ASHTON UNITED 4, BASFORD UNITED 3
A brave half fightback saw Ashton United notch the winner in added time against Basford United after a thrilling second period.
It was a victory which lifts the Robins back into the play-off places in Pitching In Northern Premier League, Premier.
There was little sign of what was to come in a quiet first half which saw Ashton move ahead in added time as James Hardy touched the ball home close in after Darius Osei’s effort had been pushed away by keeper Saul Deeney.
Osei himself had gone closest before then with a low shot steered against the post from Nathan Lowe’s cross after 13 minutes.
One minute earlier, Lowe’s cross was guided wide by the unmarked Jason Gilchrist and Gilchrist forced Deeney into a low save on the turn after Lowe’s cross had been helped on by Josh Doherty.
Five minutes before the break, Doherty combined to move into the area before a weak effort on his right foot just evaded the run of James Hardy.
Five minutes after the restart, Sean Newton flashed a header across goal from a corner and shortly afterwards Kane Richards was downed by Remi Efunnuga with keeper Jordan Eastham forced to tip over Jordan Hallam’s direct effort.
The avalanche of goals started just short of the hour as Hallam’s free kick was helped home by Kane Richards and six minutes later the visitors moved ahead as a corner saw Kacy Butterfield’s header squeezed over the line by McKeal Abdullah.
Richards’ cross shot was then headed away by Doherty following a quick break and Joshua Barnes placed an effort well wide after Richards had held the ball up.
The introduction of long-term injury absentee Alex Byrne brought the Robins back into the game as his free kick was headed down by Sam Baird for fellow centre back Sean Newton to crash it emphatically home in the top corner.
With nine minutes left, the visitors regained the lead as Abdullah was denied by Eastham but then fired the recycled ball home from the edge of the area.
But with five minutes left, substitute Trevon Bryan picked up a forward pass before weaving his way into the area and firing home on his left foot.
Then entering added time, Byrne made space for a right-wing cross which was converted close in by substitute Tom Denton for the dramatic winner.
Ashton United: Eastham, Efunnuga, Doherty, Newton, Burke, Baird, Rowe, Lowe (Byrne 73), Gilchrist (Bryan 69), Osei, Hardy (Denton 73). Subs (unused): Cowan, Hogan.
Attendance: 251.
Report: David Robinson