Back To Earth With A Bump

Ashton soundly beaten in muddy Cumbria

Ashton’s long unbeaten run in the league came to an emphatic end as the hosts ran out convincing winners. With the pitch at Borough Park needing 2 inspections before being passed fit it was no surprise to find a heavy surface but it was the home side who made best use of it as winger Conor Tinnion helped himself to a hat trick.

Workington had just been denied by good tackles from Jay Gorton and Will Haining before Scott Allison made a good run at the Ashton defence, the ball breaking back to James Earl who was wildly off target. Allison was then denied at the last by Stephen Mason but he and Gareth Arnison then combined to put Tinnion in the clear to chip the opening goal over Phillips.

The Robins then replaced Joel Melia with Dale Johnson but it was the home team who moved further ahead as a quick break from Ashton’s corner saw Tinnion cut inside Cavell Coo before curling home a superb finish off the inside of the post. With the home attack rampant Ashton’s full backs switched positions but Mason still found his nemesis Tinnion in opposition as he put over a dangerous cross with no one at home. Ashton could have reduced the deficit 4 minutes before the break as a great ball from Coo found Johnson just being denied on the turn by Mitchell with the resulting cross being headed agonisingly wide by Gorton.

The visitors started the second half in determined fashion and pulled a goal back as a forward pass from Chris Baguley set Martin Pilkington running free to fire home and the leading scorer then missed a glorious chance to equalise as he put a left foot effort just wide after Will Haining had set him up. Eddie Toner then combined with Pilkington and progressed into the area before sending in a chip which was just cleared off the line by Sam Smith and the significance of this was underlined as the Reds raced to the other end and Kingsley Grandison’s cross was stabbed home by Tinnion to complete his treble.

4 minutes later and a poor clearance by Phillips saw Allison given a clear run on goal which he finished confidently and with 3 minutes left Grandison’s pass was perfectly controlled by Allison allowing him to lob over Phillips into the empty net. Right on time Toner pulled a goal back as his shot squirmed in off Mitchell who should have done better.

Team: Phillips, Coo, Mason, Gorton, Connor, Lees, Toner, Haining (King), Pilkington, Baguley (Chadwick), Melia (Johnson). SNU: Morning, Frost.