Strike Three

Mariners complete hat-trick of wins. Report by David Robinson

Marine duly registered their third success of the season over the Robins with a comfortable victory at the Marine Travel Arena. Ashton were missing the injured Richard Smith in midfield and were facing former goalkeeper Paul Phillips as the host’s custodian with another ex-player Eddie Toner on the bench.
Just 3 minutes had elapsed when Fosu-Mensah turned sharply onto Short’s pass and put his effort against the post before Matty Chadwick’s far post free kick was just too far ahead of Max Cartwright. Jack Dyche then played a 1-2 with Chadwick and fired a shot to the near post which Phillips held well and on the quarter hour Foley squeezed a cross along the by line with Jack Phillips returning the ball for Fosu-Mensah to bring a good recovery save out of Luke Pilling.
Just ahead of the half hour a fine pass from Benito Lowe saw Ryan Crowther fail to get sufficient contact behind his shot and 3 minutes later a great build up saw Jack Dyche release Chadwick whose back heel saw Chadwick unable to round Phillips. Within a minute Mitchley latched on to a through ball from Da Silva on the right hand side of the area and finished confidently and a minute before the break a deep cross by Da Silva was tipped away by Pilling for Mitchley to fire home a low effort.

At the start of the second period sub Lee Knight put a cross over from the by line which saw Dyche’s shot blocked and Domenico Maiese was then dismissed for a second yellow card for a foul on Da Silva. Jack Phillips near post free kick then brought a full length save out of Pilling and midway through the half Fosu-Mensah broke free before firing straight at Pilling with the rebound falling back to him to square the ball to Mitchley whose scuffed effort found the corner of the net. Dyche’s sharp shot on the turn was then held by Phillips before Fosu-Mensah’s attempt from Hamilton’s layback glanced away off the post.
In added time Ashton pulled a goal back via the penalty spot with Dyche confidently converting after Lee Knight had been fouled.
Team: Pilling, Smalley, Maiese, Cartwright, Woodford, Lees, Stachini, Lowe (Knight), Chadwick (Duke), Dyche, Crowther (Mason). SNU: Banim, Haining.