ASHTON UNITED 0, WHITBY TOWN 1
Ashton United slipped to a third straight league loss as basement team Whitby Town moved off the bottom of Northern Premier League, premier division with their victory at a wet Hurst Cross.
The disappointing run has seen the Robins slide from second to 10th place in the table.
Steady rain left the surface damp, and the opening exchanges were cagey before after 12 minutes Harry Coates misplaced a pass out of defence allowing Priestley Keithley to hammer an effort from fully 40 yards which Greg Hartley, out of his goal, got a palm to but couldn’t keep out of the net.
It would turn out to be the match-winning goal for the Seasiders.
Four minutes later Callum Saunders’ tackle sent the ball spinning back towards his own goal allowing Malik Dijsteel to tee up Michael Spellman who fired straight at Hartley.
At the other end, Coates headed a corner narrowly past the far post.
Whitby’s Soni Fergus put in a fine cross for Jacob Day who was denied by a point-blank save by Hartley.
Day was back in the action on the restart as he outpaced Coates before firing wide and substitute Aaron Haswell then slid in Spellman on the break whose clean strike hit the left-hand post.
And with the tempo increasing, Saunders saw an initial effort blocked by Daniel Rowe before he turned on a misplaced pass and struck the right-hand post.
Just past the hour, Michael Phenix was denied by goalkeeper Shane Bland from Joe Robbins’ through ball and another dangerous break saw Spellman set up Day needing a good block by Hartley.
Baillie was then denied on the six-yard line from Matt Regan’s overlapping cross and Bland’s fine save also blocked out Saunders following Ben Hough’s set up.
Robbins then raced into the area and went down under challenge from Coleby Shepherd with a goal kick resulting and Cole Lonsdale hit a free kick way too high after a handball.
The final action saw Lorenzo Spinelli felled on the edge of the area with Sam Baird’s far post header blocked while Bradley Fewster hit the side netting for Whitby from Harry Green’s quickly taken free kick.
Ashton United: Hartley, Baillie (Hardcastle 73), Lonsdale, Baird, Regan, Coates, Sheridan (Hough 68), Brewster, Phenix (Spinelli 66), Saunders, Robbins. Subs (not used): Warren, Harrop.
Report: David Robinson.