Robins return from Whitby with valuable point

BetVictor Premier Division: Whitby Town 1-1 Ashton United

Ashton turned things around to earn a deserved draw on a freezing day in North Yorkshire in front of a crowd of 394. With Josh Wilson ill and John Lufudu absent the visitors were playing 3 at the back but it was to no avail as in the first minute a ball from midfield found Bradley Fewster beating the offside trap and he finished well from a tight angle.

Ashton could have hit back immediately as Ben Hardcastle’s pass put Tames into the area and his pullback saw Almond sky his effort from a good position. Luca Havern then conceded a free kick against Fewster which saw Patton’s effort hit the wall before the return ball found Fewster volleying over the top. Pattons’ shot was then blocked from Dixon’s cross and after Fewster had won a corner Alex White flicked the delivery on for the unmarked Gell to force Hartley to tip over.

Ten minutes into the second period Almond turned on to a Pritchard pass but steered disappointingly wide and then was also off target aiming for the opposite side of the goal. Pritchard himself then won a free kick which saw him narrowly miss the target and Sam Sheridan on as a sub forced a good low save out of Bland from 30 yards.

Inside the last ten minutes Hardcastle won a corner which found Billy Sass-Davies heading home the equaliser at the far post from Pritchard’s delivery. Sass-Davies then needed to time a tackle perfectly at the other end to deny Weledji and Sheridan’s flat free kick saw Sass-Davies’ header just denied by Bland with Macadam, making his debut from the bench, blocked in the follow up. The resulting corner saw Pritchard’s kick appear to flick off the woodwork and at the other end Weledji cut inside Hunt needing Hartley to come to the rescue and the keeper again needed to be alert to thwart fellow sub Bythway.

Team: Hartley, Tserpes, Pritchard, Havern (Sheridan 64), Hunt, Sass-Davies, Rowney (Macadam 77), Brewster, Almond,  Hardcastle, Tames (Anghel 71). SNU: Bembo-Leta, Cottam.

By David Robinson