ASHTON UNITED 0, AVRO 0
(Ashton won 5-4 on penalties)
Ashton United won the Frank Hannah Manchester Premier Cup for the second time in three years after an ultimately disappointing encounter with Avro which was settled by a penalty shootout at Oldham Athletic’s Boundary Park.
The contrast between the two sides could hardly have been greater as the Robins, record 16 times winners of the trophy took on a side looking for their first success in the competition after losing to the same opposition in the 2022 semi-final.
With the playing surface in perfect order after the final was switched from Rochdale, the action got underway with Brad Abbott and Mitchell Rose handed starts for the Robins and Benny Couto appearing at left back on the ground of his parent club.
Four minutes in and Bebeto Gomes’ cross for Avro found Ethan Kershaw being forced to turn on the edge of the area so unable to get a shot in and Jason Gilchrist’s pass then sent Marcus Cusani down the right wing from where his pull back was steered over by Nathan Lowe.
Avro then won a couple of corners the second of which saw James Dwyer lobbing over the bar after an unconvincing punch by Paul Cooper.
More hesitation from the Ashton keeper then saw Gomes head Kershaw’s cross past the far post before Cusani’s follow up was just kept out at the far post after Couto’s effort had been parried away by ex-Ashton keeper Grant Shenton.
Ten minutes before the break Couto’s dangerous cross just evaded the advancing Cusani and Luke Burke’s overlapping cross saw Lowe’s attempt blocked.
The second period opened with Ashton dominating the possession without being able to create any clear-cut chances as Lowe collected Shenton’s long clearance but didn’t get hold of his speculative long-range effort.
Jake Cottrell’s deep cross then found Dwyer heading into the side netting and as Gilchrist was knocked off the ball 25 yards out Sean Newton spread the free kick wide to Couto whose shot was deflected over by a combination of Shenton and the bar.
The final opportunity to avoid the penalty shootout saw substitute Kielen Adams head Lowe’s delivery over from eight yards.
And so to the shootout, and it was Liam Ellis the unfortunate player as he put the first penalty wide for Avro which was followed by nine conversions with captain Lowe appropriately converting the final kick to pick up the trophy.
Ashton United: Cooper, Cowan, Newton, Lowe, Burke, Abbott (Adams 66), Caton (Hardy 66), Rose, Gilchrist, Cusani (Baird 83), Couto. Subs (unused): Bjork, Chmiel.
Attendance: 682.
Report: David Robinson.