The game began badly for Ashton when "that bugger that scores against everyone" - yes Gary Bradshaw - put North Ferriby in front after only 6 minutes - he then went and got a second after 20 minutes. Ashton came back strongly and had a blatant penalty turned down, by a one-eyed ref and a liner who who looked like he was chatting to the warming-up subs, when Garry Kharas was hauled back in the box - a very poor decision indeed. Ashton continued to create more, and were hogging the possession, but could just not find that finishing touch.
Another chance slips wide in the first half.
Towards the end of the half the NFU goalie Pecora wandered beyond his penalty area and lost it - however Kharas could not apply the finishing touch.
A roar went up at half-time - in my mind anyway - as the half-time draw number was announced - yes it was me (last time I came I was only 10 out on the 50/50 !). I dashed to claim my prize - to find the office deserted - never mind - later will do.
Twas another bad start to a half as on 50 minutes there was an almighty scramble in the Ashton box, culminating in the "bandana-ed" Leon Wainman poking the ball home to make it 3-0 to the visitors. However the NFU keeper, keen to atone for his first half "walkabout", went and did it again !! This time the chance went just over the bar. I'd have loved to have seen the "Optima Statistics" for possession - it must have been about 70/30 to Ashton ! Phil Cooney, who started the second half quietly, finally got into gear and was doing the business out on the right - crosses, cut-backs, the works - but no-one could finish all the good approach work (Tom Baker was also prominent with some surging runs through the middle/right side).
Another "almost but not quite" - Kharas, "The Ball", Post and Pecora.
In the end it was just one of those nights - compounded by a rather harsh sending-off of Ashton's Danny Forde near the end. North Ferriby are an interesting side - excellent front line, very fast, very direct and in Gary Bradshaw a potential match-winner every time. At the back however - very shaky indeed - and if the ref had given that penalty way back in the 25th minute I could have forseen a very different outcome - that would have boosted Ashton's confidence 100%, and they could well have scored with every chance they had after that!
Anyhow it finished 3-0 and anyone who sees that score (and wasn't there) might imagine a sound beating for the home side. It certainly wasn't.
I claimed my prize after the game - a bottle of finest Spanish Whisky (to be laid down until Christmas !), and grabbed a pint of lemonade shandy in the club after the game, together with grabbing a brief natter with Paul Challinor and Ashton "big cheese (acting)" John Milne. The Man of the Match awards went to Phil Cooney (Ashton - deserved) and Anthoni Pecora (NFU keeper - uh ??).
Then it was hey-ho down to the Apollo to fight my way through masses of Goths to pick up two of my kids - plus one of their mates who wanted a lift to Chadderton. Home for a well-earned beer, scratch through the photos (still haven't got the hang of night matches, but I'm sure it'll come !!) and - this. Tomorrow (today) I would like it to be Prescot Cables v Mossley (I'm guaranteed a lift home if I go straight from work), but with the "state of play" at work (one on holiday, one on a training course - out of a department of 5) I'm gonna struggle. Watch this space - the "fall back" option is Stalybridge Celtic v Nuneaton Borough
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