Wilson Kneeshaw and shortly after the second dismissal, Craig Spooner was introduced for the injured Dan Maguire.

Skinner had nothing but admiration for the players who completed proceedings: “I’ve got to give a special mention to the nine players that finished the game,” he added, “the effort, desire, commitment and work rate they gave in those 35 minutes was fantastic and was the huge plus point. Every one of them went home knowing that they had done the best they could in a very, very tricky situation. The biggest thing for me is the rest of the players who were here tonight and who witnessed the last 35 minutes with nine men. They need to take that commitment, effort and that work rate into every game we go into because we did it tonight with two players short.”

He continued: “There’s no room for you not to be able to do that otherwise it would have been a far worse situation – but what we have got to start doing is applying that from the first whistle when its 11 v 11. If we do that, I’ve got no doubt that we’ll turn things round because there are some honest players in the group. We’ll work hard in training on Thursday to be better then we go again on Saturday at home to Dunston UTS.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner says his outfit need to ‘smarten up – and fast’ in the wake of Saturday’s 3-0 defeat against Dunston UTS in the first qualifying round of the Isuzu FA Trophy.

Speaking after the reverse, Skinner said: “I have mixed emotions if I’m honest. I thought we started the game really, really brightly; moved the ball really well and caused them (Dunston) lots of problems. Then we have a great move and create a great opportunity for Wilson (Kneeshaw) 12 yards out in front of goal. Yes give Dunston ‘keeper Dan Staples a little bit of credit for saving it but Wilson probably should score from there and it would have given us our just desserts – only it wasn’t to be. That was one of a couple of fantastic opportunities we had to take the lead and they are opportunities we need to start taking because then it makes it a different game. But then we’ve conceded a really poor goal where we’ve allowed the wide man to come inside with no pressure on the ball, cross into the box and Jordan Summerly’s got dragged under the ball and the lad at the back post – unmarked – has scored.”

He continued: “I could see the confidence drain out of everybody with players not quite wanting to get on the ball as much as they probably should and it’s a one of those situations where the mentality has got to be ‘let’s make sure we don’t concede another one’ – but at the minute we seem to concede one (goal) then concede another and today we soon found ourselves 3-0 down. As a managerial team, we can break every goal down into poor goals – but the ones we are conceding are really poor. The second (goal) comes after we have been on the attack and the home goalkeeper has gathered the ball and thrown it out to the left back. We’ve come to get pressure on the ball and we’ve stopped before we even get to the man and allowed him to play it unattended – which means we’ve now got a player out of position. Again it’s a really, really poor goal from our point of view but then all three were to be honest – and we need to smarten up and smarten up fast.”

Skinner added: “We’d had two very, very good training sessions during the week. On Thursday night both in and out of possession I saw some of the best I’ve seen from this group since we brought them together and it’s about transferring it from training pitch to match pitch. I reference boxing sometimes and you can have what you call gym fighters. You can have a boxer who in sparring looks brilliant because he knows his opponent isn’t actually going to hit him or hit him properly and I think we’re a little bit like that – in training we look really, really sharp and really, really good then when we get out onto the pitch we’re apprehensive. Again it’s like the boxer who goes into the ring to fight an opponent he doesn’t know and becomes a bit apprehensive and is worried a little bit – and we look a little bit like that – and until we start making it more difficult for other teams when we are out of possession, we’ll continue to lose games of football.”

He continued: “Dunston have come out second half and albeit they were 3-0 up so they didn’t really have to push or exert too much. But it’s frustrating for us because we started really sloppy for a couple of minutes then we got on the ball and started passing the ball again. It becomes a confidence thing where the lads think ‘it’s 3-0 and chances are that the game has gone’ – so let’s get on and play. There was a water break which came at an idea time because I was about to make a substitution and we managed to change one or two things and again from the restart, we dominated the ball. We had a couple of shots that flashed wide and then we’ve picked up a red card which is again frustration – and means that the game is over.”

He went on: “Again to our credit, we had to sit in when we needed to and see the game out and when we got the ball, we kept it quite well with ten men. However, as I said only recently ‘goals win games’ and until we start scoring – because that’s three games in a row now where we haven’t scored – and make it more difficult for the opposition to put the ball in our net, it’ll be a long hard season. The players know that and I have told them in no uncertain terms what we need to be improve on and the sooner they realise that the better. They are a group of players that have been brought together after a lot of changes in the summer and there’s still one or two trying to find their feet whilst we’ve just brought another couple (of players) in recently and we’ve also had a number of injuries. Craig Spooner and Dan Maguire were on the bench today because they missed our game at Bridlington last Saturday through injury whilst Oli Thompson was ineligible today. His parent club Gateshead didn’t him cup tied which is understandable because they got to the final of the Trophy last season.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Oli Thompson says he is delighted to link up with Ashington on a loan deal from Gateshead.

The Sunderland-born youngster, who only turned 18 last month, made his debut for the Colliers in Saturday’s 2-1 win over Stocksbridge Park Steels at Bracken Moor – and claimed an assist for the opening goal headed home by Charlie Exley – before making his first appearance at Woodhorn Lane in Monday’s 2-0 defeat by Consett.

“I’m delighted to join Ashington,” said Thompson, “I need minutes in the tank and Gateshead sorted the loan out for me. I think I can develop here (at Ashington) and become a better player and hopefully when I return to Gateshead, I’ll have a lot to thank Ashington for.”

Looking back at his first appearance in a black and white shirt, he said: “Overall I was happy but I did feel a bit leggy in the second half because that was my first 90 minutes in about three or four months. I thought we deserved to win in the end. For the first 20-25 minutes we were bopping the ball about quite well and they (Stocksbridge) couldn’t quite get near us but the penalty which they equalised from was a turning point and the game switched momentum in their favour. However we got the winner in the second half so I was happy.”

Thompson was honest about the part he played in Exley’s goal: “I’m not going to lie,” he said, “It was a shot but it worked out well in the end, with Charlie (Exley) heading the ball in at the back post.”

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner said: “Oli is somebody who I know very, very well. I had a year coaching him in the youth team (at Gateshead) and he was brilliant. The game everybody will remember is against Blyth Spartans. We were 3-1 down; Oli then scored a hat trick and we won 4-3. Through his own hard work, endeavour and willingness to listen and learn he managed to earn himself a professional contract at Gateshead and he’s been really bright and sharp for the first team in pre season. He’s a little bit unlucky to find himself out on loan to be honest because Gateshead do really think he has a big future but the plus side with that is my relationship with them and Oli.”

Thompson has signed on a season long loan with a recall option any time after 28 days and Skinner added: “I jumped at the opportunity to take Oli because I think he will offer us that little bit of something different and people who watched him play at Stocksbridge will have seen that he’s happy to take the ball under pressure; he’s low centre gravity and can twist and turn one way and the other. He’ll run at people and cause them problems; his range of passing is good and he’ll chip in with a few goals so I think he’ll be a really positive player for us and I’m just delighted that we have got him.” He went on: “In the opening 15 minutes against Stocksbridge Oli was brilliant. He played the pass for one of Wilson Kneeshaw’s one on ones; he put the ball in for Charlie Exley to score; he had an effort where he picked the ball up on the edge of our own box and ran the full length of the pitch and stung the ‘keeper’s hands who had to turn it over for a corner. We probably and possibly could have withdrawn him but you just know if you get him on the ball, he can create something in an instant. I’m just looking forward to working with him and hopefully helping him to develop further.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner looked on as his outfit gave an under par display which culminated in a 2-0 home defeat against Consett at Woodhorn Lane on Bank Holiday Monday afternoon.

And afterwards, the boss issued a no-nonsense message to his squad when he said: “Our performance today was nowhere near good enough – and I’ll not tolerate many more like that. People might read that and think that it is harsh given that we probably dominated the ball – but I just thought that in a nutshell we’ve played 97 minutes and haven’t had a shot on target. What we saw today was a Consett team who threw their bodies in the way and made it so difficult for us to score – then if you flip that over at the two goals which we have conceded, they are really, really soft – and that’s being polite. That’s already a catalogue of goals so far against us this season which are really soft and we need to work harder without the ball that’s for sure. If the truth be known, I’m frustrated, disappointed and annoyed and the key message from me today is that goals win games – it’s as simple as that. We could have played until training on Thursday night and not scored because our play was too slow.”

He continued: “Whenever we regained the ball, we didn’t move it quick enough, We try and play in a certain way but I thought when we got in the attacking half, we allowed Consett to get in behind the ball and it was similar to our game against Ossett. Albeit I thought we probably deserved something from the Ossett match for the chances we had but today we were too slow and too pedestrian in moving the ball in the attacking half. It’s very disappointing especially when we’ve come off the back of a good result on Saturday down at Stocksbridge and we really wanted to follow it up with a positive result at home because we’ve now played three games at Woodhorn Lane and have taken one point. The attendance was just under 700 today and we’ve had three fantastic crowds. They may be seeing us having a lot of the ball but we need to be creating more chances and being more clinical in the final third.”

He went on: “I don’t know if I jinked Mason Hardy after he scored the winner at Stocksbridge on Saturday. Following the game I said that he was one of the best finishers at the club. Today he’s had two huge chances – one a header then another with a clear sight at goal and he’s hit the post!”

The boss admitted to being in a ‘catch 22 situation’ ahead of the game: “In hindsight I probably should have changed one or two personnel and freshened the team up a little bit today,” he added, “Having played on Saturday then its really difficult because if you freshen it up and change it people will say ‘well you won on Saturday.’ So it was a catch 22 situation because if I changed the team and we didn’t get a positive result people would have said “why did you change it?” I didn’t change the team and we haven’t got a positive result and now people will look and say “They’ve played two games in three days” – so it’s a one of those.”

By Brian Bennett

Charlie Exley netted his second goal of the season for Ashington when he scored the opener with a header in their 2-1 win over Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday.

And the Newcastle-born left back admitted afterwards that he ‘backed’ himself to score: “It sounds like a cliché but I knew the ball was going to come to the back post and it was just a case of me timing my run right,” he said “I knew if I could get in behind, that I would hit the target and I’m always of the opinion that if I can get a half a yard on anyone, I’ll win the header. That may sound quite a confident and over arrogant thing to say – but I back myself to go with a header because I think people underestimate me for my size and today I got quite a good jump and timed it quite well.”

Exley thought Ashington’s ‘quality’ came to the fore: “As a defender clean sheets are what you want first and foremost and I think we nullified Stocksbridge a lot today forcing them to play long balls. Once we settled in different spells of the game, we showed our quality at times which ultimately got us the two goals and it was a massive win for us. Over the past few matches we have been quite unfortunate with little lapses in concentration which ultimately have been very costly but moving forward I think if we iron those out we’ll be a decent outfit.” The 23 year old also revealed that he is enjoying the rivalry for the left back spot with Jordan Summerly: “Its great competition I have with Jordan,” said Exley, “We know we have to play well with the other right behind – and it is going to make us better players. From my point of view when I’m on the park, it’s just a case of looking to be a constant threat and making sure I defend well.”

By Brian Bennett

Youngster Mason Hardy scored Ashington’s winner in the 2-1 result over Stocksbridge Park Steels on Saturday – and said that the super strike meant ‘the world to him.’

Charlie Exley headed the Colliers in front early in the contest in Sheffield but the hosts levelled with a penalty from Luke Rawson before Hardy struck just shy of the hour mark.

“It was my first goal for the club and it meant the world to me,” he commented afterwards, “but it was also great that we got the win and put three points on the board. When the chanced dropped to me, my aim was to lift the ball over the ‘keeper and hope that it would go in – and thankfully it all worked out well.”

The 18 year old added: “I thought we controlled the game well and it was just a case of trying to see the game out and get the points so at the end I was so happy.” Manager Ian Skinner said: “Mason hasn’t played too many minutes in games but in training what we see is his finishing ability which is second to none at the club and today his goal was sublime – a little chip with the outside of his foot. I was right behind his effort and the ball actually bounced outside of the post and spun in. It was a great finish and I’m delighted for Mason because he’s a lovely lad. He’s quite quiet but technically very, very good and some of his finishing in training is amazing.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner was cock-a hoop after watching his side pick up a 2-1 victory over Stocksbridge Park Steels to claim their first league win of the season.

Reflecting on the performance in South Yorkshire, the boss described the win as being ‘vitally important’ – but that the points could and should have been sealed early doors.

“We have got our first win under our belts which was vitally important because albeit performances have been very good but we hadn’t got possibly the results we deserved from those other games,” he said, “so it was vitally important that we tried to get a win on the board as soon as we could. I thought we started the game really brightly and to be honest, the contest should have been over by the first 15 minutes. We’ve scored a brilliant goal following a good passage of play where we were patient and looked after the ball and worked it out wide to Oli Thompson, He has jinked inside – which we know he can do – then delivered a great ball to the back post and Charlie Exley has nodded it in. Following that, we’ve had two massive chances with Wilson (Kneeshaw) through one on one. He’s had a little bit of a stuttery touch on the first one which allowed the ‘keeper to get really close to him and smother it out and then for the second, it’s a great run by Wilson and a super through ball in behind. Wilson is through again and he bends it around the ‘keeper but it goes just the wrong side of the post – but really that should have been game over.”

He continued: “Two minutes after that we find ourselves hauled back to ones each and it’s frustrating. However, that’s the difference with the league we have moved into because if you make mistakes, you get punished and we need to have that bit of a killer instinct really. In similar respects to the match against Stockton last week, after Stocksbridge equalised, they came into the game and we lost our way a little bit so everything we had done really, really well in the opening quarter of an hour, we struggled to do. We became loose and sloppy in possession; we gave the ball away cheaply and they had a couple of half decent chances – albeit we always looked dangerous on the break.”

Skinner talked about the word ‘confidence’: “I was really disappointed how we started the second half,” he added, “Stocksbridge certainly came out the better outfit and if the truth be know, we scored our second against the run of play. Again Wilson (Kneeshaw) dropped into that little pocket of space and played a great ball in behind for Mason Hardy who finished it off well. Then confidence comes oozing back and what we have got to remember is that we are a relatively young side. When they (Stocksbridge) got the penalty in the first half to equalise, our confidence drained a little bit but when we scored the goal to go back in front, the confidence came back and they (the players) wanted the ball again and we had a couple of spells whereby we kept possession well.” He went on: “Stocksbridge were a constant threat from set plays – an aspect which is a massive part of this league we have gone into. Teams look to utilise it and we are not the biggest or physically the strongest side so I was pleased with the way we defended those set plays and managed the game out really. It made our journey home easier with a ‘W’ (win) in the column and if we can follow that up with another ‘W’ on Monday (against Consett), then all of a sudden two wins on the board makes it a real positive start to the season.”