By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Skipper Karl Ross says that the Ashington squad are desperate to win Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup tie at home to Bishop Auckland.

The 25 year old was speaking shortly after the final whistle on Tuesday night when the Colliers went down 2-1 against the County Durham side in their NPL East Division clash.

After Paddy Almond had given the home side the lead shortly before half time, striker Matty Tymon netted twice in the space of four second half minutes for the Two Blues.

Ashington-born Ross said: “Tonight was very frustrating from a player’s perspective as well as the home support. I thought we were the better side over the 90 minutes particularly in the first half when we did really well. We kept the ball moving and limited them (Bishop Auckland) to hardly any chances but five minutes of madness has really cost us. We weren’t at the races at the start of the second half and we need to nip that situation in the bud straight away.”

He continued: “Bishop Auckland have got one over on us but I think it will give the lads an extra incentive to put right what we have done wrong tonight because we felt it was a smash and grab from them. We felt we deserved the win and were the better team so obviously Saturday is the time for us to turn things around and get the right result.”

The game – which has a 12.30pm kick-off – is being beamed out live by the BBC on iplayer, red button and online and Ross, who is based in Cramlington, added: “It’ll probably be the first time for most of our lads to be on live TV. It’s a great thing for the club and I’m delighted for them because people work so hard. It’ll be a big day and there will be a big crowd and all of the lads are looking forward to it. There’ll be a buzz when we walk into the ground on Saturday but when the first whistle goes, we will be focussed purely on the game. Sometimes you don’t even hear the people around you so the TV cameras will not be on our minds during the 90 minutes.”

We are proud to announce that Ashington AFC is collaborating with Everyturn Mental Health, to raise awareness about mental health in our community.

This collaboration emphasises the vital role mental health plays in our lives, both on and off the pitch. Together, we are committed to spreading the message that it’s okay not to be okay and encouraging everyone to seek help when needed.

Everyturn Mental Health operates the Northumberland Safe Haven from Ashington’s very own The Bothy, located on Laburnum Terrace and as a club we want to show our support, break the stigma and champion mental well-being together!

#MentalHealthAwareness #AshingtonAFC #StrongerTogether #YouAreNotAlone

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington joint head coach Andy Coyles has asked for the Woodhorn Lane supporters to get behind their side on Saturday when the Colliers meet Bishop Auckland in the Emirates FA Cup preliminary round.

The match – selected by the BBC for live coverage via iplayer, red button and online – kicks off at 12.30pm and Coyles says the fans are always the 12^th man.

Speaking within minutes of Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat – ironically against Bishop Auckland in their NPL East Division clash – Coyles commented: “After the result, the way the game went tonight makes for an exciting encounter on Saturday. We’ve just said that we know a little bit more about them (Bishop Auckland) than we did before the clash tonight and likewise they will probably be saying the same thing about us. I think we will be able to bring one or two more players back into the squad that were nursing little niggles tonight which will obviously be a plus but on the down side, we have lost Jordan Summerly and at this stage we don’t really know how serious his injury is. We’ll do our homework; we’ll train on Thursday and hopefully we’ll give a good showing on Saturday.”

Coyles has asked the home supporters to continue with their outstanding vocal backing: “Our supporters are always the 12^th man for us and I’ve got nothing but plaudits and positive things to say about them,” he said, “Knowing that they will roar the lads on gives the players that extra ounce of energy and confidence. Everybody is looking forward to it. First and foremost the game is being broadcast live on the BBC which is great for the football club. It’s also great for the players and the community and hopefully we will get a good gathering of fans – but hopefully we will also get a good level of representation of people watching the game on the TV.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Keith Saint

Ashington AFC interim chair Nicola Sanders-Cooper has asked the Wansbeck public to get behind the Colliers ahead of their Emirates FA Cup preliminary round tie against Bishop Auckland on Saturday (August 17) which is to be beamed out live by the BBC.

Over many years, games between the two sides have always been keenly fought and well contested affairs and it was against Bishops at the end of the 2022-23 season that Andrew Cartwright’s penalty secured a 1-1 draw which took Ashington into the Inter step promotion play off final.

The Colliers then delivered a knockout punch away at Glossop North End with a convincing 3-0 victory which clinched them promotion and elevated them into the Pitching In Northern Premier League’s East Division,

However Bishop Auckland also achieved promotion to the NPLED at the end of the last campaign and ironically the two clubs were due to play each other in what will be a pre cup match dress rehearsal in their league meeting at Woodhorn Lane on Tuesday (August 13).

Ms Sanders-Cooper said of what promises to be a mouth watering clash: “Ashington AFC has been selected for broadcasting for our upcoming Emirates FA Cup match against Bishop Auckland. I am delighted about the news so a big thank you to the FA and the BBC. This is a remarkable opportunity because the exposure will not only elevate our club but also inspire future generations in our community. I encourage all of our supporters to rally behind the team as we prepare for this momentous occasion – together let’s make this a day to remember!”

Kick-off is 12.30pm with the live broadcast available via the BBC iplayer, red button and online. Tickets are available to purchase online at the following link https://ashingtonafc.ktckts.com/event/afc2425facuppre/ashington-afc-vs-bishop-auckland-fc-fa-cup

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington joint head coach Andy Coyles said his side suffered from a five minutes ‘head loss’ at the start of the second half as Bishop Auckland turned a one goal deficit into a 2-1 lead which ultimately led to their victory over the Colliers at Woodhorn Lane on Tuesday night.

“We’re extremely disappointed that the game has finished the way it did,” said Coyles afterwards, “I thought we grew into the game and were quite comfortable in the first half. We had really good passages of play and created some real threats in the attacking third and we could have been 2 or 3-1 up. Second half for whatever reason, we just had a five minutes ‘head loss’ where Matty Tymon (scorer of Bishop Auckland’s two goals), has hit a wonder strike from 30 yards out which has been a huge blow to us coming after only 48 seconds and then we’ve really let ourselves down on a set piece for the second time this season in two games.”

He continued: “We’ve had a chat in the changing room and we’ve got to be better – we’ve got to be more ruthless and we’ve got to be more street wise when we are defending set pieces. After that we began to grow into the game a little bit more and in the final 20-25 minutes we’ve been heavily dominant in possession of the ball but we need to be a bit more clinical and just have a little bit more class and elegance in that attacking third in front of goal.”

He went on: “Wilson Kneeshaw had a goalbound effort blocked; their ‘keeper (Ryan Catterick) has held a shot from Charlie Exley in the last minute and we’ve had a penalty shout as well but at the end of the day you create your own luck and I don’t think we created enough chances to go on and win the game. Did we do enough to get a draw? Maybes – but we just didn’t find the right openings tonight so fair play to Bishop Auckland.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington striker Jay Errington said that he was still ‘buzzing’ after scoring his first goal for the club in the 1-1 draw against Ossett United at the Ingfield Stadium on Saturday.

The 20 year old was on hand to steer home the rebound after a shot from Wilson Kneeshaw had been partially blocked by Ossett United ‘keeper Ally Hughes.

“I’m still buzzing,” commented Errington an hour after the game, “I saw the ball coming towards me but didn’t spot the ‘keeper. I just looked at the goal and instinctively put the ball into the back of the net.”

It looked likely that Errington’s goal – which arrived midway in the first half – was going to be the match winner until the home side netted a 92^nd minute equaliser through defender Jamie Sharman: “It was just one of those free kicks and was harsh on us because I thought we deserved all three points, “he added, “Now I can’t wait for our next game on Tuesday against Bishop Auckland. Hopefully we can push on and get the result we want.”

North Shields-born Errington – a teaching assistant – concluded: “I love it at Ashington. The lads are great and the management are top class.”

Ashington joint head coach Andy Coyles said: “It was great goal by Jay. He was in the right place at the right time and took it well. He’s obviously young and is still learning the game and he’s in a great environment at Ashington. He’ll have a lot of guidance and good support and he’s in a special place to ply his trade.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington got their new campaign in the NPL East Division underway on Saturday with a 1-1 draw against Ossett United in West Yorkshire – but joint head coach Andy Coyles said afterwards that the result ‘feels like a loss’ after Jamie Sharman had netted a late equaliser for the home side.

Jay Errington fired the Colliers ahead just shy of the midway point in the first period and the Wansbeck side – who defended well – held onto the lead until the second minute of time added on at the end of the second period: “As a group we are all frustrated because it feels like a loss,” said Coyles, “At the end of the day we were in control for large parts of the game even though I didn’t think we were at our best today which was acknowledged and accepted as a whole in the changing room. At times we ended up playing their game and fighting their battle. First half we got the goal and although we weren’t firing on all cylinders in the second half, it was a much improved performance. We had more passages of play and more time on the ball but we just didn’t manage the game towards the end which we needed to do.”

Coyles continued: “Listen, this was our first league game of the season and we’ve taken a point on the road and we’ll take the positives out of it. There were a couple of niggles towards the finish with injuries and we’ve had to take a few people off but at the end of the day, we’ll go away and learn from our mistakes and we’ll hopefully put on a more improved performance on Tuesday night (against Bishop Auckland at home).

Coyles added that there is much more to come from the squad: “We’re learning as a group,” he added, “People have got to bear in mind that some of the lads have only joined us over the last two or three weeks and it takes time to gel as a group which will come. We’ve got to take into account that we had a great chance at 1-0 with a one on one and if we had scored then it would have sealed the game for us. However, you’ve got to take the rough with the smooth. We gave a good account of ourselves by playing some good football and there are still plenty of opportunities to improve moving forwards.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: MJT Photos (Shildon AFC)

Former striker Jon Shaw said that he’s had a long career in football but can’t recall

scoring a goal like the one he notched in Ashington’s fabulous 4-2 win over Shildon in the Emirates FA Cup.

Shaw has played for the likes of Sheffield Wednesday and Burton Albion as well as in non league circles with Gateshead and Blyth Spartans.

However, on Saturday the 40 year old was at the heart of the Colliers defence – and marked his debut with a goal which oozed class.

Sheffield-born Shaw said afterwards: “I’ve had a long career and spent a long time as a forward netting different types of goals but to be honest, I genuinely can’t remember scoring that type of goal – a left foot chip into the far corner.”

The icing on the cake came when Shaw revealed his moment of glory came in front of his family: “It’s nice because my little boy asked me before the game ‘are you going to score today dad’ and I replied ‘I’m not sure.’ He then said ‘you might score a header from a corner’ which is what I used to do quite a lot – but to get a goal like that today with my wife, my kids and my dad all watching was quite special.”

Shaw stressed that the win was of paramount importance: “Obviously the result was the most important thing,” he said, “We were a little bit disappointed with the way we were playing in the first half because we weren’t hurting Shildon enough even though we were getting into good areas. We then gave a sloppy goal away but the reaction was good. I’ve been with Ashington for around a month now and I’m loving it. The character in the changing room, the lads, the coaching staff and the togetherness of the group – it wasn’t a surprise to me that we’ve come out on the right side of the result today.”

Ashington will now tackle Bishop Auckland on Saturday August 17 – a matter of days after the two teams clash in their NPL East Division clash: “The next round is just mouth watering,” added Shaw, “You know with these early rounds that it’s going to be localised and playing against lads you’ve played against before. The league game is important to us because points are what we want but a cup run is always nice!”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: MJT Photos (Shildon AFC)

Ashington FC’s Cyril Giraud got an extra birthday present on Saturday when he scored the goal which put his side 2-1 ahead against Shildon in the Emirates FA Cup clash at Shildon.

The Colliers eventually won the game 4-2 and will face Bishop Auckland in the preliminary round on Saturday August 17.

However a few days earlier, the midfielder had ironically netted the second goal in Ashington’s 4-0 win over Spennymoor in their last friendly encounter – on his 24^th birthday: “The strike against The Moors was my birthday present,” he said afterwards, “today I looked on my goal as being an extra bonus!”

Describing the goal at Shildon, he said, “I thought the ball didn’t go as well as I wanted it to but it went the right way and ended up in the back of the net so I was happy! First of all, I was thrilled to bits with the result as we were 1-0 down at half time which was a tricky situation. We came out on top and did really well in the second half after changing the formation. The players who came off didn’t do anything wrong at all but as Richie (Hill) said in the changing room, we needed different types of players.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: MJT Photos (Shildon AFC)

Ashington FC striker Wilson Kneeshaw grabbed a brace as his side fought back from a 1-0 deficit before they secured a 4-2 win over Shildon in Saturday’s Emirates FA Cup tie in County Durham.

And afterwards Kneeshaw stressed that the Colliers have got to look to continue in the same vein on Saturday when they travel for Saturday’s Northern Premier League East Division curtain raiser against Ossett Town in West Yorkshire: “Now it’s about us backing this result up,” said the 30 year old, “We will have a good week of training then really look to kick on and start our league programme like we have done in the cup today.”

Looking back at the Shildon encounter, Kneeshaw said: “It was a hard fought game. We played some good football in the first half but went in 1-0 down and it was a case of how we would react. It’s a completely different team this season but we’ve got some bigger characters and more experienced heads in the squad so to be fair I thought we proved a lot to ourselves which is good. Not everything is going to be easy in the season but we know that we have got the resilience to come back.”

Of his two goals, Kneeshaw said: “For the first, as soon as the ball dropped in between, I knew I was going to get there first because pace is basically my main strength. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the ‘keeper coming and I knew if I took a big enough touch then there was no way he was going to recover. For the second, to be fair the defender cut off the angle quite well because I was looking to cut back onto my right foot and then open up the goal. However the lad got a really good angle so I had to do a little shimmy which paused him for a little bit. Then as soon as I knew that the ‘keeper was going to commit, it was a case of getting enough height on the ball to dink it over him.”

The Darlington-born striker could so easily have started the campaign with a hat-trick – but was nevertheless happy with the two he bagged: “I had three one on ones including one where I hit my shot straight at the ‘keeper instead of going across him – but obviously it was our first game and it was a case of getting up to speed. It would have been lovely to score a hat trick but the main thing was that we started off with a win.”