By Brian Bennett

On-loan teenage striker Louis Burns grabbed the headlines after scoring Ashington’s winning goal in a 2-1 result against Lincoln United on Saturday – within a minute of coming on as a substitute.

Earlier Liam Henderson had put the Colliers in front before Kane Hutchinson-Wilkes equalised but despite bringing the three points back to Wansbeck, the Woodhorn Lane outfit remain in the bottom three of the East Division of the Pitching In Northern Premier League.

However seasoned striker Henderson believes Nick Gray’s side are improving all the time.

The 35 year old said after the game: “I think our last two performances – for 65 minutes against Garforth Town and probably 90 minutes today at Lincoln that we’re not too far away from turning the corner. Sometimes all it takes is a bit of luck – and I thought we got some today. Obviously it was another mistake and a poor goal which we conceded but if we can eliminate the errors, we can push on.”

A minute into the second half, Henderson struck the woodwork with an acrobatic overhead kick and he added: “We had enough chances but the longer the game goes on you start to think it’s going to be one of those days especially the run which we have been on. For my goal it was just about having the composure to get my head down and make sure that I got a clean strike. There were a lot of lads on the line but I was lucky the ball hit the back of the net. That’s two goals in my last two games and I’d like to think that the run will hopefully continue – but the main thing today was the three points because we massively needed a win.”

Gateshead-born Henderson praised the army of Ashington fans who made the round trip of over 340 miles: “It’s an absolute pleasure to see them come down in their numbers,” he said, “It’s a long way to come so hats off to them on a dreadful day weather wise. As usual we went over to thank them after the final whistle and it’s huge having their support – and especially the run which we’ve been on. We can only as a squad of management and players thank them and ask them to keep doing it because it does make a difference.”

On Saturday (November 29), Ashington are at home to Brighouse Town and Henderson added: “You can see the performances coming – it’s just turning that corner results wise. It’s nice to get the monkey off the back because the win on Saturday has been a long time coming.”

By Brian Bennett

One swallow doesn’t make a summer nor one result make a football season.

However, Ashington FC’s assistant manager Liam McIvor was understandably delighted on Saturday after the Colliers had won for the first time in nine matches in the East Division of the Pitching In Northern Premier League as they look to get out of the drop zone.

McIvor saw second half goals from Liam Henderson and substitute Louis Burns clinch a 2-1 victory over Lincoln United who had Kane Hutchinson-Wilkes on the score sheet.

The win didn’t take Ashington out of the bottom four but a cock-a-hoop McIvor said afterwards: “It was a massive win. The scoreline says 2-1 but potentially on another day it could have been four or five. We really deserved it. From the first minute to the 90^th I thought we were outstanding – and this on the back of a run of bad results. We wanted the lads to stand up and be counted and that’s exactly what they did today. To be honest the conditions were an absolute mudbath but we couldn’t have asked for any more from the players.”

McIvor reflected on a first half which somehow remained goal-less: “We created some good chances,” he said, “We’ve had one cleared off the line and a header which fell to Karl Ross – and they were big opportunities and I think if we had gone in at the interval 1-0 up no-one could have argued because we were the team who were creating the chances. At half time, we just asked the lads to remain positive and to keep taking the game to them (Lincoln United) because I feel that if we sit and absorb pressure we concede goals and we cannot afford to do that – we need to give it a go. The plan was to use our wide men – Josh Gilchrist and Liam Miller – and I thought the two of them were outstanding and were a threat.”

McIvor was disappointed with the goal which Ashington conceded: “Lincoln got back on terms after an error which shouldn’t have happened – but we responded,” he said, “If the game had finished a draw we would have been kicking ourselves at a missed opportunity and two points dropped so credit to the boys who kept going. It was a great substitution by manager Nick Gray to put Louis Burns on. With his first touch he has scored the winner – so what more can you say?”

Ashington now head into a sequence of matches where four of their next five are at home and McIvor added: “The games we have in the run up before the turn of the year are against sides in the bottom ten so we’ve got to be taking points off teams. It’s a long season and we need results on the table. Today’s victory was a start – it was 100 per cent deserved – but now we’ve got to back it up.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington’s assistant manager Liam McIvor expressed his frustration after the Colliers were on the wrong end of a 4-1 defeat against Garforth Town at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday.

McIvor said afterwards: “There are fine margins in football. For 55 minutes. I thought we were the best team and were 1-0 up. It’s crucial points like we’ve went through two versus one down the side and it’s a poor ball put in which went straight into the ‘keeper’s hands. It’s frustrating because we practice those type of situations – then the Garforth ‘keeper has just launched the ball and the kid (Luke Aldrich) has pulled it out of the air and put one in the top corner.”

He continued: “Frustration was also the name of the game when we went 2-1 behind because it was from a set piece. The players knew all about them (set pieces) as to who man marks who and I don’t know who lost their runner. For the penalty, I thought from where I was standing that it looked more a free-kick to us – but the ball travelled a long way before the penalty incident occurred and the last goal we got caught. We knew this could happen but we needed to try and get another goal because if we had, it could have changed things.”

McIvor was reasonably happy with the way the first half panned out: “Garforth are doing well in the league – but I thought we were doing well and it’s the best I’ve seen us as a team. I wasn’t surprised when we took the lead because I thought we were a bit of a threat today and we created a lot of chances. The goal gave us something to hold onto – but it was a big moment for us just before they equalised. We were in a good area and it’s all about what we do in the opposition’s box – and we need to have a bit more quality.”
 
Ashington travel to face Lincoln United on Saturday (November 22) and McIvor added: “It’s a massive game for us. We made substitutions today to try and protect some of the players who were on yellow cards because we need everyone available.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Tyler Jones says he would have no hesitation in making a return to Ashington FC – if the opportunity arose in the future.

The teenage ‘keeper has been a revelation between the posts since he initially joined the Colliers in a loan deal from Newcastle United back in August.

His period with the Woodhorn Lane based club was extended with stoppers Matty Alexander and Joseph Herdman still not fully fit after both suffered hand and ankle injuries respectively on the same night in training.

Jones said: “I’ve loved my time here – the club, the fans, manager Nick Gray and goalkeeping coach Tom Read have been brilliant. Also the whole of the backroom staff, the players, secretary Gav Perry and everyone around the club – I cannot thank them enough. Nick has believed in me as much as he can and I feel like I’ve played really well. Obviously the club are going through a tough time at the moment but I’m sure the lads will get out of it. If we haven’t got a game at Newcastle United on a Tuesday or a Saturday, I’ll definitely be trying to get to as many Ashington games as possible.”

The 17 year old, who was born in Easington Colliery, believes his stint in Wansbeck has developed his game and it’s more of an au revoir rather than a farewell “I’ve definitely improved quite a lot especially my shot stopping and game management because I can see that in training,” he said, “When you come into men’s football it’s very tough both mentally and physically but I feel as if I’ve dealt with that really well. Earlier in the season when Ashington played Blyth Spartans at Croft Park,  there was quite a big crowd there which is not something you get in academy football. It’s really been a great experience for me and has helped me to kick on – but I couldn’t have done it without the aforementioned people. I would have no hesitation in coming back to the club – as they say ‘Once a Collier, always a Collier.’

Manager Nick Gray said: “Tyler has been excellent, I think he’s learned a lot and as a club, I hope we’ve been welcoming to him. Matty Alexander has pushed Tyler over the last couple of weeks and because Tyler has been doing so well, we didn’t have to throw Matty in early doors and risk him having a relapse with his finger.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington goalkeeping coach Tom Read has waxed lyrical about teenage stopper Tyler Jones – ahead of the youngster’s loan spell coming to an end.

Jones came to the club in a hastily arranged move before the Colliers Isuzu FA Trophy match away against Garforth Town in August after both goalkeepers at the Woodhorn Lane-based outfit – Matty Alexander and Joseph Herdman – picked up injuries inside a freak 15 minutes spell at training.

Alexander broke a finger whilst Herdman rolled an ankle.

Read said: “Tyler joined us the day before we played Garforth and to see where he is now from when he started with us is massive. In terms of growth, I’m just so proud of the way he has adapted not only as a person but to senior football as he is a lot more calm and composed. When he came to us he looked like a youngster – and I really believe that he’s leaving us as a man who is ready for senior football.”

Read – who also appreciated the assistance he received from Ryan Hammer from I2I – added: “Tyler has taken to it well – he hasn’t hid behind anything – and he’s faced everything well. He’s enjoyed big moments for us and I think about two saves in-particular – the block which he made against Blyth Town in the last minute to secure us a point but especially the save at Bradford Park Avenue even though we lost the game. That flick over is as good a save as I’ve ever witnessed in my 14 years of coaching.”

He continued: “I’m very confident that Tyler has enjoyed it and he said to me when his loan move was extended earlier on that it was like receiving a gift at Christmas. It was huge for him. He’s a 17 year old but is so mature and what has pleased me is his hunger and desire to be better. He wants everything to be perfect and has given 110 per cent for Ashington. I’d also like to say a big thank you to Newcastle United because when this loan was agreed – and credit to Ashington manager Nick Gray and secretary Gav Perry that it was done very quickly – it’s been my job to relay back to Newcastle United’s coaches how Tyler has been performing. I’ve been liaising with Tony Caig and Paul Barron and it’s been brilliant listening to how both of them have responded as to how Tyler has been doing with us both on and off the pitch. That’s down to him (Tyler) and the environment he has walked into at Ashington with everyone at the club.”

He went on: “One of the toughest parts for our goalkeepers is watching someone else in the limelight but seeing how Matty (Alexander) and Joseph Herdman have nurtured Tyler and taken him under their wing is what it’s all about. I know Tyler settled in well and has learned a lot – just like Matty and Joseph have learned off him. We forget that he’s only 17 years of age but everyone who has watched him will see how much time he has invested with us whilst his family – who follow him up and down the country – have all bought into our club. I’m really proud that we have given Tyler his first taste of senior football. During his spell with us, I asked Tyler when the time came, to finish his loan spell with us with no regrets – and I would hope he will have none.”

By Brian Bennett | Photo: Ian Brodie

Ashington FC skipper Karl Ross looked on from the sidelines at The Hunters Stadium on Saturday as the Wansbeck outfit fell to a 5-0 defeat against Pontefract Collieries.

And afterwards the 27 year old – ruled out of the clash in West Yorkshire through injury – said his team mates should use their second half performance as a springboard in their efforts to get out of the relegation places in the East Division.

The Colliers take on Garforth Town on Saturday (November 15) – the start of a run which sees them have five home fixtures out of the next seven – and Ross added: “We need to stick together, roll our sleeves up and take each game as it comes and I feel at home we’ve got a chance to do that. We’re at the stage of the season where we need to start picking up points and we’ll be looking to do just that.”

Ross will again miss out as he heeds the advice from his GP: “I broke my nose in the away game at Grimsby then I played against Newton Aycliffe but I knew something wasn’t right with my breathing so I went to the doctors. I got my nose put right but the doctor told me not to play for two weeks.”

Ross admits that he doesn’t like missing games for his home town club: “I’m a bad spectator,” he said, “I think every player likes to be on the field. It does have plus points because you can step back and see where the team are doing well and where other things are going wrong. You can learn a lot more watching but as a player I just want to play. The second half at Pontefract was a much better watch. It’s tough when you are 3-0 down but the lads gave everything, created chances and were fearless – and that’s what we need to do from minute one in all our games.”

After the final whistle and 3-0 defeat in their last home clash against Newton Aycliffe, the Colliers were booed off the field by some of their supporters – and Ross has issued a rallying call: “They have always been behind us,” he said, “We understand that we are going through a tough time and they pay their money and are allowed their opinion. We’re not putting good performances out there at the minute and it’s maybes the kick up the backside which we need but over the six or seven years I have been at the club, the fans have been fantastic and no doubt that will continue.”

By Brian Bennett

Teenage striker Louis Burns said he is ‘buzzing’ after joining Ashington on a two month loan deal from National League North outfit South Shields.

The 18 year old was named on the bench for Saturday’s trip to Pontefract Collieries but came on to make his debut midway through the first half when Andrew Anderson limped off with an injury.

Burns said afterwards: “I’ve had a couple of setbacks lately with game time here and there as well as a little knock of confidence so I was buzzing when Ashington came in for me.”

The Durham-born forward spoke about his first appearance in an Ashington shirt: “I was happy with it,” he said, “The gaffer (Nick Gray) asked me to be positive – and I thought I was. I’m looking forward to my time here and it’ll be good to see the fans as I’ve never played at Woodhorn Lane before.”

A heavy defeat wasn’t on Burns’ agenda on Saturday but he said: “I thought the lads did well today. The scoreline doesn’t reflect that because it was 5-0 but I thought they worked hard. We didn’t take our chances whilst they took theirs and that was the difference.”

Boss Nick Gray said: “I thought we were a bit lightweight up top and we didn’t look like a threat so I decided to give Louis (Burns) a go. He’d only had one training session with the lads – but he was keen to get on the ball and to make things happen. He made mistakes but the good thing was he showed a good reaction to win the ball back or improve the next time. He’s only young and he’s learning all the time – but I thought he had a decent debut.”

By Brian Bennett

Nick Gray says he is confident his side can put a run of results together and lift themselves out of the clutches of the drop zone in the East Division of the Pitching In Northern Premier League.

The Colliers slipped down a further place to third from bottom after Newton Aycliffe won 1-0 at Consett in midweek and followed that up with a 2-2 draw against Lincoln United on Saturday to leapfrog above the Wansbeck based outfit.

Ashington have only picked up two points from their last six matches and have shipped eight goals in their last two games – and on Saturday (November 15) Gray’s side begin a run where five of their next seven games are at Woodhorn Lane.

Speaking after his side had gone down 5-0 at Pontefract Collieries last weekend, Gray said: “You can see that we are a side lacking in confidence that’s for sure and giving a goal away in the first five minutes today didn’t help. We weren’t close enough to Pontefract all over the pitch in the first half and although we went in 3-0 down at half time the scoreline could have been more if I’m being honest.”

He continued: “During the interval, we spoke about character and the plan was that one goal may change the game and to see if we could win the second half. I thought we were the better side – however, we gave them two goals and we’ve got to cut out the mistakes we are making. Whether it was because we were already 3-0 down but we played with some confidence and freedom. We played some good football and were unlucky and it’s difficult to take. The two goals which they scored in the second half may have been harsh on us but I said to the players that at the weekend when you see people you know they don’t ask you how well you’ve played. They ask you the scoreline and today we got beat 5-0 and that’s what the result reads tomorrow.”

He added: “We have got five home games out of our next seven and we have to blank off and ignore the negativity; reset and have belief in ourselves that we can improve. I think we can – but the players need to think the same way. Confidence is low but to gain confidence you need that trigger – like who is going to win that 40/60 ball or who is going to give their all to ensure that the ball goes into the back of our opponents’ net? It’s a challenging time for the club at the moment but if I didn’t think I could turn it around I would say. I looked at how many supporters came on the coach today and that hurt me and it shows where we are performance wise. The Ashington fans have been great but we need to give them something to cheer about.”

He went on: “We cannot give teams 3-0 starts and it’s a tough result to take but I think we’ve got to forget what has already gone this season, learn from it and move on. We do need a little bit of luck and confidence and the latter is only going to come with hard work and desire because all that matters in senior football is results.”

Ahead of the Pontefract clash, Gray brought in striker Louis Burns on-loan from South Shields and the boss added that a couple of new faces should give the team a boost and a lift.

Following the operational review update released last week, we felt it was right to share a wider update on where the club is at across different areas, both on and off the pitch. A lot of work goes on in the background that isn’t always seen, and this aims to give a clear picture of that.

🏟️ Ground & Facilities

• New LED Floodlights are now in use, improving visibility, meeting league regulations and reducing running costs.
• The pitch continues to be maintained to a high standard thanks to Scott Robson, our groundsman, who puts in countless voluntary hours.
• Thank you to the volunteers who help around the building and the ground. Much of the work is quiet and unseen, but the effort shows.
• Work is ongoing to improve the club shop and return it to matchday opening, alongside a wider range of merchandise.

🚌 Travel & Fixtures

• Supporter and team travel has been strengthened to keep the squad together on more matchdays and allow fans to follow the side. Supporter travel is offered at a reasonable cost, and many choose to make use of it, which helps support the overall travel bill.
• Travel for the club can range from £12,000 to £14,000 a season depending on the journeys involved, so every bit of support here makes a difference.
• Friday night fixtures have returned. We hosted Newton Aycliffe last week and face Consett at Woodhorn Lane in early December.
• The first Ashington vs Blyth league derby since 1983 takes place on Boxing Day. Tickets are now on sale.

🍺 Matchday Experience, Functions & Catering

• We trialled in-house catering across the hatch and Sunday lunches, but rising costs made this difficult to continue. We have now returned to a matchday food van arrangement. Whilst this may feel like a step back the club has to get back to basics and take stock of things whilst reducing costs. Thank you to everyone who put their time and effort into the catering side during that period.
• Hospitality remains available, and the Charlton Lounge and Woodhorn Lane are available for private hire when fixtures allow.
• Functions are a key part of the club’s income. If you know anyone looking for a venue for birthdays, family gatherings or celebrations, please recommend us. Every booking helps support the club.
• The Tuesday Quiz Night with Steffan Peddie continues to bring people together, and getting along to it supports the club. This will be staffed on a voluntary basis for the forseeable future.
• Jimmy Ogilvie is once again hosting a fundraising night with live music at the Northern Club on Friday 14th November. Tickets are available from Jimmy or the Northern Club.
• Hank and The Hotdogs will be playing live at the football club on Saturday 29th November at 7.45pm, following the home match and the Newcastle game on TV.
• The club has Sky Sports and TNT Sports, and we would like to open more often around televised matches. However, when we have opened previously, bar takings have not always covered staff costs or stock. This is something we are reviewing carefully moving forward and again may be a voluntarily operated opening.

💼 Commercial & Fundraising

• Build the Budget returned this season. It didn’t reach previous levels but we do thank everyone who contributed. Work continues on new ways of supporting the football budget.
• The seasonal sponsorship pack has been refreshed and several new partners have joined recently.
• Matchday 50/50 continues to generate good income of nearly £200 for most games. The sellers do a great job and we thank them for that, it really does make a difference.
• The Supporters Club is also going through a re-organisation and are looking to relaunch the Awayday 50/50 in the near future.

👕 Identity & Kit

• The new home shirt has been popular with supporters and we have sold around 80 so far. We will be ordering more home shirts on the run up to Christmas.
• Moving to Adidas for kit and training wear has lifted how the club presents itself. Sponsorship remains available for the kit and we are looking at a supporter pre-order before Christmas.

🌱 Sustainability

• The LED floodlights are already helping reduce electricity use although across the facility overall it is still too high.
• Further work is planned to extend LED lighting throughout the facility to reduce running costs.
• We are working with local partners on wider energy projects in the community.

🏛️ Boardroom

• Work has continued to build stronger governance, clearer roles, and steadier planning across the club. With having such a small team quite often roles end up crossing over which means they don’t get the full attention they deserve. Work is underway to rectify that.
• Off-field operations are being strengthened, including the bar and function facilities, matchday organisation, commercial work, and community links. The aim is for these areas to support one another and provide a stable base for the football side.
• All board positions are voluntary, taken on by people who give their time because they care about Ashington Football Club.
• The club is open to bringing new skills into the boardroom to support the existing team. Anyone who feels they could contribute is welcome to speak with us.

⚽ On the Pitch

• It has been a mixed start to the season and the league position is obviously not where we would like it to be at this stage.
• The local football landscape is very tough and competitive, with player availability at a premium across the region. This affects many clubs, not just ourselves.
• Nick is working hard to improve the squad and bring in the right players where possible. The group are committed and are putting in the work to turn results around.
• Support home and away continues to mean a great deal to everyone in the dressing room and the club overall.

🙏 A Final Word

Thank you to everyone who turns up, buys a ticket, supports the bar, volunteers, and stands by the club.

As always decisions are made with the best interests of Ashington AFC at heart. The club has been here for 142 years, and the intention is for it to be here long beyond all of us.

We keep going and working hard together.

UpTheColliers | #AshingtonAFC

By Brian Bennett

Ashington missed the opportunity to claim three precious points in their bid to climb away from the lower reaches of the East Division of the Northern Premier League on Friday night as they lost 3-0 against Newton Aycliffe at Woodhorn Lane.

After Josh Gilchrist had missed a fourth minute penalty for the home side, Aycliffe scored all three goals in the second half through Jack Clarkson, Scott Fenwick and Tom Henson.

On Halloween, the evening developed into a horror show for the Colliers and manager Nick Gray revealed afterwards that he hit one of his lowest points in years of management: “I’ve been in football a long time and tonight is probably one of my lowest ebbs as a manager,” he said, “It was really disappointing, it really hurts and I take full responsibility. It’s my squad and the buck stops with me. We spoke about the importance of the game but I thought in the first half there was only one player – Ryan Donaldson – who passed the ball well. There wasn’t a lot in the game and I thought both teams gave the ball away cheaply.”

He continued: “Second half, you always know the first goal is going to be crucial and to be fair we’ve given away a poor goal from a set piece. Then you seemed to see the energy sucked out of the players a little bit and we made Newton Aycliffe look like Brazil in the end. It’s a squad we’ve assembled on what resources we have and you try your best. Some Ashington supporters booed us at the end and they have got the right to do that. I think there have been games where they haven’t done that and have stuck by us but tonight they did. In general, the fans have been great and I cannot fault them.”

He added: “I think the lads just expected things to happen. At half time we didn’t have a pop at them. We said we had worked hard enough but we’d given the ball away far too cheaply. If you don’t do that (pass the ball well) then you’re going to find it hard against any team.”

In the fourth minute, Josh Gilchrist missed a penalty but Gray said: “Josh has been great for us and obviously he didn’t mean to miss from the spot. Yes it was a chance but we had other opportunities in 86 plus minutes to try and put things right. We didn’t do enough to win the game and it’s hurting.”