Match Preview

After consecutive seasons of play-off heartbreak for Ashton United, Paul Phillips and Steve Halford’s men will get back on the field for the first time since that fated night against fierce rivals Curzon Ashton as they travel to face North-West Counties side Abbey Hey at the Abbey Stadium in a pre-season fixture.

With a congested month ahead facing the likes of Northwich Victoria, Chorley FC and a Burnley XI at Hurst Cross, the Robins will be looking to build up some crucial match fitness before the season begins on the 15th August 2015 and a game against the Red Rebel’s is perfect preparation for this.

The squad has come together again after enjoying a placid summer break and the reports that have come back from ‘club HQ’ have sounded incredibly positive. In terms of transfers it has been a case of two in and three out for the Robins, as reliable right-back Mark Haslam, target-man Ben Deegan and last season’s Evo-Stik 'Team of the Year' member Jack Higgins have all departed to Trafford FC and Stalybridge Celtic respectively.

In terms of incomings, cultured defender Will Haining has come in to the fold after a decade in the professional game playing for the likes of Oldham Athletic and St. Mirren. The 32 year-old has been labelled the ‘signing of the summer’ by many non-League aficionados, with the Scot’s experience and knowledge set to be a priceless asset for the side. Teenage sensation Dylan Stringer-Moth has also today signed after playing for Liverpool, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Swedish side BK Sport Club.

The club’s backroom staff have managed to convince top scorer Martin Pilkington to commit his future to the Robin’s too for another season at least and his knack of scoring the goals with relative ease should make him one of the division’s leading marksmen for the third year running.

Arguably the seventh tier of English football will be even closer to call than years gone by, as the absence of non-League powerhouses FC United of Manchester will evidently make the division a tighter affair. The Robin’s main foe’s could well be the likes of Hyde United, Workington AFC, Blyth Spartans, Darlington 1883 and Salford City, with all of these opponents seeing Phillo and Ackers men as a team that they will need to beat.

In all competitions the Robins are currently enjoying a fine run that has seen them taste defeat just four times from 22 matches. On the road too the Robins have been strong losing just three times since the turn of the year, this weekend’s fixture in Gorton will ironically make up for last season’s pre-season fixture between the two sides that was cancelled due to adverse weather conditions in East Manchester.

ROBINS KEY PLAYER:
In central midfielder Gary Gee, Ashton United have one of the toughest competitors in the division. Rarely missing a minute last season the workhorse will once again play a vital part in making sure the side is ticking over for the full 90 minutes against their ninth tier opponents as the team will need to be at their best from the start to avoid potential embarrassment. Protecting the back-four and spreading play out wide, the 24 year-old will benefit from the run out against Abbey Hey and who knows he may even chip in with a penalty, given the opportunity.

OUR OPPONENTS:
Abbey Hey FC are based in the Abbey Hey area of Gorton, Manchester,. The club were founded in 1902 and were formerly known as Abbey Hey WMC. They have won the Manchester League on a number of occasions and currently play in the North-West Counties Football League Premier Division.

Managed by Luke Gibson the Red Rebel’s finished last season 14th in their respective division and avoided relegation with a canter surviving by an impressive 21 points. The club lacked any real experience which contributed in a lack of consistency, however with the majority of the squad staying together for another year they will surely grow in stature in the months to come.

Gibson has a number of ex-Robins to pick from too which will add an extra spice to the fixture as forwards Steven Yarwood and Nico Collins have both played at Hurst Cross over the past 12 months, admittedly for an incredibly short space of time.

Saturday’s game is the Red Rebel’s third of the week after the side travelled to Yorkshire last weekend to play St.Bedes FC before picking up a valuable 0-0 at home to Conference Premier outfit Altrincham Town on Tuesday night.

RED REBELS KEY PLAYER:
The aforementioned Yarwood has a real point to prove after making just four minutes worth of appearances for the Robins during the 2014-15 campaign and now back at his second home in Gorton, he has the perfect way to show the club’s backroom staff that they made the wrong decision in letting him go prematurely.

The mercurial forward has gone away and worked on his fitness over the summer months and after impressive showings during his first two pre-season games, the 26 year-old will now be looking to push on and have a productive campaign in the North-West counties.

Using his pace and muscular physique, Yarwood will look to exploit the Robin’s new back four by holding the ball up and enabling his team-mates to work around him and run into the gaps that may be created.