TRAFFORD 2, ASHTON UNITED 5
Ashton United booked their place in the first-round proper of this season’s Isuzu FA Trophy after a convincing win at Trafford.
Five goals from the Robins, one division higher in the pyramid, saw them triumph at the Awaydaycare Shawe View Stadium in the third qualifying round.
Trevon Bryan’s loan period from Bolton Wanderers had been extended and it took just six minutes for him to make his mark as his right foot cross found James Hardy in space to place his header home.
Three minutes later right winger Bryan went one better as he cut inside before placing a left foot effort perfectly inside the far post with no challenge forthcoming.
After 25 minutes, the visitors went close again as Benny Couto’s driven cross saw Hardy’s return ball narrowly miss any connection.
Rio Clegg made space at the other end turning on to Isaac Noble’s cross before Josh Doherty made an important block.
Five minutes before the break, the hosts won a lifeline as Clegg was brought down at the second attempt by Sean Newton with the centre forward seeing his penalty well saved by Connor O’Keefe dropping to his right.
Four minutes before the hour, Doherty’s left wing cross saw substitute Jason Gilchrist head the ball back for Hardy to nod home his second and three minutes later Luke Burke’s square pass saw Couto’s left foot effort come back off the underside of the crossbar.
Four minutes later, another substitute Jak McCourt was booked and from the resulting free kick ex-FC United winger Jerome Wright curled his effort home over the wall.
Ashton soon restored their three-goal advantage as Hardy was robbed for a corner which saw McCourt’s return ball force Damola Satona into conceding an own goal.
Clegg was the fouled by Dan Cowan with Ryley Smith’s delivery glanced just past the far post by Jordan Fagbola before Burke’s pull back saw McCourt’s effort land somewhere in the vicinity of the Trafford Centre.
Entering added time, the home side pulled another one back as Rob Worrall’s run saw Kanye Nisbett slide his effort home close in.
The scoring was completed as a free kick led to McCourt playing a one-two with Tom Denton before finishing into the far corner.
Ashton United: O’Keefe, Cowan, Doherty, Newton, Burke, White (McCourt 62), Lowe, Couto, Hardy (Johnson 68), Osei (Gilchrist 54) Bryan (Denton 62).
Attendance: 469.
Report: David Robinson.