Robins Break Chasetown Duck in Emphatic Fashion

Ashton United went on the rampage as they broke their Chasetown duck in emphatic style to rack up their biggest win of the season.

The on song Robins had never taken a point against the Scholars in three previous league encounters, but once skipper George Melling lashed home after nineteen minutes, the result was hardly in doubt.

Ashton began with confidence and came close to an opener when Aaron Burns smacked a cross from Josh Rose onto the crossbar.

Burns then received a pass from Ian Bennett at pace but put his effort wide of goal as Chasetown struggled to cope with the movement of the Ashton attackers.

A rare Scholars attack saw Richard Teesdale shoot weakly at Terry Smith, but normal service was resumed when Burns shot proved too hot to handle for Ryan Price, but the ball squirmed to safety at the expense of a corner.

Chasetown's resistance finally ended when in a goalmouth melee, Price could only palm a Bennett drive into the path of Melling, who fired home from a narrow angle.

Matty Kosylo posed numerous problems for the Scholars defence all night with his close control, a typical run saw him cut inside but his shot went wide.

Mark Peers produced a piece of magic to double the Robins lead as he floated a free kick over the wall and into the bottom corner of the net with Price an onlooker.

With the game entering a minute of stoppage time, Ashton capped a fine half with a third goal thanks to a wonder strike as Bennett received a pass from Rose, he ran at the Scholars defence before letting fly from 25 yards, the ball flew into the top corner.

Ashton began the second half as they ended the first, on top and when Kosylo jinked past a couple of challenges, he was bundled over by Mark Branch. Burns wasted no time in adding his name to the scoresheet with an emphatic spot kick.

Smith produced a great save to deny Hands from a cross by Danny Quinn, whilst at the other end, Burns header from a Kosylo centre was palmed away.

Chasetown, to their credit kept going forward in search of a consolation, Lee Wright cut inside but saw his shot blocked, Smith saved easily from a free kick by Courtney Pitt and then Smith tipped a shot from substitute Wright after he was found in space.

Ashton ended the game pouring forward in search of more goals, Peers had a shot from a Kosylo cross that took a deflection and then Kosylo curled an effort just wide of the far post.

Price was at full stretch to palm away a Burns shot, the rebound falling kindly for the visitors to clear their lines.

The final chance came when Kosylo cut inside from the left and Price made a brave save to deny the striker a deserved goal, the keeper lay injured for a couple of minutes but played the remaining couple of minutes through the pain barrier.

Ashton have now shot up to eighth in the table following their fifth straight win as confidence is brimming throughout the team.

ASHTON: Smith, Frost, Roberts, Beattie (Murphy 78), Melling (Harrop 55), Robinson, Rose (Sanasy 66), Bennett, Burns, Kosylo, Peers. subs not used Amadi, Lambert.