Disappointing Stalemate for Robins

Report by David Robinson

Ashton’s opening game back in the National League North turned out to be something of a disappointment with both sides cancelling each other out. From the start Mathias Bakare’s right wing cross was just missed by Matty Chadwick but shortly afterwards the home side were forced into a reshuffle as John McAtee replaced the injured Bakare. Just beforehand James Hurst had sent a raking effort in from 25 yards for the Boro which was deflected out for a corner which saw Miles Addison head wide from Richards’ delivery . On 14 minutes Josh Ollerenshaw had to pull off a smart save in the home goal as he turned away Dior Angus’s effort with his right foot from Owain Jones’ pullback.
A howler by Ashley Carter in the visitor’s defence then saw Chadwick fail to connect properly before Chadwick fired a quick throw in right across goal. In between times McAtee picked up a yellow card for a soft looking foul and Courtney Richards sent a loose ball narrowly wide on his left foot. Ten minutes before the break the Robins’ best chance to date arrived as Bohan Dixon robbed Daniel Burns and saw his cross reach McAtee whose touch was too strong allowing Louis Gary to make a good save.

After the break Matt Regan’s clearing header saw Chadwick drag horribly wide and the centre forward then made poor contact on Liam Tomsett’s pass. Miles Addison headed Courtney Richards delivery over the top for Nuneaton and Chadwick then came even closer as his cross was cleared from just in front of the goal line and Matty Hill then intercepted Panayiotou’s pass to Mitchell in the nick of time. With the game petering out one last chance arose as sub Dom McHale latched on to a long clearance and was denied outside the area by Gary’s left hand resulting in a red card for the keeper.
McHale’s effort from the subsequent free kick matched much of what had gone before as he fired a wild effort way over and the action finished with Sam Sheridan sending a decent attempt just wide of stand-in keeper Michael Calverley’s goal.

Ashton Utd: Ollerenshaw, Bakare (McAtee 10), Regan, Chalmers, Lees, Sheridan, Sephton, Chadwick, (McHale 72), Dixon (Evangelinos 64), Tomsett . SNU: Roberts, Anghel.