A preview to the visit of Chadderton

Saturday will see the first part of a double-header at EGS as we play host to my former club Chadderton. For me it will feel a little bit strange as this is the first time I will be on the opposition side since I left in December. I spent about 16 months at Chadderton and I do hold fond memories of my time there and if it wasn't for Ashton offering me the oppurtunity to be part of something special then I would still be there today. Chadderton are a great club and I do truely give them my best wishes, after next saturday of course.

Both Sides had 3-1 away wins in the week. Chaddertons coming on Monday at Atherton Collieries and ours coming 24 hours later at Daisy Hill. Chadderton have had a stop start season and after winning 1-0 at Barnoldswick on the opening day of the season they were brought back down to earth 2 days later with a 1-0 home defeat by Leek CSOB. At the moment Chadderton are 15th on 24 points but have only played 19 games. Compare that to our 28 points from 25 games and that show how important both matches will be for both sides. Both matches really are 6 pointers. Last season Chadderton done the double over us, again in a short period of time. A 2-1 win at EGS was followed up by a 6-0 result at Broadway after the match was 0-0 at half time. Ashton really do need to improve on them results this year to ensure the highest placed finish in a number of years.

Chaddertons last 5 results are:

15/3/10 Atherton Cols 1-3 Chadderton
13/3/10 Chadderton 1-1 AFC Liverpool
06/3/10 AFC Blackpool 1-0 Chadderton (Trophy)
01/3/10 Chadderton 1-2 Barnoldswick Town
23/2/10 Oldham Boro 2-2 Chadderton

Ashtons last 5 results are:

16/3/10 Daisy Hill 1-3 Ashton Town
13/3/10 Irlam 1-1 Ashton Town
09/3/10 Ashton Town 2-3 Wigan Robin Park
06/3/10 Ashton Town 2-2 Barnoldswick Town
27/2/10 Ashton Town 1-1 Cheadle Town

Good Luck to Ashton for both matches of the double header

Onwards and Upwards

Traffic Jams and a night to remember

Before I talk about Tuesday's trip to Daisy Hill I'd just like to make an apology. I have had problems with my internet and therfore I've been unable to get online to do any blogs for the last week. Coupled with a last minute defeat to local rivals Wigan Robin Park and quite possibly some of the strangest yellow and red cards V Irlam on Saturday it was quite convenient that I couldn't get on. It turns out my better half and switched the wireless button on the computer to the off position and only realised after she had been sat on the phone running tests of our connection for two hours!!

Well, Tuesdays trip to Daisy Hill was eventful to say the least. I turned up at EGS at 6:15 as instructed to find that I was one of only 8 people. Assistant Manager Stefan Ochwat and our number one supporter John were there as well as Bill, Kev Hill, Mike Garside and a potential new signing and his dad. Stefan gave Manager John Carroll a ring and John informed us that he and a few other plaers were stuck on the M58 so we decided at 6:30 that we should make the trip over to New Sirs. We arrived at New Sirs at about 6:45 giving us an hour to get changed, waremd up and ready for the match, or so I thought. I walked into the ground to see that the same referee who gave some 'suspect' cards on Saturday would be officiating the game against Daisy Hill. OH NO!!! Also there was a few of the League Management Committee in the shape of Alan Farnworth, Dave Tomlinson, John Deal and Geoff Wilkinson as well as Lancashire FA's referee Development officer. We went into the dressing room to find goalkeeper Andy Hewitt and Scott McNair were there so that took the total number of players to 4. Stefan gave John another call who was still stuck on the M58. A few more players turned up in the mean time and we were all set for a late night, except the referee. John and the kit turned up 15 minutes before the match was due to kick off. The rest of the players turned up 10 minutes later. I managed to get 9 players out to start a warm up but no sooner had we broke into a little more than a jog the referee was blowing the whistle for the captains to toss for kick off. Just to note we lost the toss and Daisy Hill had kick off.

The pitch was hurrendous. It was hard and all the divots were frozen so everytime you ran your feet were all over the place. One of the players who was out on the pitch for the warm up was on the bench so the referee kicked off when Ashton only had 8 men on the pitch.

As Daisy kicked off Greg Harrison came running onto the pitch to make it 9 players followed 5 seconds later by Muller who made it 10 players. 20 seconds into the match Adam Howard came running out of the changing rooms, which were behind the goal Ashton were attacking. The referee made him run round to the half way line and by the time Adam got there we found ourselves a goal down. Daisy Hill's Gregory played it to his right to Hastings who hit a shot from about 25 yards out. Andy Hewitt got his hand to it but the power beat him and it went in off the underside of crossbar. After 30 seconds Daisy Hill were 1-0 up. I sat down and thought to myself "a traffic jam, no warm up and a goal down things can't get any worse". For once I was right.

It was time for the real Ashton Town to stand up. And they did. After using the 1st 10 minutes to loosen off Ashton started to get into the game. On 15 minutes Ashton earned a corner through hard work down the left from Adam Howard and Kev Hill. The latter stepped up to take the corner and although it wasn't the best corner I have seen Kev take the ball somehow managed to scramble through the crowd at waist height before a Daisy Hill defender panicked and swung a foot in an attempt to clear the ball, only for it to spin off his foot and into the back of the net to make it 1-1. The rest of the first half seen Ashton as the better side and we never looked in any danger but we couldn't turn that advantage into a lead. Daisy Hill were leaving a lot of space behind their back four but we wern't playing the right ball to cause any problems for them and in truth, after the goal both sides could only create half chances and apart from one save from either keeper both were rarely troubled. There was however time for Ashton to receive a couple of bookings for, well, nothing.

For the first 10 minutes of the second half Daisy Hill started the better and should of gone two one up when they broke away and had a two on one. All the lad in possession had to do was square it to his right and his team mate would of had an open goal to finish in to. He decided that he wanted the glory and as Andy Hewitt closed him down someone came from nowhere and managed to clear the ball away. It all happened so quick that I couldn't see who it was that cleared it but nevertheless it was a great piece of defending.

After that moment the game swung back in our favour and on 70 minutes the deadlock was broken. Greg Harrison played a pinpoint low pass from left midfield into the box and as Muller was about to pull the trigger he was pulled down by a Daisy Hill defender from behind. The pair of them fell into the Goal keeper who had began his dive as he thought, like the rest of us, that Muller was going to place the shot low into the back of the net. The ball bounced of the tumbling duo and fell behind them. The predator that is Stephen Edwards hit the bouncing ball into the ground to ensure that it bounced over the outstretched hand of Daisy Keeper and into the back of the net. 2 minutes later the game was wrapped up. Muller hit a shot from 25 yards out and the goalkeeper jumped to catch it on the edge of his 6 yard box. He fumbled it and dropped it into the path of Predator Edwards who managed to beat the keeper to ball and poke it home to make ot 3-1. For the final 18 minutes it was more a case of kill the game and do nothing silly. This was carried out with success apart from one chance for Daisy which ended up on the roof of the clubhouse. The ref, I must add, still found excuses to book a total of five Ashton players, what for I don't know but after a 3-1 win away on a terrible pitch and after starting with 8 men on the pitch and a goal down after 30 seconds, I didn't bother to ask.

Final Score at New Sirs Daisy Hill 1-3 Ashton Town

Onwards and Upwards

A preview to the Pie Derby take 2.

A few short weeks ago, February 6th to be exact, was the last time our paths crossed with our friends from up the A49. We made the short journey to the Robin Park Arena and managed to come away with all three points courtesy of a 4-2 win. A few things have changed since then and Wigan Robin Park will certainly want to come to EGS and avenge that defeat.
Wigan travel the 4 miles to EGS off the back of a great 1-0 victory over AFC Liverpool on Saturday. That goal came as early as the 2nd minute from Swift. Wigan then managed to shut AFC Liverpool out for the remainder of the game and took the points. That victory will undoubtedly give Wigan the confidence to come to EGS and look for the victory. It is up to us to stop that.
Looking at Wigan Robin Park’s last 5 results would indicate that they are better away from home than they are at the Arena with their last two victories both being away from home and both at places which I would consider as difficult places to get a result. Here are Wigan Robin Park’s last 5 results:
06/3/10 AFC Liverpool 0-1 Wigan Robin Park
20/2/10 Leek CSOB 0-2 Wigan Robin Park (Cup Tie)
13/2/10 Wigan Robin Park 0-3 Barnoldswick Town
06/2/10 Wigan Robin Park 2-4 Ashton Town
30/1/10 Irlam 2-0 Wigan Robin Park
Our last 5 results are:
06/3/10 Ashton Town 2-2 Barnoldswick Town
27/2/10 Ashton Town 1-1 Cheadle Town
20/2/10 Norton United 1-0 Ashton Town
16/2/10 Ashton Town 1-0 Eccleshall
13/2/10 Oldham Boro 1-1 Ashton Town
This one is going to be a typical derby and you know what they say about derbies… Form goes right out the window.
Onwards and Upwards.

Another point on the board.

One thing I have noticed about this league in my two years involved in it is that any team can get a result off any other team within the division. You only have to look at the last few weeks’ results and the league tables to see that. Take Rochdale Town for example, they have been bottom of the league since October and yet last week they drew 2-2 with table toppers Stone Dominoes. Just a couple of games before that they went to Valerie Park and beat many peoples pre season favourites AFC Liverpool by a goal to nil. It is a tight league and two wins could see you right up there fighting for a top 5 finish whereas two defeats and you could equally be right down there fighting against the bottom sides.
With that in mind Barnoldswick Town came to EGS looking to return to the top of the table after being replaced by Stone Dominoes on Tuesday. Barnoldswick won 2-1 at Chadderton on Monday night to go to the top of the pile before Stone pegged them back 24 hours later defeating Eccleshall by the same score.
Barnoldswick must of thought that the football gods were shining down on them in the early parts of the match. After 6 minutes, and without either goalkeeper being involved, Barnoldswick played a long ball through for one of their forwards to chase. Gary Doyle got his body between the ball and the attacker and attempted to usher the ball back to the safety of the Lee Novak’s arms only to have a rush of blood and in a moment of indecision and madness between Doyle and Novak the former played a back pass to the latter who then picked up the ball. The indecision continued and the referee looked at his linesman who signalled for the indirect free kick 14 yards from goal. Ashton got their wall set up but as the free kick taker rolled the ball across to his right the wall broke and Chapman made light work of side footing it into the bottom corner to make it 1-0.
A few minutes later Doyle was brought off and replaced by Sykes. I don’t think it was the substitute that kicked Ashton on, but from here Ashton controlled the game until half time. The equaliser came when Lee Green broke down the left hand side and blasted a shot (which looked like a cross but I’ll give Lee the benefit of doubt on this one) across goal and the wind caught hold of the ball and it swerved past the goalkeeper and clipped the underside of the crossbar on it’s way in.
Unfortunately Christian Baxby’s afternoon was cut short when he tried to hold up a ball with his back to goal only for the Barnoldswick Centre half to try and go through the back of him. I don’t think there was any malice in the challenge and credit to the lad he did ask how Baxi was after the game. News on the injury is that it didn’t look good and Chrisitan was taken to Southport hospital for an x-ray. If, as first thought, it is ligament damage then that may be the last action he sees this season. Hopefully he gets well soon.
Half time arrived and at 1-1 the game was still in the balance. Barnoldswick received a, well let’s just say their manager wasn’t very happy. After hearing the hair-dryer I thought Barnoldswick would come straight at us from the off, but they didn’t and it was Ashton who took the lead 5 minutes after the break when Mike Atherton slide in to sweep a shot past the Barnoldswick Keeper. Cue the onslaught. Almost immediately Barnoldswick went 3 upfront as they new a defeat at EGS would seriously harm their title hopes. Their pressure almost paid off when a cross from the left hit Sykes on the arm and although his arms were down by his side and the ball was blasted at him from 5 yards the referee pointed to the spot. However, in my opinion, justice prevailed when the resulting penalty hit the top of the crossbar and bounced over.
The equaliser did come though on 80 minutes when Chapman was played through to be one on one with Lee Novak. Novak advanced off his line but Chapman slotted the ball past him to make it 2-2. Barnoldswick were not content with a point though and pushed another man forward to make it a 4-2-4 formation. That soon became a 3-4-2 formation when the Barnoldswick left back didn’t agree with a decision and then told the linesman his true feelings for him. The referee then showed him the red card and off he went. Being reduced to 10 men didn’t deter them though and they had a number of clear chances to take the game including one being cleared of the line by Lee Green and also another resulting in a great save by the feet of Lee Novak. At the opposite end Ashton could of stolen it too. Ash Dineley had a first time shot palmed away by the goalkeeper and in the last minute the Barnoldswick keeper made the save of the day low to his right when a shot was blasted hard and low only for him to get down and tip it wide.
At the final whistle it finished 2-2 which took Barnoldwick joint top as Atherton scored a 90th minute winner for Atherton Cols at home to Stone. For Ashton it left us with another point to add to our tally and still the FA cup places are in our sights.
Onwards and Upwards

A Preview of Barnoldswick Town

This Saturday Ashton welcome Barnoldswick Town to EGS for the first ever league meeting between the two sides. The two sides have met once already this season in the first round of the Vodkat League Challenge Cup First Round. That day Ashton came out on top with a solitary strike from Christian Baxby in the 78th minute the difference.
I made the long trip to Barnoldswick on the opening day of the season in the heat of August. It looked like a little sleepy town in the Lancashire hills on the border of Yorkshire. The ground is called the Silentnight stadium and it is a nice little ground in a picturesque setting. The pitch is immaculate, or at least it was in August! That day Barnoldswick Town were superb. The match was three days after they had played Accrington Stanley in a friendly to unviel their new floodlights. They ended up losing 1-0 and it was definatley one of those "it's a funny old game" days. I think a lot of their lads have been signed from local sides around the Burnley area and they are one of the best footballing sides i have seen this season. I came away from the Silentnight stadium saying "they will win the league" that day and well ok at the moment it hasn't come true but they are giving it a good go. They moved to the top of the league, albeit for a short period, when they beat Chadderton 2-1 on Monday night but Stone moved back to the top by a point courtesy of a 2-1 win away to Eccleshall just 24 hours later. Hopefully Town can just put a little spanner in the works. If you offered me a similar result to the League Challenge cup tie i'd snap your hands off for it.

Barnoldswick Towns last 5 results are:

01/03/10 Chadderton 1-2 Barnoldswick Town
27/02/10 Eccleshall 0-1 Barnoldswick Town
20/02/10 Stone Dominoes 2-0 Barnoldswick Town (Trophy Quater Final)
13/02/10 Wigan Robin Park 0-3 Barnoldswick Town
10/02/10 Barnoldswick Town 3-0 Yorkshire Amateur (County Cup Quater Final)

Just by looking at Barnoldswicks last 5 results you can see how tough it is going to be but as i have always said on our day Ashton can beat anyone.

Onwards and Upwards

Ashton Town 1-1 Cheadle Town

There was no feeling other than disappointment as Ashton failed to take all three points against Cheadle on Saturday. This game though did have everything other than an eventual winner.
The first half was all Ashton and just how we wern't out of site after 45 minutes was anybodies guess. Firstly an unmarked header from 8 yards out was off the mark and a shot was blasted over the bar from 10 yards out as Baxby raced through. Another free header, this time from Lee Crompton, was headed straight into the keepers arms. On 33 minutes all that pressure paid off when the ball broke lose 8 yards from goal Kev Hill beat the advanceing keeper to poke it underneath him to make it 1-0 to Ashton. Again a few chances came and went before Cheadle's first chance of the match which came just before half time as a header flew over the bar.
At Half time Cheadle got the hairdryer treatment and it showed in the second half as they came out with a point to prove. A copule of long range efforts were dealt with by Andy Hewitt in the Ashton goal with relative ease. Then the turning point of the game. Ashton had an effort cleared off the line and as the rebound was smashed in somehow the Cheadle keeper blocked.
Then came the save of the match from Andy Hewitt as Cheadle's Alan went through on goal only to be denied by Hewitt somehow managing to get his hand to the ball as Alan tried to lift it over him as he committed himself.
We then needed a short break in play when a little dog decided he wanted to join in only to be chased away.
Ashton tried to score the vital second goal that would of killed the game and another attacke lead to Roberts, the Cheadle Centre Half, receiving his marching orders for a second bookable offence.
Unfortunately with 4 minutes to go the equaliser came. A free kick on the edge of the are was palmed away by Hewitt but Alan was the quickest to ract and he squoze a shot from the tightest of angles into the back of the net.
Ashton then went down the other end and thought the game was won when a header was knocked in from a yard out only to be ruled offside.
Then Chris Walton and Cheadle's Logan were sent off for well handbags at ten paces.
Cheadle had a clear chance to win the game but the free header was put wide. They too thought they had won the game when the ball was tapped home from 5 yards only to be ruled out for offside.
Somehow Cheadle never snatched it when the ball came in from their right and an unmarked O'Brien put his shot over the bar from no more than 9 yards out.
Judging by the amount of chnaces we created in the firsthalf it could only have been a sense of dissapointment not to take all three points

Final Score Ashton 1 Cheadle 1

Onwards and Upwards