Bucks head off Robins

Report by David Robinson. Pics by Jez Sayle

A second half comeback by the hosts saw Ashton leave Shropshire empty handed although they can count themselves very unfortunate given the circumstances. With the home side unbeaten and the Robins missing leading scorer Matty Chadwick and Sam Sheridan this always looked like a tough task and straight away a dangerous cross by Knights needed to be cleared by Mark Lees with Streete heading the resulting corner wide.
Liam Tomsett then just failed to collect Craig Hobson’s return pass as the quiet opening to the game continued with some disjointed play. Mathias Bakare’s run then took him to the by line for Ashton with Sutton blocking and Bradley Jackson’s shot being blocked from the corner. Hobson then glanced Matty Hill’s cross past the near post and was just unable to stretch enough to meet the left back’s next delivery.
Halfway through the first period Street’s lofted pass found Andre Brown in acres of space but he could only head wide with Pilling stranded and John McAtee set up Hobson for a disappointing effort after he had cut back on to his left foot. Seven minutes before the interval the visitors made the breakthrough as Tomsett picked up possession and played in McAtee who slid his effort home for his first goal for the club.

Ten minutes after the break a long ball was spread wide to Brown who cut inside before firing over and James McQuilkin found space but curled his shot wide. A ball through the middle of the Ashton defence found Daniel Udoh free and as the otherwise immaculate Matt Regan went to clear the ball rebounded off Udoh into the corner of the net just out of Pilling’s reach.
To make matters worse just as Ashton had use their final two subs Aaron Chalmers took a heavy fall and had to be helped off leaving the visitors to face the final 25 minutes with ten men. Knights’ flick then put Udoh clear on goal with Regan to the rescue making the block and Mark Lees then cleared from Dawson’s flick and Streete’s cross in quick succession. With 5 minutes left the Bucks moved ahead as Cowans reached the by line and saw his cross helped home by Udoh. The striker could have completed his hat trick as Barnes Homer’s cross was too strong for him and Dawson’s lofted pass saw him fire his effort over the top.

Team: Pilling, Jacobs (Sephton 46), Hill, Chalmers, Regan, Lees, Jackson, Tomsett, Hobson (Evangelinos 64), McAtee (Platt 64), Bakare. SNU: McHale, Anghel.