By Brian Bennett

Ashington manager Marc Ellison is delighted after bringing Dean Briggs back to the club.

The midfielder has joined the Colliers on a dual registration with ENL first division side Blyth Town and will be in Ellison’s squad for Saturday’s home clash against NPL East Division newcomers Beverley Town.

Ellison said: “I think it was important for the group to get someone of Dean’s  experience. He’s won the league we are in and scores goals from midfield which is something we are lacking and something which we have spoken about. He’s someone who we knew was available and I was keen to have a chat with him after he previously enjoyed a really good spell at Woodhorn Lane.”

He continued: “I think Dean probably played his best football for Ashington when he was younger. I know he’s a little bit older now so he might be a slightly different player but he’s a bit of a cult hero at Ashington and I think he’ll compliment the group really well. He’s won trophies and promotions and hopefully it all works out and he enjoys his time back with us.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington manager Marc Ellison was delighted as his side came through a testing examination by Newcastle University on Thursday night before they progressed into the quarter-finals of the Newcastle Flooring Northumberland Senior Cup – albeit after a penalty shootout.

Ellison said afterwards: “The most important thing tonight was to get through to the next round really. So obviously I’m delighted that we’ve managed to do so. It’s a short turn around before Saturday and the squad isn’t the biggest so it was important that we used the players as wisely as we could. Rory Powell is just coming back from a hamstring injury so it was important we got him some minutes but managed him the right way – along with a few others who hadn’t had as many minutes as others.”

The boss thought his side were fortunate to go into the half time break on level terms: “First half I was really disappointed because we never got going really and went through the motions,” he said, “We knew it was going to be tough as they (Newcastle University) are a decent side, keen, energetic and well coached and they played some good stuff to be fair, but we didn’t match or better any of the ugly side of the game. We were too negative when we had the ball, didn’t want to stretch the game – and if I’m being honest and was in their shoes, I’d probably be disappointed that when half time come the game was level.”

He continued: “However in the second half I don’t really think they were anywhere near our box barring the penalty given, which was a little dubious, but I suppose I am going to say that. We probably had enough chances to put the game to bed but it didn’t quite work out that way. I don’t really like to single out individuals, but I think Jude Cogdon really deserves some credit for his performance tonight and to be fair over the last few weeks, he’s still young, still learning this level of football but I thought he was head and shoulders above everyone all game.”

He went on: “So overall yes I’m really happy to get through, but a little disappointed in the performance as a whole. If the attitude and application from the second half was there in the first, it could’ve been a bit of an easier night than it looks on paper.”

By Brian Bennett

It was a subdued Marc Ellison who delivered a frank and honest postmatch verdict after looking on and seeing his side crumble to a 4-1 defeat at the hands of promotion chasing and current NPL East Division league leaders Bradford Park Avenue on Saturday.

“It was really disappointing,” said the Woodhorn Lane boss, “Everything which we had done well on Tuesday night against Lincoln United was non-existent today – the willingness to run off the ball in behind people, get close to people, pick up first and seconds, bravery to want and to have the ball wasn’t there. We conceded poor goals again including from another corner where there was no marking and it was like watching two different teams from Tuesday night to this afternoon.”

He continued: “It was just a bit of belief to be honest – it just wasn’t there. I don’t know whether it was because we came to face a team who were at the top end of the table but there was just something which wasn’t right. I said at training on Thursday night and again at half time that it looked like a performance where the hardest thing after the win at Lincoln was to keep our feet on the ground and to think that we hadn’t cracked it – because they hadn’t – far from it. Some of them (the players) in the first half didn’t really offer anything which was disappointing because I asked us to kick on and get better and not just rest on one game (at Lincoln) because it doesn’t really mean anything. Yes Bradford Park Avenue are a good team. They get after you and put the ball in the right areas and they had obviously watched us as they set up to stop us playing – but you’ve got to find other ways to affect games of football. You’ve got to try and do something else – it’s cat and mouse situation isn’t it?”

He added: “The message to the players at half time was to have a little bit more about themselves. The team that I watched in the first half wasn’t the team I had seen on Tuesday night – from one to eleven there was only one change – Matty Alexander coming back in goal for Adrian Janusz. I don’t know what it was. Things which they’ve been doing really well including the passing or body shapes or decision making was just all wrong today.”

He went on: “We will probably train on Tuesday then we have games on Thursday and Saturday. It’s a quick turnaround so the squad will have to be used and it gives lads the chance to get the shirt. The players who have been in the team have done okay – performances have been average to okay but we haven’t been getting results. I just expected a little bit more from today. No-one from the outside looking in would have expected Ashington to pick up a result at Bradford – but I did and especially after Tuesday. I had watched them (Bradford) a couple of times and I thought we could give it a good go providing we applied ourselves properly but we huffed and puffed and didn’t really look like scoring. The players just weren’t at it – they were nowhere near the levels that they gave themselves earlier in the week which was disappointing.”

By Brian Bennett

Striker Noah Cunningham was the jewel in the crown on Tuesday night as Ashington turned on a five star showing in a terrific 4-1 win over Lincoln United.

Wearing a broad smile, the 19 year-old – who plundered a hat-trick and set up the fourth goal for Josh Gilchrist – said afterwards: “I probably should have had another couple. On one occasion, I went to chip the ‘keeper and should have done better but I got my third after that so I’m not too bothered. It was a good result and we needed it. We’ve said that we have been doing well but just haven’t been getting results and tonight we have stayed as a team and have done what we needed to do and it came off. We also talked about a team going to get a drubbing because of the way we have been playing and Lincoln got it tonight – we have travelled here and done the job. We have been playing well but dying off in the second half or the last 15-20 minutes but tonight we have shown character and competed for the whole game – and got a result.”

For all his hat-trick, Gateshead-born Cunningham revealed that he had had to take a bit of banter from his team-mates in the dressing room after the game: “For the fourth goal which Gilly (Josh Gilchrist) scored, the lads were having a go at me for not shooting but I though Josh was in a better position so I passed it to him and he made no mistake,” he said.

Speaking of his treble, Cunningham added: “Dan Groves shouted at me to make a run for the opening goal and his pass was weighted perfectly then Ryan Donaldson has played a perfect ball over the top which led to my second. The third was another great ball played in behind by Oli Thompson and I was delighted not only to finish it but also get my hat-trick.”

Cunningham turned his attentions towards Saturday’s trip to face high flying Bradford Park Avenue and said: “It’s away again but Lincoln were higher than us so it makes no difference. Yes it’ll be a hard game but if we turn in the same type of performance as we have done tonight, then there’s nothing to stop us from getting another result – and we need it 100 per cent. 

Manager Marc Ellison said: “Noah has turned into a bit of a nuisance all of a sudden. He was unlucky to come out of the team on Saturday against Silsden but we knew it was important to get minutes into Liam Henderson – who couldn’t travel tonight – because he’s been struggling. However, Noah has absolutely run Lincoln ragged tonight and if he plays like that every week, I’ll have no complaints. He’s a 19 year old who is a big handful. He probably should have scored more than the three if I’m being honest – but he was brilliant.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington manager Marc Ellison was clearly ecstatic after watching his side tear an in-form Lincoln United side apart to record a convincing 4-1 win at Ashby Avenue on Tuesday night.

The boss saw his players arrest a run of five consecutive defeats with a brilliant team display highlighted by a hat-trick from striker Noah Cunningham.

The result also saw the Colliers extend their unbeaten run to three victories against ‘The Whites’ over two seasons.

From the first whistle, Ashington were all over their opponents like a rash and after a brace from Cunningham, went into the interval holding a 2-0 lead.

Within five minutes of the second half, the hosts pulled one back through skipper Elliott Dye but the Colliers clinched the result scoring two goals in five minutes through Cunningham and Josh Gilchrist.

Ellison said afterwards: “It was a tremendous performance. I told the players in training the other week that if they kept playing the way they were, they couldn’t be that unlucky. As I said at the weekend following the 2-1 loss against Silsden, we worked hard during the week on the formation and I thought it showed even more tonight than it did on Saturday. The shape was brilliant; we went long at the right times; we came short at the right times and you can’t ask for much more after a 4-1 result away from home at Lincoln on a Tuesday night.”

He continued: “I had mentioned that I was still looking for a complete performance – but I think I got that tonight. I’ll have to watch the game back to take it in a bit more but I was really pleased and it was probably the best performance since I came in as manager. I know we had a good result against Lincoln last season at home (6-3) but I think to travel all that way midweek tops it off.”

He added: “I’ve just said to the lads in the dressing room that tonight’s win means nothing because we are still where we are (in the relegation zone). Yes the result has been a long time coming and you’ve got to enjoy it. Since the start of the season, I’ve always said we’ll enjoy every point we get and if we play like that on Saturday at Bradford Park Avenue as we have done tonight, then we’ll give ourselves a chance. It’s a step in the right direction but to be honest, the performances barring probably two or three haven’t been drastic – we just haven’t been quite good enough on the day or individual errors have crept in.”

However, there will be no rest for Ellison’s squad as he explained: “I’m pleased for them all really (the players). They as well as myself, have taken a battering so it’s a really pleasing result but they won’t get the night off on Thursday  – they’ll be in for training!”

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.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington manager Marc Ellison was naturally disappointed after watching his side go down to a 2-1 defeat against Pontefract Collieries on Tuesday night.

Afterwards, the Woodhorn Lane boss admitted that the West Yorkshire side – who as a result moved into a play off place – were worthy of the points even though his own outfit showed an improved performance from Saturday’s 3-0 loss at Grimsby Borough.

Ellison said: “I can’t really have too many complaints with the result tonight. I think we’ve been beaten by the better team on the night. We got our noses in front, which is obviously great, but if I’m being honest, we didn’t really cause them enough problems which is disappointing. We knew how they play, we knew what they were going to bring and how good they are at doing it, but we didn’t counteract it as well as we’d hoped we could. The equaliser (by Elliott Walker) is one of those where I’m not sure anyone saves it. I’m not even sure if the lad has hit a ball like that in his life. It’s an unbelievable strike and sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and say fair play.”

He continued: “I wasn’t overly concerned with how the first half had played out, but we knew we needed to be better with the ball. At half-time, we spoke about taking more control of the game and trying to have longer periods of possession, but it never really worked out that way. We turned the ball over too quickly and they kept putting the ball into good areas which meant we didn’t manage to take control of the ball for the periods we’d spoken about. Again, Matty (Alexander) has made a few good saves and I think they’ve had two goals chalked off as well, so it’s difficult for me to sit here and complain too much about the result. It’s always difficult to take defeat, especially at home, but unfortunately I just think they were better than us on the night. Sometimes that happens in football.

That said, I do think there were certain periods where we could have been much better, and if we had been, it could have made a difference.”

He added: “Although we haven’t picked up the results I thought we should have at Liversedge, West Auckland and Guisborough, there have been parts of those games where we could take positives and we felt like it was just a case of getting over the line and the results would come. Unfortunately, they haven’t quite worked out that way. Tonight was an improvement from Saturday but ultimately we’ve still come away with nothing again. It’s a really big month, I think there are six or seven games pencilled in, so we need to start picking up points there’s no hiding away from it, we can only do that by continuing to believe, sticking together and making sure everyone is pulling in the same direction.”

He went on: “We also need to give the supporters something to be encouraged by. They’re entitled to expect more from us and we need to give them something to get behind because their support can make a huge difference. Hopefully the squad will be looking stronger at the weekend with a few unavailable bodies coming back, and we’ll also be looking to bring in a few fresh faces if we can and that will help us improve.”

By Gavin Perry

Tuesday evening saw a flurry of goals in the opening minutes as Ashington went two down within three minutes before pulling one back in the fourth minute. A goal a piece in the second half led to a 3-2 defeat at The Northern Metal Recycling Stadium (Darlington Road).

Here’s what Marc had to say after the final whistle

“You look at the first two minutes, concede two goals and you’re thinking the game is already over. It doesn’t matter what level of football you’re playing at, to gift the goals we’ve gifted tonight is alarming, especially so early in the game.

Minute later you get one back but after that we still never really got going. We weren’t close enough, we looked leggy and we didn’t look anything like the team we were last week.

To be fair to them, they were the much better team in the first half.

We changed shape at half-time and, for the majority of the second half, I thought we looked a lot better. Matty has had to make one or two important saves, but for that 25 or 30-minute period in the middle of the half, we dominated the game and probably should have scored before we eventually got ourselves level.

Then, for whatever reason, we stopped doing the things that were getting us success.

And once again, we get hit with a late goal and come away with nothing.

So yeah, really disappointing.

It was almost the Heaton Stannington situation again, where we’ve managed to get ourselves back into the game and you think, take what you can and get out of there with something.

I don’t actually know what’s happened with the final goal yet. I’ll have to watch it back, but once again, issues in both boxes have cost us.

In a sense, I have to give the lads some credit for the reaction to a terrible start. They stayed in the game during the first half when things weren’t going our way, and then they took the game to them in the second. But we probably relied on two or three players to have really good games, while the rest were below the level or standards they’ve set themselves over the past few weeks. 

We can’t be a bit-part team. We need to be at it from minute one to minute 90, and unfortunately we’re falling short of that too often – we’ve conceded way to many goals early on or from restarts of the second half and in the denying minutes of the games.

It’s alright looking pretty and playing good stuff in the middle of the pitch, and I’ll probably sound like I’m repeating myself from last week, but both boxes are where it really matters.

We’ve missed some really good chances again tonight as have They as well by the way – so the scoreline could have been very different either way if some of those opportunities had gone in.

But the bottom line is you cannot give teams a two-goal start that early and that easily and expect to win football matches.

At the same time, based on the majority of the second half, did we deserve to get something from the game? Probably.  That’s the frustrating part because there was enough in that second-half performance to suggest we could have come away with something, but we’ve gave ourselves a mountain to climb in first 5 minutes.

It’s still really early in the season, but the gap is slowly increasing with teams around us picking up points, so it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to realise we need to start turning performances into positive results.”

By Gavin Perry

Ashington fell to a narrow 1-0 defeat at Guisborough Town on Wednesday evening, however the score does not fully reflect the performance with Ashington dominating large part of the game but failing to put away countless chances.

Here’s what manager Marc Ellison had to say after the final whistle:

“Firstly, I’d just like to say it was a good game of footy, wasn’t it? There was some really good stuff from both sides and, although obviously we’re disappointed with the result, I thought it was a really good game.

Probably since the last time we played Guisborough in the Trophy  I feel like we’ve got better and better with every game, and tonight wasn’t any different really.

It’s tough to stand here after being beaten and try to be too positive, but I genuinely thought the performance, barring the first 10 minutes of the second half, was probably one of or if not the best we’ve produced over the course of the full 90 minutes this season.

Unfortunately, as we all know, playing well doesn’t always win you a game of football, and that old cliché about what happens in both boxes being important has proved to be the difference tonight.

We’ve had the lion’s share of possession, probably had two really good goalscoring opportunities in the first half, and then in the second half we’ve had three, four, maybe even five really good opportunities to score.

We’ve missed the target, had one cleared off the line, had a final pass that just hasn’t quite reached its target, and then we’ve conceded from another set piece.

That’s the frustrating part.

There are obviously things we need to work on, and we will work on them, but if we can consistently produce performances like that, I’m confident the results and points will start to follow.

We’re creating chances, we’re controlling large parts of games and we’re putting ourselves in good positions. We just need to start being more ruthless in both boxes.

I also want to put a bit of context around the bench tonight because, from the outside looking in, it probably looks like we’ve left two attacking players on the bench while chasing the game.

We only had two fully fit substitutes available because of other injuries and work commitments. Noah took a knock on Saturday but has still offered his hand to help, and Hendo is still strapped up and offering whatever he can.

I didn’t think risking further injury to either of them was the right thing to do, particularly when we were still looking dangerous for 90% of the time we went forward.

We’ve got to look after the players as well as trying to win football matches, and sometimes you have to make those decisions.

The frustrating thing is that I genuinely felt we were in the game until the end. We’ve put in a performance against a good side, created enough opportunities to get something from it, but ultimately we’ve come away with nothing.

That’s football sometimes.

We’ve got a really big week coming up after the break, especially this early in the season, and tonight has given us plenty to take from the game.

We’ll be disappointed tonight because we feel we deserved more, but there’s a lot of encouragement in that performance.

Now we need to make sure we carry that level into the next one and turn good performances into points.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

If Ashington’s game against Garforth Town was Scott Fenwick’s final appearance for the Wansbeck outfit, then the striker has gone out in style.

The Colliers won the contest against the Yorkshire side 2-1 last week with goals from Bryan Taylor and a penalty which was expertly netted by Fenwick.

However, the 36 year-old striker has landed a prime new job with Premier League giants Manchester City as Player Transition Manager and will consequently be moving away from the North East.

Fenwick, who was previously working for Everton, said: “I’ve loved being home in the summer but things have panned out well for me. It’s a good job; a good career progression away from my own football career because I’ve got to look to the next 35-40 years. I’m at that age where my playing career stops and it’s a great opportunity for me to go to Manchester City, who are a massive club. I’ll be going there as the player transition manager. I’ll be working with the academy and the first team so it’ll be the lads who sign professional contracts at 17 – whether they stay with the club;  whether they go out on loan, into the league, the championship or go abroad.”

Fenwick has ‘loved his time’ at Woodhorn Lane and had a message for the club and its supporters: “I’d like to say a big massive thank you,” he added, “I’ve loved it. Ian Skinner – the Head of football at Woodhorn Lane – has been on at me for years to come here (Ashington). He had me at Durham as a 17 year old before I moved up the leagues so he knows what I’m about. He told me from day one that I’d love it at Ashington. Obviously manager Marc Ellison and I go back a long, long way and Ryan Donaldson and Liam Henderson are lads who I’ve grown up with. Ryan and I played together as 10 year olds whilst Liam and I went to secondary school together for five years so they are close friends who’ve all had fairly decent careers that they should be proud of.”

He continued: “If tonight against Garforth Town is my last game not just for Ashington but as a footballer, then it’s a good way to sign off with a goal back home in the North East playing in black and white which I love. Twenty years ago I started playing at Gretna in black and white and wore the same colours with Ponteland and Newcastle Benfield and if I finish in black and white then happy days. I’ll be very, very busy when I get to Manchester City so I’m going to get my teeth into work; get my head down and work hard and see where it takes me. If I can play down South, I’ll look to do it – if not I’ve had a good go at it.”

Gateshead-born Fenwick reflected on Ashington’s first league win of the season last week and said: “It was a home game which we controlled and tonight I thought everyone was ‘at it’ from minute one – you could tell from the warm up. The midfield were all working together as one unit; we kept the ball well; we won second balls; we dictated the play and I think that’s what lets us down at times. We have so much of the ball but it’s making the right decisions. We just need to keep that momentum and keep that mentality every game and I think we’ll fly up the league.”

Fenwick had no hesitation in taking responsibility when the Colliers were awarded a penalty last week: “Whenever I’m on the pitch, I’m going to take a penalty,” he said, “I know I’m pretty new to the club and there will be penalty takers already here but I’m an experienced lad and I’m more than happy to put them away. Nine times out of ten I am a striker so I’ll grab the ball anyway. I probably thought that they (Garforth) had watched the penalty shootout against Guisborough at the weekend especially the goalkeeper and when I saw him (the Garforth Town ‘keeper) lean to the right, I thought I’d go the other way.”

Manager Marc Ellison said: “I just want to thank Scott for everything he’s done while he’s been with us. He’s taken on a new job which means he’s moving out of the area. We’ve known about it for a while, but with us struggling for bodies at the top end of the pitch over the last week, he knew we needed some help and he came back in to give us a hand. That speaks volumes about him as a person and we’re really grateful for it. He’s also managed to get himself a few goals while he’s been with us, which is what he does, so I’m sure he’s enjoyed himself!”