Match Report

By Brian Bennett

Ashington moved a place nearer the foot of the Northern Premier League’s East Division after a 2-0 defeat against Newton Aycliffe at Moore Lane on Tuesday night.

The result saw the home side – who were on the bottom of the table before kick off – leapfrog over the Colliers who consequently slipped to fourth bottom.

It was a night to forget for the Wansbeck outfit as apart from the reverse, they were forced to play the final 35 minutes with nine men.

Already trailing by a two goals deficit, the red mist descended in stoppage time in the first half and early in the second period when Charlie Exley and Karl Ross both received their marching orders.

The first chance of a game – billed as a six pointer – arrived in the 11^th minute when Jake Petitjean headed over a cross from the left.

When play switched to the other end, Dan Maguire twisted and turned outside the area before his left footer was saved at the second attempt by Aycliffe ‘keeper Daniel Cameron then a good move by the Colliers ended with a shot by Oli Thompson also held by the home stopper.

Jack Raper had a drive deflected narrowly wide but on the half hour, Ashington ‘keeper Karl Dryden – making his 350^th appearance – denied Petitjean with a sprawling save in front of goal.

However two minutes later, the home side broke the deadlock as Petitjean latched onto a through ball to stab wide of the advancing Dryden with the outside of his foot.

A swift one-two between Wilson Kneeshaw and Paul Van-Zandvliet looked promising until a cross from the latter was intercepted.

In the 39^th minute Davis was thwarted by the brilliance of Dryden.

The striker met a cross flush on the volley and his effort was goalbound until Dryden dived to his left to palm it around for a corner.

A shot by Van-Zandvliet was saved at the foot of the post by Cameron but sixty seconds later, Aycliffe doubled their advantage when Liam Adamson played the ball into Davis who fired wide of Dryden.

In the third minute of time added on, Exley – already on a yellow – committed a foul on the touchline which saw him sent off for the second time in four days following his dismissal at Dunston at the weekend.

Early doors after the interval, Heslop went close with a free kick from 25 yards before Ross went for an early bath after he too picked up a second yellow as he contested the ball with a home player.

On the hour, Petitjean’s shot crashed off the woodwork then in the closing stages substitute Craig Spooner’s free kick from 22 yards thudded against the bar.

Ashington’s nine men had battled superbly – but they were to get no consolation effort as Spooner’s shot in stoppage time rolled the wrong side of the post.