Match Report

By Brian Bennett

Ashington broke their duck for the season when they chalked up their first win against Ossett United on Saturday.

What’s more, the Colliers deservedly extended their short but unbeaten run at the Ingfield Stadium to three game games in a contest which was played in incessant rain throughout.

Josh Gilchrist and Liam Henderson scored the goals for Nick Gray’s side but their was so much more to admire from a performance which was brimful of endeavour.

The Wansbeck side went into the game on the bottom of the table but they were boosted by an impressive second half showing – albeit in a 3-2 home defeat – against Matlock Town in midweek.

Boss Gray had emphasised that they had to replicate the same type of performance – and the players duly obliged.

Chances were few and far between in a first half which included a lot of huff and puff and it was ten minutes before the first effort at goal arrived – courtesy of Craig Spooner whose left foot effort was held just inside the post by ‘keeper Aleksandar Petrovic.

It was a full half hour before the hosts threatened when Jack Crook hit the side netting after cutting inside from left to right.

Rory Powell had a header clutched by Petrovic then at the other end, Samuel Pashley blasted over from the edge of the area.

Ashington had enjoyed more possession but five minutes before the break, it was Tyler Jones who kept the scoreline blank when the stopper pushed a shot from Alfie Proctor aside.

And the save proved pivotal as two minutes later, the visitors went ahead through Gilchrist.

Spooner provided a cross from the left into the area where Gilchrist’s excellent header found the far corner.

Second half, although the Colliers kicked down the slope, the driving rain was directly in their faces.

Little materialised in the way of goalmouth action until on the hour when the Wansbeck outfit forced a corner.

The ball fell to Harry Powell whose sweetly struck effort was goalbound until it hit Karl Ross and lobbed up for Petrovic to claim with ease.

Just past the half way mark, Gray introduced Liam Henderson – and it proved to be an inspired substitution as within three minutes, the striker doubled Ashington’s lead.

Gilchrist swung the ball into the danger zone from the left and an ice-cool Henderson side footed it wide of Petrovic and into the net.

Late on, Henderson came close with a right footer which flew narrowly wide before Ossett served notice that even with time running out, the game was not over.

A snapshot from Proctor hit the base of the post and went wide then in the 89th minute, Crook was given space to curl a superb left footer from 25 yards wide of the despairing dive of Jones and inside the corner of the net.

With five minutes of time added on, the goal set up for a nervy finish – but there were no further scares for the Colliers who picked up three precious points on the road.

Ashington now prepare for two home games in the space of five days which start with Tuesday night’s clash against Hallam (7.45pm kick-off).