By Brian Bennett

Ryan Donaldson scooped the coveted Players Player of the season at Ashington Football Club on Saturday night – and immediately paid a glowing tribute to one of his defensive team-mates!

It is widely regarded that to be the recipient of the Players Player trophy is the top award – and the 34 year old was delighted to receive it.

Donaldson said: “I’ve enjoyed my football since Marc Ellison came in as interim manager and it was really nice to be announced as the winner. To be fair, on the coach journey home after our 2-0 win over Brighouse Town, Marc told me that I had quite a few votes – so whilst it came as a surprise last week, it wasn’t today! You spend most time with your team mates – you train twice a week and every weekend you’re with them and you build up a relationship over the course of the season. We’ve had good times and we’ve had bad times but you look back now and this is why you love playing the game – you wouldn’t do it if you didn’t enjoy it.”

Longbenton-born Donaldson then eulogised about his defensive partner Chris Reid: “I’ve got to give credit to Chris (Reid) because when I first moved into defence, I played with the twins, Rory and Harry Powell either side of me and I don’t think I helped them as much as I could have done. Then Chris came in and he’s really helped me a lot because he talks me through the game and playing alongside him has made me a better centre half. He’s played there all of his career – left back and centre half and he’s been brilliant. He’s only been with us for half a season but he got my vote for the award.”

Donaldson who is based in South Gosforth added: “I probably still see myself as a midfielder but the way we play, I do enjoy it at the back apart from if I come up against a big centre forward like Liam Henderson when you’ve got to keep your wits about you but I’ve really enjoyed it. I think as you get older, it’s natural if you’re a midfielder to drop back and it’s less taxing on the body.”

Ashington secured their NPL status last week at Brighouse – which came as no surprise to Donaldson who added: “It dragged on a bit – longer than we wanted it to as we had a couple of opportunities last month to cement it. Although it’s easy to say it now, since the end of February, I was really confident that we were going to stay up because there were signs that we were getting better and when we played well, we were a really good team. I think when everyone was fit, that spine of Chris Reid, Karl Ross and Liam Henderson – when we have got that – we are a really good team and so it proved.”

Donaldson acknowledged the support from the fans: “Today you could say there was nothing on the game but they’ve stuck with us all the way,” he said, “With it being the last game of the season you want to give them (the supporters) something back and we’ve totted up the club’s most ever points in this league. We haven’t really given anyone a good hiding – it got a bit tetchy in the second half today when it went to 5-3 – but we deserved to win the game.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington pulled the curtain down on their season with an eye catching 6-3 win over Lincoln United at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday – then less than 24 hours later, announced Marc Ellison as the club’s new manager!

In late January, Ellison and Karl Ross were appointed to take over team affairs during the interim period after Nick Gray and his assistant Liam McIvor left the club by mutual agreement.

At the time, the Colliers were fifth from bottom of the East Division of the Northern Premier League table only two points above the drop zone.

The Wansbeck outfit blew away the relegation clouds once and for all when they secured a 2-0 victory over Brighouse Town last week and after the conclusion of the league campaign, have finished in 14^th place.

Ellison was delighted to accept the post and said: “I mentioned in my first interview as interim manager that management was something I’d thought about, but not something I was necessarily expecting. This situation gave me the chance to dip my toes into the water and see how I felt about it. I can honestly say I’ve absolutely loved it. I haven’t looked forward to football on a Friday night like I have over the past few months for a long, long time. It’s probably made the decision to retire from playing a lot easier than I thought it would be. There were times I wondered if I might regret it, but in all honesty, I haven’t really missed it. My body certainly hasn’t, and like I’ve said, I’ve really enjoyed this side of the game and the different challenges that come with it.”

He continued: “To be given your first job in management at a club like this is a real privilege. The set-up, the fans, the group of players, and everyone behind the scenes make it a special place to be and to enjoy your football. I’m obviously delighted and really excited. I’d like to think I’m on the same wavelength as the committee, directors, and supporters in terms of what we want and what we need to keep improving as a football club.”

He went on: “Over the past three months, yes, I’ve picked the team, but I’ve said many times – it’s been down to the players. They’ve performed well enough to give me this opportunity, and I’m very grateful for that. Here’s to a positive 26/27 season. Let’s keep pushing as a club and as a community to be even better.”

Ashington chair Nicola Sanders-Cooper said: “Marc has shown remarkable leadership and dedication during his time as interim manager and we have full confidence in his ability to guide us into the next chapter.”

By Brian Bennett

Rory Powell netted his first goal in Ashington colours as well as claiming an assist in the Colliers 6-3 win over Lincoln United on Saturday and afterwards, the defender said that he had saved the best until last!

“We went out on a high -100 per cent,” he commented, “We started positively with a bit of momentum and carried it on and last week (the 2-0 win at Brighouse) was probably the stepping stone for today.”

Goals from Liam Henderson, Josh Gilchrist and Louis Burns put the Wansbeck outfit into a commanding 3-0 lead by the quarter hour mark and Powell added: “Once the first one (goal) went in, I think we had that freedom to go and get some more but as a group of good players, it was a case of going out onto the pitch, playing our football, knowing what we were doing and seeing what we could do.”

The 20 year old was happy after setting up the third goal scored by Louis Burns: “I thought the assist was one in the moment,” he said, “It was a bit of skill with a bit of dribbling and a good little ball and I was just pleased that someone (Burns) found the back of the net.”

As for opening his account in the last game of the season, Newcastle-born Powell said: “Yes, I saved the best until last with a good finish. I made a good little run and Chris Reid has chipped the ball over. It came off my hip then bounced up and I smashed it in on the half volley. I surprised myself to be fair but I was delighted it because it gave the team a bit of a push after a good first half. Unfortunately we conceded straight afterwards but I thought we bounced back really well and kept the momentum that we had started with throughout the game. I would have been happy with the assist but the goal was definitely a good one to go out on.”

Powell, who is based in Ponteland, added: “Coming from professional football (with Newcastle United) into men’s football even when I wasn’t playing as much as probably I would have wanted, there is a massive difference but I think the whole experience has been a positive one.”

By Brian Bennett

Interim manager Marc Ellison was full of praise for his players after their 6-3 victory over Lincoln United at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday.

After securing their place in the East Division next season, the win propelled the Colliers up to 14th place on 51 points – their highest tally in the league.

A delighted Ellison said afterwards: “Not a bad way to finish the season, if we’re all being honest. Six goals in front of a decent home crowd – so not too much to complain about there. However, if I’m being picky, a couple of the goals we conceded were really poor, especially as we’d already looked at them scoring very similar ones in previous games. We did get a bit complacent in spells, but when you’re 3-0 up inside 15 minutes, that can happen at any level.”

He continued: “Overall though, I’m absolutely delighted for the players. It’s been a tough season at times – and rightly so, as none of us have been good enough consistently but to come out today, in what was essentially a dead rubber, and put a team (who’ve had an unbelievable second half of the season) under that much pressure says everything. If we’re honest, we probably should’ve scored more. Full credit to every single one of them (the players) and I’m over the moon.”

He added: “At the start of March, we set a target to go unbeaten at home until the end of the season. Three draws and four wins later, we’ve done exactly that. I also believe we’ve finished with our highest points total since promotion to this level. Considering where we were around Christmas, I can’t praise or thank the players enough for their effort and commitment in the second half of the season. Finally, a big thank you to the supporters for sticking with us throughout, we all know it hasn’t been the most enjoyable at times, but hopefully we’ve given them plenty to shout about over the last couple of weeks and something to be excited about as we look ahead to next season.”

Ashington AFC are delighted to confirm that Marc Ellison has been offered and has accepted the position of First Team Manager following yesterday’s game against Lincoln United.

Marc has made a strong impact since stepping into the role on an interim basis, guiding the side to 25 points from 16 games and helping drive a positive end to the season.

Karl Ross also played an important part in that run and the club would like to place on record its thanks for his support and contribution during that period.

Marc’s work, commitment and the response from the dressing room made this a straightforward decision, and we’re pleased he will lead the club forward.

Everyone at Ashington AFC congratulates Marc on his appointment and looks forward to the next chapter under his management.

Further updates on the overall footballing structure of the club will be announced in due course.

Up the Colliers.

By Brian Bennett

Ashington skipper Karl Ross has said that the players at Woodhorn Lane will not just go through the motions when the Colliers host Lincoln United in their final game of the season on Saturday.

Last weekend, the Colliers booked their place in the East Division of the Pitching In Northern Premier League next season when goals from Josh Gilchrist and Chris Reid wrapped up a 2-0 win over Brighouse Town in West Yorkshire.

With the Wansbeck side finally safe from the drop and Lincoln in mid table, the clash could be classed as being a ‘dead rubber’ with nothing at stake – but Ross refuted those suggestions: “Yes we are now safe from the drop – but we want to go out on a high,” he said, “There’ll be a good crowd watching so we can’t just sack the game off. It’s been a long old season so now that we are 100 per cent clear of the relegation zone, we can go out; relax a little bit and play some good football with the fans behind us on hopefully a nice sunny day. We can certainly enjoy it a bit more rather than having the pressure on us of what the consequences would be if we were to win or lose.”

By Brian Bennett

Central defender Chris Reid popped up to score a precious goal in Ashington’s 2-0 win over Brighouse Town in West Yorkshire on Saturday.

Reid’s calm and assured finish – which any striker would have been proud of – came midway through the second half with the final outcome confirming the Colliers their place in the East Division of the Pitching In Northern Premier League next season.

The Woodhorn Lane outfit have been in and around the relegation drop zone and the 36 year old said afterwards: “The first feeling is one of relief. We all had belief that we would stay up but to get over the line is sometimes easier said than done. I actually thought we played some really good football in the first half and we created seven glorious opportunities. But what happens is, the further into the game it goes and they keep bobbling wide, you start thinking ‘maybes it isn’t our day.’

Reid – who was born and who is based in North Shields – described his goal as being ‘really important:’ “When I saw the ‘keeper coming towards me, my thoughts were ‘just don’t miss,’ he said, “I always open up but the ‘keeper had closed that angle down so the only thing I could do in my head was to take the ball around him and he gave me the opportunity to tap it in and I did. I’ve scored some good goals in my career but in terms of the time and what it meant in the context of the game, it was a really important goal. I was delighted. When I came to the club, the one thing we all had on our agendas was to make sure we stayed in the league and everyone to a man deserved that – that’s not just the players – that’s everyone behind the scenes as well.”

Reid was happy with a clean sheet: “We have all defended properly,” he added, “The basis of a good team is clean sheets. It wasn’t pretty at times when we drew a couple of games 0-0 and we weren’t clinical in front of goal – and it started to feel like that today. However, I thought everyone was brilliant. We didn’t know what was happening elsewhere – we just had to focus on ourselves and win the game – and we did that.”

By Brian Bennett

Josh Gilchrist scored the first goal and claimed an assist with the second as Ashington claimed a 2-0 victory over Brighouse Town on Saturday.

The three points banished relegation fears once and for all and Gilchrist said afterwards: “It’s a great feeling. It’s been a long hard season – we’ve had some good times and some poor times and we know we probably haven’t been where we would like to be. But credit to the lads because we’ve stuck in and dug deep. We didn’t really want it to go to the last game to secure our place in the division for next season. We had a chance and a great opportunity to do it today (at Brighouse) and we took it.”

Craig Spooner saw a penalty saved midway through the first half by home ‘keeper Michael Acquah and Gilchrist said: “A penalty miss can deflate you at times but the good thing was that it was nice and early in the contest. I told Craig not to worry about it because we had the rest of the game to put it right.”

For his goal, Gilchrist said: “Ollie Thompson has put the ball across the box. I tried to take a touch as the pitch was lively and it bobbled and it was just about getting a good contact on the ball. Fortunately, I hit it well and it has gone in the top corner.”

Five minutes later the striker played the ball through for Chris Reid to double the lead and Gilchrist said: “I think it’s important that after going 1-0 up you get the next goal because if they end up pinching one, you’re on the back foot straight away. We kept doing the basics right. The message at half time was ‘let’s not start to rush things and keep things right’ – and that’s what we did.”

By Brian Bennett

Ashington skipper Karl Ross reached a notable milestone in his long serving playing career when he made his 250^th appearance for the Colliers in their Pitching In Northern Premier League East Division clash against Brighouse Town on Saturday – and is hoping to chalk up many more!

Afterwards, the joint interim manager as well as midfielder revealed he was aware of the stats – but admitted he should have reached it earlier!

“To be fair, it would have come earlier against Dunston if I hadn’t been sent off,” he commented, “I’ve had a couple of red cards this season which is poor on my part but it’s a great achievement. Ashington is a great club and it has got a great set of people and volunteers behind the scenes. I’ve loved the club ever since I joined in 2018, so to get to 250, I’m immensely proud and hope I can get many more.”

Ross helped to steer his side over the line on Saturday – the Wansbeck club preserving their status in the league after they finally shrugged off the threat of relegation. He added: “It was a tough one because you just wanted to play another game but your mind is elsewhere. We knew it was in our hands which was the main thing and that if we won or drew the game it was going to be enough to keep us in the league. We said beforehand that we couldn’t have had a much better opportunity than today (at Brighouse) to nail safety. Staying up is nothing we should be celebrating but after the season we have had, it’s a good achievement.”

Ross paid tribute to the Ashington fans – around 100 – who travelled on Saturday: “They gave us a lift during the game,” he said, “They have not only been magnificent all season, they have been magnificent in the whole of the eight years I have been with the club. Honestly we (the players and management) cannot thank them enough for coming down in their numbers today. They pay their hard earned money to come and watch us play and the least we can do is to work hard and put a performance in for them to celebrate.”

He continued: “We started the campaign with high expectations of reaching the play offs which is your ambition to get to but it didn’t pan out that way. We went through a very tough spell where we only won seven games up to Christmas but after then we’ve turned things around.”

He continued: “Apart from the fans, I want to say a big thank you to all the volunteers and to everyone else connected with the club. It hasn’t been the kind of season everyone has wanted but at the end of the day we’ve achieved the job of keeping the club in the league which when Marc (Ellison) and I took over on an interim basis, was the target. From that moment I think we have played some good football; got some good results and deserve to stay in the league.”

By Brian Bennett

It was an ecstatic Marc Ellison who punched the air with delight at the final whistle on Saturday after his side had won 2-0 against Brighouse Town in West Yorkshire.

The victory finally blew the relegation clouds away which had hovered menacingly over the Woodhorn Lane outfit for several months.

The interim boss congratulated every one of his players and staff before heading towards the magnificent support which his side had received on the day from the Ashington fans.

“We got there in the end!” said Ellison, “That was a proper professional performance, especially in the second half. We played some really good football on what wasn’t an easy pitch. First half, we controlled the game but it just felt like we had the handbrake on a little bit – like there was another level we hadn’t quite hit yet. Then you hear the other results coming in, we miss the penalty, and you start thinking… is it going to be one of those days again? At half-time, the message was simple: a bit more purpose, a bit more intensity, just be more aggressive in what we’re doing. And to be fair to them, the response in the second half was outstanding. I thought we were really, really good. The two goals that got ruled out for offside – honestly, they were probably the two best team goals we’ve scored all season. Both were brilliant moves and everything you want to see in how we play.”

He continued: “But it’s not just about today. When we came in after Christmas (myself and Karl Ross as interim managers), the brief was clear – stay in the league. And we’ve done that. I’m absolutely delighted for everyone at the club, the staff behind the scenes, and the supporters”

Ellison praised the squad: “Ultimately, it’s all down to the players. We’ve pretty much torn up what was there before and completely changed the style of play and every single one of them (the players) has bought into it. They’ve been brilliant – on the pitch, around the place, and with me as well, which isn’t always easy given I was in the dressing room with them not too long ago. They’ve picked up big points and delivered some outstanding performances along the way.”

Ellison concluded: “Whatever happens next, they (the players) should be really proud of themselves. And hopefully, this gives everyone associated with the club a big lift going into next season so they can push on and keep improving.”