Match Report

By Brian Bennett

Talk about being brought back down to earth with a bump!

After a deserved 2-0 win over North Ferriby the previous week, Ashington crashed to an all time low at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday.

League leaders Redcar Athletic were merciless and ruthless in their finishing as they romped to an 8-0 success and inflicted the heaviest ever defeat on an Ashington side at the Lane which left home supporters shell-shocked.

In truth, it could have been worse. Teenage goalkeeper Ben Metcalf – making his debut on a youth loan from Sunderland – made several excellent saves especially in one of the most one sided 45 minutes as a commanding display from the Teessiders saw them effectively have the game sewn up by the interval.

It’s not as though Carl Jarrett’s side eased their way into the contest – they went for the jugular straight from kick-off.

With only 50 seconds on the clock, the warning signs were evident as Oscar Fletcher headed over a great chance from a corner on the left even though the assistant’s flag was raised for offside.

Ashington caused their own problems. They tried to play out from the back, overplay and were guilty of losing possession.

In the third minute, John Howard advanced before his right footer came back off the post then debutant Danny Rowe had a goal-bound effort blocked by Metcalf who also denied Louis Johnson.

Harry Powell made a superb tackle to stop Adam Boyes but it came as no surprise when Howard edged the Seasiders in front just past the quarter hour mark with a powerful shot from inside the area.

That was the first of three goals inside ten minutes. The lead was doubled when Metcalf gave away possession and after the ball was played in from the right flank, Boyes’s effort crossed the line despite Ashington attempts to clear.

Fletcher scored a screamer to make it 3-0 then Metcalf kept out attempts from Fletcher and Boyes.

In the 36th minute, Rio May headed home at the near post from an in-swinging corner and Ashington were pleased to hear the half time whistle which brought an end to a mistake ridden first period.

The Colliers started the second half much brighter and five minutes in, debutant Rees Greenwood had a shooting chance but elected to lay the ball off sideways for Liam Wotherspoon whose drive was blocked.

Surely Ashington’s day couldn’t get any worse but in the 56th minute after Rory Powell had been upended in the area, Josh Gilchrist stepped up to take the resultant penalty only to smash his effort against the post.

Then as heads began to drop in the Ashington ranks, Redcar’s Louis Johnson took charge. The Colliers simply couldn’t handle the striker and shortly before the midway point, he fired the ball across Metcalf and into the net to make it 5-0.

The home ‘keeper turned the ball around from substitute Brad Fewster before Johnson undoubtedly scored the goal of the game in the 74th minute.

He charged through on a run of 40 yards then hammered a right footer inside the far stanchion.

Home substitute Sam Davison went close with a shot which skimmed the post before Fewster got on the end of a ball knocked into the danger zone to score Redcar’s seventh.
In the final minute of the 90, Curtis Round found Johnson and the striker duly completed his hat-trick with another unerring right foot finish.

The last occasion when the Colliers were on the wrong end of a hammering on home soil came at their former Portland Park ground when they lost 9-0 against Bedlington Terriers in a Northumberland Senior Cup clash back in the 1993/94 campaign.

Ashington face another stiff test at Woodhorn Lane on Tuesday (February 24) when they take on Emley. The West Yorkshire outfit went second top of the East Division on Saturday night after an eye catching 4-0 away win over fellow promotion chasers Matlock Town.