Weekend football round-up: Cunny fumes as Robins crumble

Saturday saw Ashton United squander a 2-0 half-time lead to lose 4-2 at Guiseley, after which Steve Cunningham dubbed his players ‘cowards’. 

The 45-year-old was left incensed after his side capitulated in West Yorkshire, producing a second-half performance which he described as ‘an absolute horror show’. 

The Robins had started brightly, with Luca Navarro’s early strike finding its way past Joe Cracknell via a heavy deflection, before the winger poked home a second just past the half-hour mark. 

But when Leo Farrell fired in to halve the defecit just seconds after the restart, this set the tone for the half. 

Cunningham’s side went on to concede three identical goals from opposition corners and slumped to their seventh defeat of the season. 

“What I’ve just witnessed was an absolute horror show,” said a seething Cunningham following the defeat. 

“I’m disgusted, I’m angry, I’m upset, I’m embarrassed. 

“They’ve done what they’ve done before this group, they’re cowards, they’re weak. [But] I pick them, it’s my team, so I’ve got to take the flack for it. 

“We’ve conceded three goals there on set pieces that just make me sick. 

“I’ve just gone in there and told them I’m done, 2-0 up against Guiseley, if you can’t go and see that out then questions need to be asked. 

“We’ve got to look at ourselves in the mirror and I’m certainly one that will do that tonight.”  

Elsewhere, their Ashton counterparts, Curzon Ashton, left it late to steal the points at Worksop Town, thanks to a late strike from the unlikely source of Chi Ezennolim. 

After a goalless first half, the hosts came close to opening the scoring midway through the second, with Joe Leesley heading wide from point blank range before former Hyde United midfielder Aleks Starcenko saw his driven effort tipped behind by Callum Hawkins. 

But it was The Nash who had the last laugh, with Ezennolim ghosting in at the back post three minutes from time to tap home Charlie Weston’s cross and seal the win. 

“I think it was a really gritty performance,” said Curzon assistant head coach Jack Salkeld following the victory. 

“The character we showed to score really late on is a credit to the lads, I like wins like that. 

“We’d have probably drawn or lost that came a couple of months back, but you can see the lads are understanding each other now, we’re defending really well.” 

In the NPL West, Stalybridge Celtic moved into the play-off spots after a hard-fought 1-0 win at home to promotion chasing rivals Runcorn Linnets. 

The first and only goal of the afternoon came on 25 minutes, when Liam Tongue’s scuffed effort fell kindly into the path of Andy Scarisbrick, who swept in his third goal in two games. 

Celtic came close to doubling their lead soon after, with Tongue’s long-range effort smashing against the upright after great work from Ruben Jerome. 

The visitors then had a chance to level the scoring on the stroke of half-time, with former Celt Scott Bakkor racing in behind, but the forward couldn’t squeeze his effort past Charlie Monks at the near post. 

A spirited defensive display from Jon Macken’s side in the second half saw them hold onto their advantage and leapfrog their fellow Cheshire based club to move up to fifth in the table. 

“I’m delighted,” Macken told the Reporter at full-time. 

“I’m delighted with the performance, the clean sheet, and obviously the result. 

“They're a really good team. It’s always a tough game wherever you play them, so to get the win, I’m really pleased. 

“We’ve just got to take the same desire and the same mindset into every game now, whoever we play, whether it’s teams who are struggling or teams who are at the top end.” 

Meanwhile, in the NWCFL Premier, Glossop North End got back to winning ways with a 2-0 win at Prestwich Heys. 

A quickfire double just before half time was enough to see the Hillmen pick up their sixth win in seven games. 

Ethan Sutcliffe broke the deadlock on 35 minutes, nodding in a cross from Abdul Djalo before Aeron Bardsley doubled his side’s advantage just two minutes later. 

From there, Lee Wilshaw’s side managed to see out the win and record another clean sheet in the process. 

“We knew that going into the game we needed to make sure that when we did get chances, we were clinical,” said a satisfied Wilshaw after the final whistle. 

“Fortunately, in the first half we had four shots and two of them were converted. 

“That makes things massively easier when you go into half time and you’ve got something to hold onto. 

“We were great defensively, I don’t think we’ve had any problems in terms of people putting their bodies on the line and defending this season.  

“We just knew we had to do that in the second half, and fortunately, it saw us through.”

In the NPL Premier, Hyde United came from 2-0 down against high-flyers FC United of Manchester to ensure the points were shared at Ewen Fields. 

The Tigers got off to a nightmare start as Matty Grivosti and Charlie Ennis put the visitors two up after just 13 minutes, but Antoine Makoli’s 86th minute strike completed the Hyde comeback after Harry Ditchfield pulled one back nine minutes prior. 

The turnaround saw Martin Coyne’s side end their three-match losing streak and remain in 13th place in the table. 

“I think it shows the character of the lads,” said Coyne following the draw. 

“I think first half we were two or three yards off the pace.

"We got in at half time, regrouped, changed the shape a little bit, and we’ve come out second half and shown what we’re about. 

“Overall, I think a point was probably the right result.” 

Finally in the NPL West, Mossley’s four game unbeaten streak came to an end after hosts Vauxhall Motors came from behind to take all three points. 

The Lilywhites took a deserved lead into half-time thanks to Rio Alston’s early opener, but two second-half headers in the space of six minutes saw the home side flip the match on its head. 

Conor Harwood and Michael Grogan both nodded in just minutes after the interval to stun Alex Craddock’s side and complete the turnaround. 

“We should’ve been out of sight at half time,” said a frustrated Craddock following the defeat. 

“No disrespect to Vauxhall but we should’ve been four or five nil up at half time. 

“We’ve ran all over them in the first half, and I’m absolutely furious that we’ve come away with nothing. 

“We’ve just not stood up and been counted in the big moments.”