

Match Report
By Brian Bennett
Ashington slipped into the bottom four of the Northern Premier League’s East Division on Saturday after a 2-0 defeat against high flying Stocksbridge Park Steels at Woodhorn Lane.
With quarter of an hour remaining, Danny Deakin’s opener put the visitors ahead then a penalty converted by Alex O’Connor sealed the win to put a damper on Nick Gray’s first game in charge of the Colliers.
Gray and his assistant Liam McIvor had been looking to put their mark on proceedings with their first target being to arrest the sides’ run of three consecutive defeats – but for all they huffed and puffed and were denied by some last ditch blocks, Ashington were unable to unlock the Steels’ door.
The Wansbeck side had plenty of the ball and at times played some decent football on a surface which was made slick by a pre match torrential downpour but sadly they lacked a cutting edge.
The visitors had problems on route when their coach broke down and consequently the kick-off was put back by half an hour.
Chances in the game were also delayed in a first half which contained little in the way of goalmouth action but there was nothing to choose between the two teams.
Stocksbridge full back Jack Tinker fired high and wide in the fifth minute and it was a full quarter hour before the Colliers looked threatening.
Wilson Kneesahw burst through the middle and found Andrew Johnson who swivelled inside the area but directed his shot straight into ‘keeper Ben Townsend’s midriff.
In the 33rd minute, Elliot Owen saw his effort blocked from a left wing corner then Alexander Hardwick got in behind the home defence and centred but the ball went right across the face of the Ashington goal.
Ben Williams made a superb challenge inside the area to halt Jack Haslam before the referee blew his whistle for half time.
Early doors after the break, Tinker again lashed over before Craig Spooner got to the by-line but his low cross was cut out for a corner. Spooner took the flag kick which saw Williams head wide.
Twice in the space of a minute, Townsend prevented an opener from the home side.
A cross by Charlie Exley was headed on by Matty Slocombe but Johnson’s effort was diverted clear by the stopper then Exley rolled the ball for Spooner who was denied by Townsend’s outstretched foot.
Stocksbridge were hanging on. They survived Ashington’s pressure then after Deakin had clipped the ball just over, it was the visiting number seven who broke the deadlock in the 76th minute.
A header by Haslam hit the post but when the ball was played back across, Deakin found the net with a low side footed shot.
Substitute Cam Gascoigne found Kneeshaw but his touch was just too heavy and as Townsend advanced, the striker lifted the ball over the bar.
A 30 yarder by Spooner flashed wide but seven minutes from the end of the 90, Staples needlessly fouled sub James Morris in the area and O’Connor sent the ‘keeper the wrong way from the spot.
In stoppage time sub Eddie Thomas and Paddy Almond both headed off target – before Stocksbridge headed back to South Yorkshire with all three points.
Details
Date | Time | Competition | Season | Attendance |
---|---|---|---|---|
Sat 12/10/2024 | 3:00 pm | Northern Premier League - East Division | 2024-25 | 421 |
Officials
Referee | Assistant 1 | Assistant 2 |
---|---|---|
Kieran Downey | Adam Kain | Andrew Bailey |
Past Meetings
![]() ![]() 1 - 1Woodhorn Lane Ashington vs Stocksbridge Park SteelsAttendance: 421
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![]() ![]() 1 - 2Bracken Moor Stocksbridge Park Steels vs AshingtonAttendance: 208
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![]() ![]() 3 - 0Woodhorn Lane Ashington vs Stocksbridge Park SteelsAttendance: 1,424
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![]() ![]() 2 - 2Bracken Moor Stocksbridge Park Steels vs AshingtonAttendance: 429
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