Relegation battle finishes all square

Report by David Robinson. Picture Jez Sayle

Guiseley and the Robins played out a fairly uninspiring encounter in front of a crowd of 655 at Nethermoor Park which left the visitors unable to close the gap to their relegation rivals. The visitors fielded an unchanged line up on a sunny day with a dry looking pitch in Yorkshire but it was the Lions making the first move as Will Hatfield’s touch was too strong to control Halls’ pass after he had started the move.
On 8 minutes a long ball into the area saw Kayode Odejayi beat McMahon only for his header to drop wide of the empty goal. A minute later and the Robins could have grabbed the lead as Sam Sheridan’s free kick saw Aaron Chalmers return ball struck against the crossbar by Connor Dimaio with Liam Tomsett’s follow up blocked. Chalmers’ clearance was then blocked by Kaine Felix whose cross was only prevented from reaching Odejayi by Regan’s intervention.
Hatfield then placed a free kick too high after Toby Lees had been penalised and his shot from a right wing cross was also blocked and right on the interval he almost stepped his way through Ashton’s defence before being stopped at the last.

An early free kick from Sheridan just evaded the offside Craig Hobson who was then flattened in the area by Scott Garner from a long clearance with no spot kick forthcoming.
Oliver Crowley’s poor clearance then needed Chalmers to block James’s goalbound effort for the Lions and Dimaio could only find the side netting as Sheridan’s ball into the area dropped to him. Halls’ near post cross needed Lees to clear in front of McMahon and Hatfield’s cross was then flicked on by Garner for Halls to help it narrowly over the bar from close in.
Tomsett’s inside pass was then fired straight at Dewhurst by Dimaio and a free kick was awarded at the other end as Goulding and Moyo clashed right on the edge of the area. The delivery was initially cleared but when the ball was fired back in by Purver, Hobson was penalised for handball leaving James to slot home the opener for the spot. Within 4 minutes the visitors were level as Crowley was fouled 30 yards out and Sheridan placed home a fine free kick and Ashton could have grabbed the winner as Tomsett was denied a penalty following a clash with Langley and sub Jamie Reed guided an effort over before sending in a shot on the turn which lacked sufficient power.

Ashton Utd: McMahon, Crowley, Regan, Chalmers, T Lees, Goulding (Reed 80), Sheridan, Mantack, Hobson, Dimaio, Tomsett. SNU: Roberts, Ennis, Kay, Ashworth.