Northern Premier League – East Division – Page 5

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.

By Brian Bennett | Photo:

Two sumptuous strikes in the second half from Ahmed Salam sent Ashington spiralling to 2-0 defeat in their opening game in the Pitching In Northern Premier League clash against Bridlington Town on Saturday.

With three quarters of the game gone and with little in the way of goalmouth action, Salam’s double came inside a ten minutes spell.
For his first, Casey Stewart raided down the left flank and when he cut the ball back, Salam struck a first time effort from 20 yards wide of ‘keeper Matty Alexander and into the net via the post.

Salam’s second came in the 77th minute from a similar distance was an even better finish. Ashington allowed the number eleven time and space to cut inside before he curled the ball inside the far corner with Alexander rooted to the spot.

The first half was nothing more than a dour battle in the sunshine. In the 11th minute, Josh Gilchrist played a great ball into the danger zone from a free-kick but no Ashington player reacted to get on the end of it.

Two minutes later, home skipper Jacob Day was all set to unleash a drive until Andrew Anderson closed him down and made a superb block.
The only other incident of note came midway through when Gilchrist fired over from 22 yards.

Early doors after the break, Gilchrist had an effort blocked by ‘keeper Jonathan Dash and from the rebound, Liam Henderson’s half volley was snuffed out.

Then a cross by Rory Powell found Gilchrist but he directed his header straight at Dash.

Stewart put a ball across the face of the visitors goal then an effort from Salam was deflected for a corner.

Sandwiched in-between Salam’s two strikes, a long diagonal pass from Harry Powell reached Henderson but he lobbed wide at the near post.

That was that in a game where chances were few and far between.