STAFFORD RANGERS 0, ASHTON UNITED 1
A single goal was enough to see Ashton United continue their push for a play-off place whilst at the same time condemning hosts Stafford Rangers to relegation from Northern Premier League, premier.
They remain outside the top five only by virtue of an inferior goal difference to Hyde United who have completed their matches while the Robins have two left to play as do Worksop who are also in the mix.
With the Robins missing suspended centre forward Jason Gilchrist, the action got under way on a difficult looking surface and within two minutes a great ball over the top gave Kaiman Anderson a clear sight of goal from where his effort struck the top of the crossbar.
After 13 minutes, Kielen Adams just kept the ball in play on the near touchline and when the ball reached Alex Byrne his left foot effort was just tipped on to the roof of the net by Cameron Belford.
Midway through the half a scramble in the area saw the ball eventually reach Kian Taylor who steered his left foot effort over the top and Nathan Lowe’s goalbound effort hit his own player Jake Charles after Adams had won the ball.
Robins’ keeper Paul Cooper was then required to make a flying save from Jack Stafford’s header after he had just come on as a substitute with the half finishing scoreless.
Rangers almost caught Ashton on the break after the restart as a break saw Stafford’s fine cross field pass put Taylor into the area with Warren Clarke winning a vital tackle but soon afterwards James Hardy was fouled 30 yards out and Byrne’s chip into the area saw centre back Sam Baird stooping to steer his header home for what turned out to be the match-winning strike.
On the hour, Adams put his header narrowly wide from Byrne’s corner and substitute Connor Heath then narrowly missed the near post having cut inside on to his left foot as the home side increased the pressure.
Dan Cowan then made a vital block on Willis’s shot and Nathan Lowe’s 45-yard effort drifted wide after Cowan had been fouled.
The final action saw Stafford’s swinging cross beat everyone at the far post before Willis’s overlapping run won a corner off Couto which was comfortably cleared.
Ashton United: Cooper, Cowan, Newton, Lowe, Burke, Baird, Byrne (Abbott 75), Hardy (Rose 82), Charles (Couto 70), Adams, Clarke. Subs (unused): Caton, Cusani.
Attendance: 748.
Report: David Robinson.