By Brian Bennett

Ashington edged nearer to the foot of the Northern Premier League’s East Division table after a 4-1 defeat against high flying Stockton Town at Woodhorn Lane on Saturday.

The Colliers went down to their sixth reverse of the season and now only goal difference keeps them out of the bottom two.

After a first half of limited chances, the Teessiders stepped on the gas immediately after the break whilst the Colliers performance deteriorated and even more so following Stockton’s second goal just past the hour.

Kev Hayes’s eyes must light up whenever he knows he is going to face Ashington. He has tormented the Wansbeck side over the years and earlier in the campaign scored a dramatic winner which sent Ashington out of the Isuzu FA Cup.

On Saturday he came on as a substitute and not only added Stockton’s third but also set up their fourth.

There was little to enthuse about in the first period. Ashington’s first shot came on the quarter hour but Karl Ross’s drive clipped off a defender which took the pace off the ball which was easily collected by ‘keeper Callum Roberts.

Midway through Ross and Darren Lough combined down the left but when the latter crossed, Kneeshaw miskicked and the chance evaporated.
Stockton continued to probe and in the 32nd minute, Elliott Beddow teed up a volley for himself but fired over.

Just before the half time adjournment, a cross by Craig Spooner found Ben Sampson but he directed a right footer over the bar.

Ten minutes into the second half, Stockton took the lead when Beddow went past a defender in the box and drove a low effort wide of ‘keeper Karl Dryden.

Ashington replied immediately with Spooner having a shot cleared for a corner but just past the hour mark, the Anchors added a second.

Cameron Painter’s pass down the left opened up the home defence and when Michael Roberts cut the ball back, Michael Sweet slotted in.

Then towards the end of the contest, the visitors scored two more inside three minutes.

In the 90th minute, substitute Hayes made no mistake after a quick break then in stoppage time, Tom Coulthard glanced a free kick by Hayes inside the corner of the net.

With virtually the last kick of the game, Ashington pulled one back after a searching pass from the back released Kneeshaw down the left. The striker cut inside two defenders before he finished with aplomb firing the ball into the roof of the net.

By Brian Bennett

Three crackling goals – two from Paul Van-Zandvliet on his home debut and a trademark free kick from Craig Spooner – secured Ashington their first home win of the season in a match which was full of incident against Dunston UTS on Saturday.

In total, the contest lasted 102 minutes and supporters witnessed another first at Woodhorn Lane as referee Scott Henry dished out no fewer than 12 yellow cards – six to each side – as well as two reds.

For the second game in a row, the Colliers finished the clash with nine men after Simon Yakab and skipper Nathan Buddle were both sent off in the 64^th minute – the former for denying an obvious goalscoring opportunity whilst Buddle – already on a yellow – got his marching orders for dissent.

Nevertheless, Ashington were full value for their success. In what was a good game of football and never a feisty or dirty encounter as the card count suggests, they were 3-1 ahead before the red mist descended then defended manfully for the remainder of the game and showed more than a hint of a threat on the break.

A Wansbeck side that went into the game on the back of four consecutive defeats as well as failing to score in all those encounters came out of the traps looking sharp and immediately put pressure onto the Dunston defence.

Buddle lashed over; Spooner had a drive held by ‘keeper Dan Staples; Ben Sampson chipped over from 35 yards and Oli Thompson played Jordan Summerly in but he was foiled by a superb tackle by Jack Walker.

However the pressure paid off in the ninth minute. Jakab found Matty Dopson who played the ball through for Van-Zandvliet and the midfielder fired home right footed from just inside the area.

Dunston grew into the contest and on the break – after Ashington had lost possession – a shot from David Robinson was taken at the foot of the post by home ‘keeper Karl Dryden.

Thompson had a shot blocked just past the half hour mark following a corner on the left by Spooner then Jakab fired over after being set up by Summerly.

Dunston drew level in the 36^th minute. Sado Djalo passed inside to Robinson who advanced down the right flank and when he crossed, Jordan Lamb hammered the ball home at the far post.

Within a minute, the visitors had a chance to go ahead when Djalo was through but his effort was superbly blocked by Dryden then when play switched to the other end, Spooner had a 20 yarder pushed away by Staples to his right.

At the beginning of the second half, Ashington took the game to their visitors as they had done in the first – and they scored two spectacular goals from Spooner and Van-Zandvliet in a little over five minutes.

The first in the 48^th minute was created by a ball played by Darren Lough which saw Scott Heslop charge towards the area before he was upended.

Spooner took the resultant free-kick 20 yards out and curled the ball expertly around the defensive wall and into the roof of the net.

Heslop headed narrowly over from a Spooner corner before Sampson teed the ball up for Van-Zandvliet who scored a screamer from distance arcing his effort into the top corner which left Staples helpless.

Then came the double sending off as Yakab saw red for impeding Lamb midway inside the Ashington half and within seconds he was followed to the dressing room by Buddle.

Midway through the period, Dryden made a crucial save diving to his right to divert a free-kick by Luke Carr and the same player had a golden opportunity but fired wide of the upright.

In the 82^nd minute, a header from Dunston substitute Jack Maskell struck the post then in an Ashington raid, Staples pushed out an effort from Ross and Kneeshaw netted but the goal was ruled out for offside.

Home supporters were already drained and exhausted when the board went up to indicate a minimum of ten added minutes – but the only scare Ashington had to survive saw Dryden push around a right footer from sub Liam Thear.

By Brian Bennett

Two clinical finishes at the beginning of each half by Wil Shaw and Scott Fenwick wrapped up victory for Consett against Ashington at Woodhorn Lane on Bank Holiday Monday.

The Colliers – fresh from picking up their first win of the season following a 2-1 result over Stocksbridge 48 hours earlier – had plenty of possession but gave a poor and uninspiring display in front of a crowd of just under 700.

The home side had the first chance of the game when Oli Thompson and Craig Spooner worked a swift one-two which ended with the former’s shot being turned away by ‘keeper James Anderson.

But in the ninth minute, the home side pressed the self destruct button and consequently found themselves a goal behind.

Playing out from the back, they were caught out as they lost possession. The ball found Shaw who burst inside the penalty area before making no mistake with a drive which screamed past ‘keeper Karl Dryden before nestling inside the corner of the net.

Ben Sampson blazed wide and a cross by Thompson was cleared by Calvin Smith in the nick of time with Charlie Exley ready to pounce but generally Ashington were causing their own problems and on occasions their passing was sub standard.

Wilson Kneeshaw and Dan Maguire combined to set up Sampson whose effort was deflected for a corner and in the dying minutes of the half, Maguire turned on a sixpence and directed a left footer which flashed narrowly over.

Early in the second period, Spooner had a shot blocked by former Collier Ryan McKinnon then at the other end Zak Atkinson released Jack Gibbons down the right but the number seven hit the side netting.

Then in the 56^th minute the Steelmen added a second on the break when the ball was launched into the Ashington half. After beating Darren Lough in the air, Fenwick put himself through with a clear run on goal and applied a cool finish past the advancing Dryden.

Spooner threatened on a couple of occasions then Thompson and Karl Ross had efforts blocked by a Consett defence who defended manfully.

Inside the final ten minutes, Spooner provided a great cross from the left but substitute Mason Hardy headed well wide then play switched with Shaw driving wide of the far post.

With time running out, a shot by Thompson was snuffed out before Nathan Buddle’s pass found Hardy whose drive struck the outside of the post.