Season: 2025-26
Garforth Town vs Ashington
By Brian Bennett
Ashington exited the Isuzu FA Trophy at the preliminary round stage on Saturday when they went down 3-0 against Garforth Town at the Bannister Prentice Stadium.
The scoreline suggests a comfortable win for ‘The Miners’ but it was far from the case.
The Wansbeck side – who trailed to goals from Mutty Al-Jahadhmy and Rinor Ejupi – were in the game throughout and when substitute Josh Cairns missed a glaring opportunity with quarter of an hour remaining, it was a huge turning point.
Substitute George Harrison then rubbed salt into sore wounds when he scored a third for the home side in the closing seconds.
Following the tragic loss earlier in the week of lifelong Colliers fan Craig Dickinson, Ashington were brilliantly supported on the day. Some of Craig’s family joined with other supporters to generate non-stop chanting from the stand as one of his brothers had asked: ‘let’s make some noise for Craig.’ Ahead of the game, a minutes applause was also held in tribute to Craig.
It was Al-Jahadhmy – making his home debut – who tormented and teased the Colliers all afternoon. He had the first chance in the fifth minute but got no power behind his shot and the ball was cleared.
Three minutes later, Andrew Anderson found Ben Sampson with a superb cross field pass but after cutting inside, the defender curled a right footer from the edge of the box narrowly over the bar.
Ashington had signed goalkeeper Tyler Jones from Newcastle United under-18’s on a short term deal after regular stopper Matty Alexander and Josef Herdman had picked up freak injuries and the debutant distinguished himself in the 19th minute when he pushed a 30 yarder around at the last second to deny Joe Allerton.
However from the resulting corner, the ball pinged around in the area until it fell into the path of Al-Jahadhmy who fired home from six yards.
Five minutes later, Sampson hooked back a deep corner and Ryan Wombwell’s header was cleared away from virtually on the line by Charlie Marshall.
Matt Savage went close at one end then when play switched, home ‘keeper Harry Flatters made a vital interception with Sam Davison poised to side foot in the equaliser then following another cross, Harry Viggars headed off the line.
Marshall volleyed just over then Jones tipped over from Nash Connolly.
However on the hour Ashington – for whom Harry Powell was outstanding – went two-nil down after another worldie.
Sampson headed the ball infield but it fell to Rinor Ejupi who from 25 yards struck a sweet half volley which flew past the despairing hands of Jones and inside the top corner of the net.
Game over? It certainly was not as in the 73rd minute, Ashington got in behind the Garforth defence but when Josh GIlchrist pulled the ball back, Cairns somehow blazed over.
Even in the latter stages, Flatters fumbled a free-kick from Anderson but Allerton cleared the ball off the line.
In the 90th minute, Davison had a header taken by Flatters following a cross by Sampson then in the third minute of time added on, two substitutes combined with Harry Colville sliding the ball across for Harrison to fire home.
3 vs 0 
Dunston vs Ashington
By Brian Bennett | Photos: Ian Brodie
Ashington suffered their second league defeat in three matches on Tuesday night when a goal in each half from Michael Pearson and Harvey Neary sealed a 2-0 win for Dunston.
The result saw Dunston go top of the East Division table in the Pitching In Northern Premier League on a night where the Colliers came away empty handed despite staging a late rally.
Craig Spooner had a 90th minute penalty saved by home stopper Dan Lowson who also denied a close range effort from Ryan Wombwell.
In the first half, there was little in the way of goalmouth action to entertain a crowd of 368 but the 13th minute proved to be unlucky for the Wansbeck side as they went behind.
A deflection fell to Pearson who with all the time in the World, hammered the ball home inside the far corner from the edge of the box, past the outstretched hands of ‘keeper Matty Alexander.
The only other clear opening came seven minutes later when following a deep free-kick pumped towards the far post, the ball bounced out to Ashington skipper Karl Ross but he skied his effort well wide.
Early doors in the second period, Spooner whipped in a great free-kick from the right which by-passed everyone at the far post.
Midway through the period, it was Neary who doubled Dunston’s lead. He won a 50-50 tackle just inside the Ashington half and after advancing hit a right footer which took a deflection before it looped over Alexander’s head and into the net.
In the 78th minute, Chris McDonald crossed for substitute Dan Turner but he was denied by Alexander who made a fine block.
Ashington had played better in the second half and in the closing stages, they desperately tried to get back into the contest.
After Sam Davison had fired into the side netting, the substitute was brought down in the area by Jude Swailes but Spooner’s penalty was pushed away to his right by Lowson.
Then in stoppage time, Wombwell met a corner from the left but somehow he was thwarted by Lowson.
2 vs 0 Ashington vs Bishop Auckland
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 12th 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.
1 vs 1 
Bridlington Town AFC vs Ashington
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.
2 vs 0 1 vs 2 