Robins Begin Manchester Premier Cup Title Defence With Derby Day Victory

Manchester Premier Cup: Ashton United 1-1 Curzon Ashton

Reigning holders Ashton United moved into the second round of this season’s Manchester Premier Cup after a dramatic penalty shoot out following a 1-1 draw in normal time.

Niall Battersby was back in defence for the Robins with the visitors featuring several players with an Ashton United connection and it took them just 6 minutes to move ahead as a decent move led to Jordan Richards’ cross being knocked back by Mitchell Pickersley for Dillon Edmondson to provide a neat finish into the roof of the net.

Ben Hardcastle then saw a fierce attempt blocked and Richards’ free kick saw Pickersley denied by Greg Hartley before Edmondson was sent tumbling 28 yards out with Connor Demaio putting the free kick past the right hand post. Centre forward Lorenzo Spinelli was next to threaten as he forced Josh Ollerenshaw into a low save from Cole Lonsdale’s free kick and after Pickersley had outwitted Michael Brewster in midfield he played in Pickersley needing an alert stop from Hartley.

Just before the hour the Robins found the equaliser as Lonsdale won a free kick on the left hand side of the area and he delivered it to the back post where it was slid home from a tight angle by Matty Regan. With the tempo increasing a neat turn by Spinelli saw him shoot straight at Ollerenshaw and the keeper was again to the fore as he denied Brewster after Phenix’s cross had been cleared to him. Phenix then tricked his way into the area and was blocked out by Richards before Lonsdale’s corner appeared to be dropped by Ollerenshaw with Coates helping the ball into the side netting.

Callum Saunders then hammered a great chance over as a free kick dropped to him with sub Bailey McCallion forcing a save from Hartley at the other end and the home side could still have settled the matter as great work by Hardcastle saw his cross reach Spinelli whose shot was blocked and Regan’s header from a free kick needed Ollerenshaw to deny Phenix from point blank range.

And so to penalties and after several misses Craig Hobson spurned the winning kick for Curzon with Hardcastle doing the same for Ashton before Tom Warren settled the matter on the 8^th kick.

Team: Hartley, Warren, Regan, Sheridan (Brewster 15), Coates, Battersby (Phenix 62), Harrop (Hough 43), Hardcastle, Spinelli, Saunders, Lonsdale. SNU: Taylor, Robbins.

Picture by John Porter