ASHTON UNITED 3, MARSKE UNITED 1
Ashton United have well and truly banished the nightmare of their 5-0 opening-day defeat at Workington.
The Robins have subsequently beaten Basford and Marske to climb to fifth place in Northern Premier League, premier after their first three fixtures.
Ashton ran out comfortable winners against visitors Marske who only really starting to play when they were three goals down.
Manager Steve Cunningham made one change from Tuesday’s win at home to Basford with Chris Dawson replacing the injured James Caton.
It took them only four minutes for Ashton to move ahead as a long clearance from halfway by Dawson found Marcus Cusani who lobbed the ball over the advancing Nathan Harker.
Luke Burke then scuffed his attempt from Alex Byrne’s inside pass and Louis Potts saw a shot blocked from Byrne’s latest set up with the falling ball volleyed well over by Brad Abbott.
Byrne was then unable to repeat the trick from Sean Newton’s pass aiming way too high but after 23 minutes Abbott volleyed home from the edge of the area after Cusani’s cross had been blocked following a good build up between Abbott, Potts and Byrne whose initial shot was also blocked.
At the other end, Donald Chimalilo jinked into the area before firing well off target and a strong tackle by Dan Cowan stopped Myers inside the penalty area.
Five minutes after the restart, Cowan’s attempt was cleared from just inside the post by his opposite number Josh Macdonald and Cole Lonsdale’s tackle stopped Chimalilo after he had turned past Sean Newton.
Just before the hour, Byrne slid home Ashton’s third after Potts’ challenge had won the ball from Harker with Dawson setting up the first chance.
Marske could have struck back after Chimalilo cut inside Cole Lonsdale and saw his effort deflect up off keeper Luke Simpson with Luke Burke needing to head off the line.
Byrne then missed a great chance to extend the lead firing past the far post after Jason Gilchrist had won the ball and played Cusani down the wing.
Nathan Thomas might have pulled one back with 13 minutes remaining as his acrobatic effort was tipped away by Simpson, but the same player reduced the deficit a minute later as Daniel Myers’ cross-field pass picked out his run and Thomas finished in off the far post.
Ashton United: Simpson, Cowan, Newton, Lonsdale, Burke, Cusani, Byrne, Abbott (Thompson 90), Dawson (Bianga 64), Potts (Gilchrist 69), Milner. Subs (unused): Robbins, Da Silva.
Report: David Robinson