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Robins Welcome The Magpies!

Robins Welcome The Magpies!

Steve Hobson26 Jul 2015 - 13:18
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James Burch previews Tuesday's friendly at Hurst Cross.

Ashton United welcome Conference North outfit Chorley FC to Hurst Cross on Tuesday evening, with the Robins desperate to get back to winning ways after losing to Trafford FC at the weekend, here’s all you need to know about the upcoming pre-season friendly…

Reds Review
After losing 4-0 at home to Trafford FC on Saturday, Paul Phillips and Steve Halford’s men will be hoping that this defeat was merely a blip and not a sign of things to come in the future. Conceding two penalties in the space of 90 minutes showed the back four were not switched on and it will be interesting to see whether changes are rung come Tuesday evening to eradicate previous mistakes.

The side played some nice football in parts but the score line was not satisfactory and against superior opposition on Tuesday, the Robins will need to up their game if they want to pick up a positive result. Where omens are concerned, ironically the back four only conceded four times once last during the 2014-15 season, you guessed it away at Trafford FC in the Cup.

The defeat against the North was the Robins third in five pre-season games and more worryingly the second time the usually dependable strike force had failed to hit the back of the net. Despite these statistics there has been plenty of comings and goings over the summer and when the 2015-16 Evo-Stik Northern Premier League campaign kicks off in three weeks’ time the side will be ready to push for promotion for the third time in a row.

The Robins last met the Magpies during the 2013-14 Evo-Stik Northern Premier League season as the Robins gained the upper-hand. After a pulsating 3-3 draw at Victory Park, goals from club Captain Jay Gorton and Dale Johnson gave Paul Phillips and Steve Halford’s men a 2-1 victory at Hurst Cross on the 26th March 2014 as the side moved into the play-off places.

Reds Key Man
With a number of players in the squad impressing over the past month while wearing the Red and White jersey, none have made the impact that pacey wide-man Joel Melia has. The 2014-15 North West Counties Premier Division player of the season has only featured in cameo appearances so far, nevertheless though every time he has burst onto the field of play he has made a real positive impression as his quick feet, pacey bursts into the box and eye for a pass has made him one of the signings of the summer for the Robins.

Our Opponents
After a shaky start to their pre-season campaign, Conference North outfit Chorley FC will be looking to find some much needed consistency at Hurst Cross. Defeats against Barrow FC and a Bolton Wanderers XI dampened spirits but positive performances during a draw at home to a Preston North End XI and a win away at Bamber Bridge will give Matt Jansen’s men confidence that they can push the Robins all the way on Tuesday evening.

In heart breaking circumstances, the Magpies lost out to Guiseley AFC in last season’s play-off final and the club will now be looking to go one step further in 2015-16. A season that accumulated an impressive 71 points helped the club finish fourth and only 16 points separated themselves and champions Barrow.

From back to front the squad is filled with a number of well-established Non-League names, with former Robins hot-shot Aaron Burns leading the line alongside James Dean and this partnership helped the side score 76 times last season. Centre-backs Andrew Teague and Kieran Charnock also have a plethora of experience in both the professional and semi-professional game and this robust partnership will be expectant of picking up more clean sheets in the future.

Despite Chorley’s forward prowess, the club do struggle to hit the net away from Victory Park. Averaging a commendable 2.0 goals per game in front of their own partisan support, the Magpies register just 1.62 goals per game away from home and this admittedly was there downfall last season.

Their home stadia Victory Park is a formidable fortress and plenty of away sides lose at Chorley FC before they have even step onto the field. Last season was no different either, as the side then managed by Gary Flitcroft lost just two of their 21 games. On the other hand though the club lost 9 and drew 3 of their away matches meaning they certainly possess frailties away from their home town.

When Tuesday’s fixture is done and dusted, the Magpies have just one pre-season fixture to go before they re-start their campaign in the sixth tier of English football. A Blackburn Rovers XI will come to Chorley before the side enjoy an eight day break, then it is Nuneaton Town at home on the 8th August when results really do matter…

Magpies Key Man
The aforementioned frontman Aaron Burns wowed the crowds during his 250 appearances with the Robins, scoring a more than impressive 100 times in the process. After moving onto pastures new with the likes of Nantwich Town and now Chorley FC, Burns has always been regarded as one of the best strikers to ever grace the turf of Hurst Cross and if he receives a chance on Tuesday night the chances are that he will score it. Gaining the reputation for being prolific in the box, the ex-Manchester United trainee will be looking to register against his former employees, as he’ll be looking once again to figure prominently in the goal scoring charts next season.

Travel
By Rail and Car > http://www.pitchero.com/clubs/ashtonunited/a/location-11692.html]

Admission
Adults - £5
Concession - £3

Updates
If you can’t get to the game, follow @AshtonUnitedFC on twitter for all the latest news.

Further reading