By Brian Bennett

A rousing second half performance and a Craig Spooner double couldn’t prevent Ashington from tasting their sixth consecutive defeat after they went down by the odd goal in five against Pontefract Collieries on Tuesday night.

Although they remain in the bottom four of the East Division of the Northern Premier League the consolation for the Colliers is that on the night, two of the other teams around them also lost.

Before kick off there was a lovely touch when the Woodhorn Lane outfit honoured Alan Brown who was celebrating his 70th birthday.

Ashington’s own former England and Durham pace bowler Stephen Harmison presented Brown – the club’s long serving logistics manager – with a personalised framed home shirt. Many of Alan’s friends stood on the pitch close-by and along with the crowd gave him a massive and well deserved round of applause.

Absorbing the party atmosphere, Nick Gray’s side took the lead on the quarter hour.

They had survived an early scare as Jack Wilson blazed over a good opportunity but when Ben Sampson – who was making his first start for several weeks – found Andrew Cartwright on the right, the full back’s low cross was turned into the net by Spooner.

Home goalkeeper Dan Staples made an acrobatic save to deny Wilson an equaliser after the stopper had initially only half cleared a long throw in from Pontefract skipper Jack Greenhough before the visitors struck a triple blow in the closing 20 minutes of the period to take a 3-1 lead into the break.

In the 25th minute, they levelled with a 20 yards thunderbolt from Elliott Walker and ought to have gone in front shortly afterwards when Bailey Thompson headed over from six yards.

However, ten minutes before the interval, Wilson cut along the by line and when he crossed Thompson added the finishing touch from close range.

Ashington looked a threat when Ben Williams passed out wide to Cartwright who played a one-two with Spooner but the full back was thwarted inside the area.

Then in the dying minutes of the period, another long throw in from Greenhough which dropped right under the bar, led to ping-pong close to the home goal-line until Jamie Spencer netted.

What manager Nick Gray and his assistant Liam McIvor said at half time certainly had the desired effect as a rejuvenated Ashington side completely battered their opponents from West Yorkshire.

They got the perfect boost ten minutes inside the second period when Spooner cut in from the left before he curled a stunning right footer from 25 yards inside the far stanchion which left ‘keeper Will Mitchell a mere spectator.

Now it was game on and how Ashington – roared on by a passionate crowd behind them – did everything but find an equaliser.

A great ball over the top by Gary Ormston found Michael Ndiweni who danced inside and rolled the ball to the unmarked Spooner whose shot was blocked with Kneeshaw also denied form the rebound.

Two minutes later, the home side were almost caught out on the break with Paddy Almond clearing the ball off the line but after that rare attack, Ashington threw the kitchen sink at their visitors.

Harrison Clark hit the bar with a header then Ashington had two penalty appeals inside a minute turned down.

New signing Josh Gilchrist had been introduced and he struck a left footer which was held by Mitchell.

The final chance came in stoppage time – with the move worthy of a goal.

Jack Camarda found Cartwright who slipped the ball forward for Spooner. The midfielder crossed first time for the incoming Sampson but his goalbound effort from eight yards was blocked.

The proverbial footballing cliché of a game of two halves rang true but once again it was not to be for the Colliers who now go into back to back away matches against North Ferriby on Saturday (October 26) followed by a midweek trip to face Carlton Town (October 29).

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.