Match Report

By Brian Bennett

Nick Gray said in one of his postmatch interviews last season that in football you don’t always get what you deserve.

On Tuesday night, Gray’s Ashington outfit bossed their first home league game of the new season against Bishop Auckland. They missed gilt edged chances, struck the woodwork on three occasions and even trailed early in the contest.

And as the match entered four minutes of stoppage time in the second half, it looked as if they were heading for a second consecutive defeat inside four days after Saturday’s 2-0 reverse at Bridlington Town.

But with one last throw of the dice, Craig Spooner whipped a superb free-kick from the right into the danger zone where Harry Powell stabbed the ball in at the far post to salvage a point.

It was the bare minimum the Colliers deserved.

On the night they played some excellent football and in the seventh minute they should have nudged ahead following a free flowing move involving several first time passes on the right. The ball was crossed into the area but from six yards, Spooner’s effort rattled against the crossbar and from the rebound, Karl Ross’s shot was gobbled up by ‘keeper Alfie Gordon.

Ashington continued to dominate the opening exchanges and a corner by Josh Gilchrist went across the face of the goal. However, in the 12^th minute, one piece of slackness saw the Two Blues take the lead when a cross from the right by Mikey Roberts was firmly headed home by Robbie Spence.

Undaunted, Ashington hit back and after Gordon had held a shot from Gilchrist following a Jay Hornsby free-kick, Ben Sampson charged through the middle before he slipped the ball through for Liam Henderson but the striker’s effort came back off the foot of the post.

Midway through the half, an instinctive right footer from Bishop Auckland’s Roberts flashed just wide then Jack Blackford cut inside and fired narrowly off target.

Ashington continued to exert pressure in the second period. Henderson and Gilchrist were not far away with efforts then just past the hour mark, Ryan Wombwell got on the end of a Spooner restart but directed his shot straight into Gordon’s midriff.

Still the home side continued to create chances. A brilliant run down the left flank by Hornsby saw him deliver a great inviting cross into the box but no Ashington player was on hand to apply the finishing touch.

Henderson headed wide then from another cross an effort from Sampson was finger-tipped onto the bar by Gordon.

When Sampson cut inside and blazed over with 88 minutes gone, it appeared it was going to be one of those nights.

That was until the third minute of time added on when Powell equalised following a quality ball in from Spooner.