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
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