Sports spoil the party

NPL Premier Division: Ashton United 0-3 Mickleover

Ashton’s recent poor form continued as the visitors easily took the points at Hurst Cross. It took them only five minutes to get the scoreboard moving as Adam Owen’s square pass was intercepted leading to Paddy Webb being put clear by Stuart Beavon with Dan Eccles needing to make a decent save but the reprieve was only temporary as the resulting corner was headed home at the back post by James Butler.

John Lufudu made a typical overlapping run and after Sam Sheridan delivered a second corner Millenic Alli squeezed a cross along the by line just ahead of the advancing Bembo-Leta.

A quarter of an hour in and the second goal arrived as Declan Bacon’s cross to the six yard box saw Beavon’s header squeeze home at the near post and Webb could have made matters worse as he dragged his effort wide following a good break by Jake Bennett. The hosts’ best effort of the first period saw Chris Rowney’s shot go skimming wide after Owen’s free kick had been cleared.

Alli’s free kick clipped the outside of the post for Ashton after he had been brought down just outside the area after the break and after Liam Tomsett’s shot had been deflected for a corner he volleyed over from Owen’s deflected cross. Just past the hour the ball was switched inside on the break allowing Bennett to provide an emphatic finish and the Robins could have been further embarrassed as Beavon charged down Eccles’ attempted clearance with the ball rolling against the upright. Jake Cottrell saw a decent effort tipped over from Lufudu’s pass and after Webb had put his cross too far ahead of Walshaw, Tomsett just failed to get a touch to Owen’s near post cross ahead of the keeper.

Picture by Luke Smith