Winning run for Ashington comes to an end with defeat at league leaders
Ashington’s mini run of three wins in a row came to an end against East Division league leaders Bradford Park Avenue on Tuesday night when they went down 2-1 at the Horsfall Community Stadium.
After a ropey opening 20 minutes when they looked completely out of sorts and trailed 2-0, the Colliers battled back for the remainder of the contest with a wholehearted display and in the end deserved to take a share of the spoils back home with them.
Nine minutes into the contest, the hosts broke the deadlock with an unbelievable strike from Joe Ackroyd. Following a build up down the left, the midfielder chested the ball down then struck a right foot volley from 25 yards which went in off the far post with ‘keeper Tyler Jones a spectator.
On the quarter hour, things got worse for Nick Gray’s side when the home outfit doubled their lead.
They cut Ashington open with an intricate passing move down the right and when the ball was played into Kareem Hassan-Smith, the winger rifled it into the far corner wide of Jones.
A change of formation and a goal midway through the first half got the visitors back into the game.
Ashington forced a corner on the left and when Liam Noble floated the ball over, Scott Lowery – ghosting in at the far post – headed home with a towering header.
Bradford were stunned but a few minutes later, Hassan-Smith cut inside a couple of defenders and his right footer was pushed out by Jones.
Ashington were giving as good as they got and five minutes before the interval, Craig Spooner’s throughball for Ryan Wombwell just had too much pace on it with ‘keeper Jack Hall quickly off his line to intervene.
The second half was a rip-roaring affair, played at a ferocious pace but with chances at a premium – and at the final whistle, Bradford knew they had been in a game against an Ashington side whose energy levels went through the roof.
The only clear opening for the Colliers came five minutes before the 90 when Noble ran through from midfield but his effort lacked power and was easily taken by Hall.
Before that, Ashington stopper Jones had pulled off one of the saves of the season. Carver met a left wing cross from Charlie Winfield and directed a header which had goal written all over it until Jones spectacularly pushed it over.
Ashington now have a break until their next fixture which is away to Emley on Saturday, October 11.
Gray said after the match: “It was a very difficult first ten to 15 minutes for us when we were 2-0 down and the players could have chucked it then if I’m being honest – lesser teams would have done – but to be fair to the lads and to give them credit, they stuck to the task.
“We tweaked the shape a little bit and got back into the game with a goal from a set piece and for the last 20 minutes of the first half and the whole of the second half I was really proud of the lads. Certainly with a little bit of luck we could have got something out of the game.”