By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC’s stand in skipper Darren Lough was cock-a-hoop after leading his side to a deserved replay from their Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round tie against Ashton United at Hurst Cross on Saturday.

The 32 year old was given the captain’s armband before the game and said afterwards: “I thoroughly enjoyed it – and being skipper doesn’t affect my game. It was a good match to play in and every one of our lads put a shift in. They (Ashton United) made it hard for us but I thought we dug in and played when we needed too. We got a draw – and hopefully we can get an even better result on Tuesday night in the replay.”

Reflecting on the 90 minutes, Morpeth-based Lough – a drainage engineer – said: “I thought we started really well against a team who are two leagues above us. We were away from home and knew what to expect – that they (Ashton) were going to be a side with good players – but then we are also a very good team. We stuck to our plan and we played some good football and although it’s a result which may have surprised a few people – I’m not surprised at all with the team we have got. We are in the hat for the next round – and that’s the main thing.”

He continued: “They (Ashton) had a spell where they were largely on top then we got into it; had a bit of possession and towards the end of the game it was end to end. We created some chances; they had a couple of little chances and something might have given. But after we conceded late against Carlisle City in midweek, it was good to keep a clean sheet and overall, I thought we put on a good performance today.”

Ashington-born Lough – who missed the start of the season due to injury – is keeping his fingers crossed: “The injury is okay now,” he said, “It’s definitely pain free and touch wood it stays like this for the rest of the season as I don’t want to be sidelined any more.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner emerged from the dressing rooms on Saturday following the 0-0 draw against Ashton United in Greater Manchester and gave maximum credit to his players: “There’s not many nil-nil games involving an Ashington team that I have been in charge of – and although it’s not a first, it is rare!” he said afterwards, “It was certainly not a score line which I would have predicted before the game – but I can’t be anything other than pleased with the way the lads have played to be fair.”

Playing against a team who operate two leagues higher than the Colliers in the Northern Premier League Premier Division, Skinner added: “The first half was quite tentative a little bit I thought – but that was understandable. We’ve got players who have played at this level and above in our squad and they certainly weren’t fazed by it. On the other hand, we’ve also got one or two who haven’t experienced playing at this level before in a competitive game and in the first half, I thought they almost just wanted to make sure they did their jobs and didn’t give anything away cheaply – which we were guilty of the previous week against Billingham Town when we went out of the Isuzu FA Vase.”

He continued: “At half time we talked about one or two things for maybes those who haven’t played at this level regularly and said ‘hopefully you’ve seen in the first 45 minutes that there is a game of football here which we can actually go on and win in the second half’ and I thought after the break – without being disrespectful – we were the better side. We certainly grew into the game; we had the better chances; their goalkeeper (Gregory Hartley) has had to make three or four saves whilst our stopper Karl Dryden has maybes made one. To be honest, it was just disappointing that we didn’t get a goal to win it because I thought our performance probably warranted it and again without being disrespectful we probably shaded the game.”

Skinner went on: “If somebody had offered me a 0-0 score line before the game, I probably would have took it so I was delighted. Having watched Ashton, I tried to work on how we could attack the game and get something from it. I gave them (the players) some information and they took it on board. They’ve carried the game plan out so full credit to them.”

Advanced tickets for the replay can book at:

https://ashingtonafc.ktckts.com/event/ashtonfacup/ashington-afc-vs-ashton-united-fc-fa-cup

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner – clearly delighted with the performance from his side who were excellent in the goalless draw away to Ashton United on Saturday – has praised the players who didn’t take part in the Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round game at Hurst Cross in Greater Manchester.

Skinner said: “We’ve come to Ashton and have kept a clean sheet – so that tells me that everybody has done really well. We’ve also fashioned chances at the other end so it shows me both in possession and out of possession we’ve been good.”

With 12 minutes to go Adam Johnson replaced Lee Mason whilst Luke Salmon came on for Paul Robinson later on: “It was a relatively tight game where changes sometimes disrupt the flow and the pattern of the game so we’ve made a couple because throughout the season we’ve had to manage Lee Mason (who has a slight injury) and I just felt that although Paul (Robinson) looked a real threat, he just tired a little bit. We just needed to try and shore up that side a bit in terms of attacking and Luke (Salmon) gives us that little bit of an opportunity late in the game to go more direct.”

He continued: “However, I feel I need to give a real shout out to the players who travelled but didn’t get onto the pitch. It’s part and parcel of the game but they have still been invaluable because a couple of times during the match when I’ve glanced along at the bench, I’ve thought ‘I’ve got good options whatever we might need here.’ All in all I was really pleased but preparations for the replay on Tuesday night have already started – and we’ll look forward to welcoming Ashton United to Ashington.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner and stand in skipper Darren Lough have both outlined the key role which the general public can play on Tuesday night when the Colliers meet Ashton United in their Emirates FA Cup first qualifying round replay at Woodhorn Lane.

The Colliers deservedly earned the right to the rematch following a 0-0 draw at Hurst Cross on Saturday – and will be looking to make home advantage count against a side who are second top of the Pitching In Northern Premier League’s Premier Division – two leagues above – for the game which has a 7.45pm kick-off.

Skinner – delighted with the result on Saturday – said: “Ashton have got to travel up to us on Tuesday night – which they’re used to because they travel midweek in their league fixtures – but hopefully we’ll attract a decent crowd. The drums will be out and the fans will make some noise on our patch and on our pitch – so we want Woodhorn Lane to be bouncing. We’ll attack and be looking to win the game because there has to be an outcome. However make no bones about it – it’ll be tough”

Lough – who took over the captain’s armband with skipper Ben Harmison unavailable and Dean Briggs ruled out through injury – said: “I always look forward to Tuesday night matches at Ashington. It’s a massive game – Newcastle United and Sunderland are not in action either – and it’ll be good if the fans can get behind the club. We play some nice football and hopefully we can put on a good show for the supporters – who can be our 12^th man – because they certainly help us. It’s great when they (the fans) come out in their numbers and cheer the lads on because it not only gives us all that extra boost to try and kick on – the lads all love it as well.”

On the team news front, Skinner added: “First of all, we’ll see how the players have come through today’s game – but for the replay, we’ll still have to reckon without lads who have already missed out including Ben Harmison, Dean Briggs, Lewis Suddick and Max Emmerson.”

Advanced tickets are already going well and supporters can book ahead at:

https://ashingtonafc.ktckts.com/event/ashtonfacup/ashington-afc-vs-ashton-united-fc-fa-cup

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner was disappointed that his outfit conceded a late goal against Carlisle City on Tuesday night – but was nevertheless happy with what he described as being ‘a battling performance.’

Paul Robinson fired the Colliers ahead shortly before half time and the goal looked to be leading the Wansbeck side to a sixth consecutive league win – until Brandon Longcake netted for the Cumbrians five minutes from time which left Skinner frustrated: “A point on the road is not always a bad point,” he said, “But when you concede so late – with 85 minutes gone on the clock – its disappointing not to hold on.”

He continued: “We have got to defend that ball coming into the box better although it was a decent finish by the lad to be fair and I think the ball hit the same part of the net for both goals! However, there were lots to be pleased with and I thought it was a decent battling performance. We have travelled across to Cumbria this evening and have utilised the squad – a squad without ten players – and of those ten, probably seven of them would argue that they would probably get into what people might think is our best eleven. But that said, there are lads who have come into the side tonight and who were brilliant – people like Ben Sampson who hasn’t played a lot of football this season, has missed out through injury and then had to be a little bit patient; Yannick Aziakonou and Danny Anderson have come back into the side and in Danny’s case, he hadn’t played many minutes. It was also Thomas Kalthoeber’s first game back from injury – so there were lots of plus points in terms of the depth which we have got in the squad.”

He went on: “We went 1-0 and in the first couple of minutes after the break, Dean Briggs has gone clean through but had a heavy touch and the ‘keeper (Stephen Townsley) has come out fast off his line and done well to be fair to him. However, chances were at a premium in the second half – I can’t remember either ‘keeper having much to do – but Karl Dryden’s handling was good and everything else when hit from range, he has dealt with comfortably.”

He added: “I thought we sat off a little bit too much in the second half if I’m honest and switched off a little bit for the equaliser. We did really well to block the first effort but the ball has gone wide and we haven’t defended the cross which was disappointing. In situations like that, we’ve got to get out to the ball quicker as it (the ball) drops. However, we take the point and will dust ourselves down ahead of the Emirates FA Cup against Ashton United on Saturday.”

For the trip down to Manchester, strikers Dan Maguire and Lee Mason are both ruled out through injury whilst Robbie Dale is rated ‘very doubtful’ whilst the boss says he will need to check on the fitness of ‘two or three’ other players.

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner was naturally disappointed after his side had gone out of the Isuzu FA Vase following a 6-4 home defeat at the hands of Billingham Town on Saturday.

In one of the most unbelievable of games ever staged at Woodhorn Lane, the home side led on two occasions at 1-0 and 4-3 before the plucky visitors came back to equalise then score twice in the final quarter hour.

Skinner said: “First of all congratulations to Billingham Town. From a personal perspective if there’s a crumb of comfort to take from today, I hope the late Gary Pearson wherever he may be – who had been appointed as the Billingham manager before his sudden passing – has got a smile on his face knowing that his Billingham Town team have come to Ashington and won 6-4 because I got on well with Gary and my condolences go to his family.”

The boss was not happy from the kick off: “I wasn’t particularly pleased with how we began the game,” he added, “In the first ten seconds, we made about three passes which were really slow, really sloppy and really under hit and that set the tone for the start of the game but then after four minutes we found ourselves one nil up and you think ‘hopefully that will settle us down and we’ll go on to have a better performance.’ To Billingham’s credit they came back at us and to be fair I don’t know if there were any defences on the pitch in the first half because it ended up 4-3 at half time! However, one of the key moments for me was right on the interval where again following a good little move, we got Robbie Dale in and the ‘keeper (Jordan Harkess) has made a good save. If we had come in at half time 5-3, it might have been a different tale – but it wasn’t to be. There were lots of things that the players – as well as myself – weren’t happy with but again second half we never really got going to the fluent levels which we know we can. Most teams who have come here this season have sat in – but they didn’t choosing instead to defend deep with a low block. They (Billingham) always looked a threat if I’m honest on the counter attack and overall, you’re thinking ‘we’ve scored four, we’ve had a couple of scrambles in the box second half, hit the bar twice and we’ve lost 6-4!’ When you look back and examine things, we’ve conceded from a corner allowing Ben Riding a free header then we’ve conceded after another free header from a long throw in by Riding where Jack Pounder has scored – and again we identified Jack (Pounder) as somebody who airily is very strong.”

He continued: “Maybes you wonder ‘was it meant not to be our day?’ I think when they went 5-4 up, it’s a strike where everybody thinks it’s going wide and it cannons off the inside of the post and flies into the other side of the net – and even the lad who struck it (Ben Heeley) didn’t even realise it had gone in! We can look back on hundred of things but what we can’t do is change the result so we wish Billingham Town all the best for the rest of the competition.”

Skinner went on: “I said earlier in the season that we needed to be careful in terms of the goals we were conceding and about turning situations around – like coming from 2-0 down to win 3-2 . At the time it was great but I mentioned that there would come a point where it wouldn’t happen and unfortunately we chose the wrong day – and probably one of the worst days – for that to occur. But we have to dust ourselves down and go again and channel a bit of our disappointment about how we feel and use that to really spur us on in the other competitions we are still in. However, what we will certainly have to do is be better when we travel to face Carlisle City on Tuesday night and it’s time for the players to show a positive reaction. It’s nice that we have a game so quickly at Carlisle and nice that we’ve got another cup game at Ashton on Saturday against opposition who operate two leagues higher than us. Defensively, we‘ve had some issues this season in terms of injuries and unavailability – but that’s not an excuse and I don’t want to take anything away from Billingham because if you score six goals away from home, I think you deserve to win a game of football.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC goalkeeper is delighted to have signed a contract with the Woodhorn Lane based outfit.

Dryden said: “I’m happy to commit the next year to the club. Going off how we finished last year, I enjoyed my time after returning to the club and I think its worth giving it back. So far from pre season it’s been ‘steady away’ and implementing the new faces because there’s been quite a few additions in the close season. The changes we have had to make with Ben Harmison being in and out with the cricket season have been spot on. The lads have fitted in and they know what they need to do and it has showed in some of the games where they have done their jobs and we’ve got a result.”

On advancing in the Emirates FA Cup following the 2-1 win over Tow Law on Saturday, Ashington-born Dryden said: “We have had to grind out a result today. It’s one of those where it’s a hard game coming to Tow Law. It levelled it out that they are at home and on an awkward pitch coupled with the wind but we didn’t look threatened at any point until they scored. The second half it was how long we could dig in for and we ended up getting the win from the penalty spot as a result of a good passage of play.”

The 34 year old ‘keeper was beaten by a venomous strike by Ethan Bewley and he said: “It was one of those given the conditions today that as soon as he had half a yard and hit it – and with the wind behind it – that I couldn’t do anything about it.”

Dryden also praised the ‘very calm’ Robbie Dale who is playing in the back four: “Robbie is very calm on the ball,” said Dryden, “When he gets the ball all of a sudden he just plays at his tempo. He’s not threatened by any pressure of a striker closing him down – he’s a steady head.”

Meanwhile Liam Smith gave his reaction to putting pen to paper – with the 26 year old revealing that Ashington manager Ian Skinner played a massive part.

South Shields-born Smith said: “I’m looking forward to my time with Ashington. I probably wouldn’t have signed had Ian Skinner not been the manager because I’ve known him from when I was younger. We spoke – the boss sold me the club – and I thought why not give it a go.”

Although Smith was on the bench for Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup game at Tow Law, he had a slight injury: “I’m a naturally fit person anyway so my fitness won’t be that low,” he said, “I tweaked my calf last week so I only trained for the first time on Thursday and it’s still not 100 per cent – but I should be fine next week.”

By Brian Bennett

Robbie Dale’s late winner from the penalty spot on Saturday not only clinched Ashington a place in the next round of this season’s Emirates FA Cup – but also saved them from the possibility of a midweek replay against Tow Law.

Colliers manager Ian Skinner was delighted on both fronts: “We now haven’t got a midweek game and I’m pleased with that. Before today’s game (at Tow Law) we lost Dan Maguire who had a little niggle in training on Thursday and we didn’t want to take any risks with him. We then had to withdraw Lee Mason at half time with an injury. Football is funny for those sorts of things happening. On Tuesday night I had five strikers – and as I leave Tow Law, I think I’ve got one! Three are injured and are struggling; one has left the club and one was going to go out on loan and we’ve had to stop that.”

Jordan Lashley is the player who has departed Woodhorn Lane after being transferred to Heaton Stannington and Skinner said: “First of all, I only want players who are committed to Ashington Football Club and I was bitterly disappointed when I found out that Jordan instigated the move by contacting Heaton Stannington. That said since Jordan came to our club, he’s been brilliant. The reasons he gave (for wanting to leave), I couldn’t argue with as he wants to play regular football and at the moment we can’t give him that. Obviously the lads we have brought in have done really well and Jordan has been away on holiday for the last week or so and goes away again in a week’s time so that dictates that he’s down the pecking order. He needs to be playing regular so he goes with my best wishes and certainly no hard feelings at all and I hope he does really well – apart from when we play Heaton Stannington twice in the League! I’m sure he will do well because he was great in the time he was with us.”

Ashington now turn their attentions to the Isuzu FA Vase. On Saturday (August 27), they host Billingham Town with the winners at home to Sunderland West End in the next round.

Lewis Suddick, Lee Mason, Dan Maguire and Adam Johnson are all doubts for the Colliers whilst Thomas Kalthoeber could make a return to the squad.

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner was pleased with his side after they got through a difficult Emirates FA Cup match against Tow Law on Saturday.

Skinner said: “At the end of the day we are in the hat for the next round. It wasn’t a classic or a vintage cup tie and we certainly didn’t play to the levels we are capable of – but we’re through. Credit to Tow Law who worked hard, harried and chased. They matched us up in terms of the way we’ve been playing in the early part of the season so that shows that they have given us respect – unless they’ve been playing that way themselves. Certainly the two games I had reports on them they hadn’t and we had to change quickly to adapt. It was a bit bitty and a bit scrappy but in terms of chances, we had more than them and other than the goal which they scored, I don’t think our ‘keeper Karl Dryden has had a save to make. It was a great strike by Ethan Bewley for their goal down the bank and was wind assisted and flew into the top corner and there’s not a lot you can do about them – sometimes you’ve just got to hold your hands up.”

He continued: “I thought second half we had the majority of possession but at times we slowed our play down too often. It looked as if any side were going to score it was going to be us and it came from the penalty spot and if you could pick somebody to take penalties, you’d pick Robbie Dale. He stepped up nonchalantly and the ball ended up in the back of the net so I’m delighted with that.”

Dale, the hero of the hour, said: “It was a cup tie – and we’ve just got to get over the line. We’ve managed to do that and we’re into the hat for the next round so everybody is happy. We’re looking to win a lot of games – which we are doing at the minute – and hopefully we can keep our run going for as long as we can.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington FC manager Ian Skinner – delighted with his sides 2-1 comeback win over Sunderland RCA on Tuesday night – has added to the squad by signing midfielder Liam Smith.

Skinner said: “Liam will come in and add even further competition to what is already a really strong squad. I worked with him at Newcastle United when he was probably one of the hottest young prospects within the club. He’s had a little bit of a rough time with injuries and after leaving Newcastle went to Blackpool then to a few football league clubs. Last season he was at Hebburn and played a couple of games towards the back end (of last season) and was promised a contract in America – only that hasn’t quite worked out the way it should have done for various reasons.”

He continued: “Liam is somebody I know really well. I stuck an arm out and said to him ‘look come and work with me; we’ve worked with each other before; I know what you are capable of; you have nothing to prove; come and get your love back a little bit for football’ – and he also knows one or two of the lads who are in our dressing room from his days at Newcastle. He’s a fit lad who is studying sports science and does some sports science work in a high performance gym so he’s in good shape. So it’s the football functional movement side of things which we’ll get back into him and once he hits the ground running, he’ll be a big asset for the club. Liam is a very forward thinking attacking player, who plays anywhere across the front line or in behind. He adds further options and more quality to what is already a very good squad.”