Barwell and Ashton share points again

Report by David Robinson. Picture Jez Sayle

Barwell and Ashton shared their second 1-1 draw of the season which was also probably a fair reflection of events on the pitch. The Robins started playing down the slope on a dry day and just2 minutes had elapsed when a great run by Matty Chadwick set up Liam Tomsett who didn’t get any power behind his effort.
Chadwick then poked Sam Sheridan’s through ball into the side netting and Carnell in the visitor’s goal then had to pull off a good save with his foot as Mitchel Piggon latched on to Declan Towers’s flick on. The open start to the game continued as Lewis Baines forced Castle into a tip over from John Pritchard’s corner and another overlapping cross from Jake Whitmore saw Brady Hickey making insufficient contact.
Chadwick was then fouled just outside the area with Pritchard firing the free kick too high but just past the half hour Whitmore made a great run from halfway and set up Craig Reed who side footed home. A mistake by Aaron Chalmers then needed Josh Granite to cut out Reid’s pass but within 5 minutes of conceding Ashton fashioned the equaliser as a throw-in saw Chadwick reach the by line from where his pull back was fired home by Daniel Mooney. The same player could have scored again as Dom Smalley’s pass sent him into the area with Castle needing to make a good save to keep the scores level.

The second period got off to a quiet start but after a couple of substitutions, one of which saw Dom’s brother Dean Smalley replace Chadwick it was the sub whose cross reached the far post where brother Dom could only help it into the side netting. Dean Smalley then exchanged passes with another sub Jamie Hinchliffe who fired over when well placed and Aaron Chalmers had to intercept a couple of crosses at the other end.
The Yellows could have grabbed the winner as Julien’s long cross reached the unmarked Piggon whose shot hit the angle of post and bar having taken a slight deflection off Dom Smalley.

Team; Carnell, Dom Smalley, Baines, Granite, Chalmers, Sheridan, Lees (Roberts 80), Tomsett, Chadwick (Dean Smalley 65), Mooney, Pritchard (Hinchliffe 59). SNU: Smith, Platt.