ASHTON UNITED 2, ILKESTON TOWN 1
Two goals from leading scorer Darius Osei helped Ashton United beat Ilkeston Town at Hurst Cross in the battle between third and fifth-placed sides in Pitching In Northern Premier League, Premier at the start of play.
Osei’s goals made it four in a week as the hosts secured their fourth successive home win as they closed the gap to second-placed Guiseley.
The game got off to a cagey opening and it was 15 minutes before Luke Burke exchanged passes with Alex Byrne before shooting straight at Matt Yates.
At the other end, Jamie Walker’s near post snapshot was palmed away by keeper Jordan Eastham.
Midway through the first period, L’Varn Brandy burst from his own half and won a corner from Sean Newton which saw Tom Marshall’s header cleared off the line by Burke.
Thirteen minutes before the break, Mitchell Rose played a one-two with Osei before dragging well wide and Louis White saw his shot blocked in the area after a great build up between Byrne and Burke with James Hardy eventually firing the loose ball wide.
White came even closer two minutes ahead of the interval as his shot was blocked by Marshall’s head after Hardy and Osei had provided the set up.
The match sprung to life two minutes into the second period as Osei glanced White’s delivery past the far post but one minute later great work by Callum Rowe saw him spread the play to Byrne whose cross was headed against the bar by Osei with Josh Doherty’s follow up leading to Osei firing the loose ball into the roof of the net.
Six minutes after the breakthrough Rowe was again instrumental as Docherty strode forward to provide a curling cross which was forced home close in by Osei.
The burst of scoring continued as seven minutes later Brandy pulled one back as a quick break saw Harvey Kirby-Moore’s square pass leave him with an easy side foot.
White then just missed the angle from Osei’s lay off and with 15 minutes left White steered wide from 12 yards out as Hardy’s neat pass put him clear.
With 13 minutes left, an almighty scramble in the Ashton area ended with Declan Eratt-Thompson shooting straight at Eastham and a quick break saw substitute Donald Chimalilo tee up White whose right footed chip drifted wide.
The action ended with White’s near post corner scrambled off the goalline and Sam Parker being stopped in the area by Chimalilo’s tackle, deemed to be fair by referee Abid Hussain.
Ashton United: Eastham, Rose (Cowan 88), Docherty, Newton, Burke, Baird, Byrne (Chimalilo 74), White, Hardy (Denton 89), Osei (Gilchrist 68), Rowe. Sub (unused): Bjork.
Report: David Robinson.