Ashington pay the penalty at Belper as they stay rooted at the wrong end of the table

Overall, the Colliers were the better side over the 90-plus minutes, but whilst it was an encouraging performance, it was another defeat on the road.

Archie Small – signed on loan from Darlington – made his debut in defence and was part of a back line that coped well with the aerial threat posed by The Nailers.

There was little to choose between the sides in the first period.

Early on, Josh Gilchrist found Wilson Kneeshaw down the line but his cross was blocked, then Craig Spooner had a shot which was partially saved by keeper Kieran Preston and rebounded to the stopper off a defender.

Belper’s first raid came when Kelan Swales headed over, and five minutes later Harry Draper nodded wide at the near post after a move involving Swales and Larell King.

There was also a piece of controversy with home keeper Preston somehow escaping any form of punishment after handling the ball midway inside his own half.

Kneeshaw clipped a ball which went right across the face of goal then, on the stroke of half time, Small made a great block to deny Nathaniel Crofts.

In the second period, Ryan Wombwell pulled the ball back but Spooner’s shot lacked power.

A turning point arrived when Kneeshaw found Gilchrist whose effort was finger-tipped wide of the post by Preston.

Burrows edged his side ahead in the 63rd minute.

With the assistant flagging to indicate a free-kick to Belper down the right flank, the referee played the advantage and when Draper went down in the box under a challenge by Paddy Almond, the match official awarded a spot kick from which Burrows sent keeper Ross Coombe the wrong way.

After that, Coombe saved with his legs to deny Swales whilst for the Colliers Spooner had a shot held by the keeper.

Gilchrist blasted over the bar in stoppage time before the final whistle was blown, bringing the curtain down on yet another afternoon of disappointment and frustration for the Wansbeck side.

Before kick-off, players, officials and supporters observed an impeccable minute’s silence for Armistice Day.

Ashington manager Nick Gray was naturally disappointed following the defeat.

He said: “The players have put a lot of effort into the game today but to be honest they’ve done that in all the matches since Liam (McIvor) and myself took over. However, the most important thing is what it says the next day (1-0 defeat).

“Again, we haven’t worked their goalkeeper and if you don’t do that then you are going to struggle to win games of football.”

He continued: “There were lots of positives but things are not just going to happen for people – they have got to make them happen and how you do that is by hard graft and hard work – it’s not rocket science.”

Ashington now head to The Ashcourt Group Stadium on Tuesday night (November 12) to play Newton Aycliffe. Skipper Karl Ross and Cam Gascoigne will again miss out with injury.