ASHINGTON 0-4 WEST AUCKLAND
Tuesday 11 December, 7:30PM, League
Manageress West Auckland ended a 7 game losing streak with a stunning and comprehensive win at Ashington - a four nil victory that helped close the gap to safety to just 2 points with games in hand.
Ashington though had a good opening to the game and should have led early on before West started to settle.
6 minutes in Stuart Owen's precise through ball found Dale Jardine racing in behind the defence, the resulting shot across Paul Simpson's goal was inches wide. This could have been punished with a free header at the other end that was straight at Alan Wilkinson who made the save.
Both sides at the wrong end of the table were looking for a vital breakthrough. It should have came when Brian Fairhurst's header was flicked on by Ian Maddison and Neil Robinson from no more than a couple of yards turned it goal wards. However Paul Simpson made a brave point blank save to deny the forward who could not believe his luck.
Robinson was then to be denied again by Simpson making up for his error. The keeper played the ball straight to the West man on the edge of the box but atoned by standing tall and pushing away the shot.
In between Ashington had a shot held by Wilkinson to remind they were also capable of taking the lead. This though was given to West Auckland on the stroke of half time. Ian Maddison driving run was temporarily halted on the edge of the area but the midfielder managed to get a shot in that rolled past Simpson into the corner of the net.
Maddison's shot was then blocked on the edge of the area with West not wanting the half to end. For Ashington came out fired up early on in the second - an early warning shot flashed wide.
They were then to be broken in the 52nd minute by a goal keeping error that left the keeper holding his head in his hands. Reaching forward to meet a Bryan Stewart cross, the keeper fumbled the ball and Danny Richmond nipped in for a poachers goal finishing it off from 6 yards.
The win was then effectively sealed two minutes later when a quick throw ended up with Richmond holding off a couple of players before breaking through clean on goal. Not to panic, the midfielder coolly curled his effort past Simpson into the corner of the net and turned to take the plaudits on a cold midweek December night.
West were dominant and Dale Jardine saw his goal bound shot deflected behind for a corner. Jardine was then unfortunate to not add his name to the score sheet. His shot saw Simpson just get enough on it to push it away from goal.
After this Scott Nicholson's header was comfortably held before a shell shocked Ashington finally mounted some sort of comeback. A close range header was well blocked and then held by Alan Wilkinson as Ashington looked for a tap in. A couple of wild efforts and some good defending by West saw Wilkinson untroubled as the first away League win was nearly in the bag.
Dale Jardine could have extended the gap in the 78th minute when Wilkinson's long kick saw the forward break through only for the luckless forward to lift the ball not only over the keeper but the bar as well.
Jardine though responded in positive fashion by helping wrap up the game when he received the ball from Ian Maddison, moved towards goal and as he went to shoot, simply played the ball square across the box to find Maddison racing onto it to add his second of the game, by rolling it into the empty net.
Ashington had an on target effort held by Wilkinson as West kept their first clean sheet since the Consett victory whilst Ian Maddison nearly clinched a hat trick when going through on goal. He was caught in two minds as to whether to look for a pass or shoot and when he did fire his shot goal wards, the keeper made a good save.
However this was not to be costly as one of West's best displays this season saw them comfortably take away the three vital points.
1. Alan Wilkinson, 2. Michael Heckley, 3. Brian Fairhurst, 4. Scott Nicholson, 5. James Middleton, 6. Stuart Owen, 7. Danny Richmond, 8. Ian Maddison, 9. Dale Jardine, 10. Neil Robinson, 11. Bryan Stewart
Subs Not Used: Lee Hutton, Richard Smith
Pictures