WHITBY TOWN 1, ASHTON UNITED 3
A fluctuating encounter on the Yorkshire coast at Whitby saw Ashton United hold on for their first away points of the season following a grandstand finish by the Seasiders.
Whitby struck the crossbar twice in the dying minutes as the Robins lived dangerously before securing their third win from five fixtures in Northern Premier League, premier as they currently sit in seventh place.
The action started on a perfect surface in front of 551 people with Sean Newton restored to Ashton’s defence and Andreas Bianga starting in midfield.
After10 minutes Newton’s long diagonal pass picked out the dangerous Alex Byrne on the right wing and his cross reached Marcus Cusani who converted confidently at the far post.
Newton’s next contribution was to fire a 25-yard free kick way too high after Byrne had been fouled.
Whitby’s Connor Simpson then played a one-two with Alfie Doherty and was only denied a shot on goal by Dan Cowan’s timely tackle.
On the stroke of half time Harrison Beeden’s long throw was flicked on by Bianga to Bradley Fewster who couldn’t get any power behind his header.
Bianga was guilty of dwelling on the ball in Ashton’s area soon after the restart allowing Alfie Doherty a shot on the turn and shortly afterwards a long ball was allowed to drop and only cleared in front of Fewster by Sean Newton.
Byrne’s pass then put Louis Potts in the clear with Beeden crowding him out but a minute later the lively George Milner won a free kick and, when Byrne delivered it, Newton was on hand at the far post to head home the second.
A dangerous mix up at the back almost handed the Seasiders a lifeline as Connor Simpson side-footed straight at Luke Simpson but with 12 minutes left a pass across the penalty area saw substitute Junior Mondal cut inside on to his left foot before firing into the bottom corner.
Three minutes later, Mondal brought a tumbling save out of Simpson with an acrobatic effort and after Adam Gell’s cross had been sliced over his own crossbar by Cowan Rowe’s header from a long throw in was volleyed against the bar close in by Mondal.
With two minutes left, Priestley Griffiths long-range effort was also deflected on to the crossbar but right on time Newton won the ball and his pass down the line saw Cusani adjudged onside to beat Shane Bland to the ball and run the third goal into the empty net to give the Robins their first win at the Towbar Express stadium since 2016.
Ashton United: Simpson, Cowan, Newton, Milner, Burke, Bianga, Byrne, Abbott, Carroll-Burgess (Dawson 43, Robbins 69), Potts (Gilchrist 83), Cusani. Subs (unused): Thompson, Lonsdale.
Report: David Robinson