Ashton United vs Leek Town

Now here's an interesting one - Mossley away at Kendal - just can't do it (holidays, family connected sh*t) - so we best be going to the next best thing - a match with so many bearings on the league - on doorstep - that will have so many bearings the game up the M6 in the Lake District area.

Today - wake up - it's raining - so much for the Easter weather - I was offered a place in one of the KendalKars - but - hey some things you just cannot do over a public holiday - knowing full well I could get a pass out up to Hurst Cross - knowing that if Ashton won, the league would be over as far as Mossley were concerned.

Rain - another interesting test for the new camera - maybe I'm overreacting but I went onto th'interweb this morning with the phrase "wet weather protection" for cameras - picked up some good stuff - (includng one chunk of advice which said "stay indoors" - how about f**k off you soft Yankee !) - plus I remember a few times before Christmas seeing Carl from Droylsden with a towel wrapped over his lens ..as now shown ...

Here's Carl at Bower Fold for the Bridge/Bloods derby over Christmas...

So I took the train to Stalybridge - with camera in bag - inside rucksack - with rucksack containing one old tea towel (in plastic bag) plus one hand towel (inside plastic bag) - praying the drizzle would stop....it didn't. Couple of beers at the Buffet Bar (one Ossett, one Millstone) followed by the 1345 408 bus up to Hurst Cross. The mood amongst the local fans (OK one who I talked to on my way into club at 1415 - no names no pack drill) was pessimistic verging on suicidal - boosted my confidence no end (Mossley hat on remember !) One last beer in club - before - going for next camera test)

So - set up camera (as best I thought) - and headed into the wetlands - I used a rather tasteful blue and white check tea towel and the pix start now..... try these for starters.

Eyes on ball - not camera - and you keep your shirt tucked in laddie !!!

All the 7s - Phil Cooney and Ant Danylyk (Belper reject ?!?).

Leek open the scoring............and after that all I tend to find are celebratory pix at the "Leek end of life" as in..

MacPherson gets number two....

and smiles to the audience

.

penalty makes it three ....

and smiley faces after number four.

Yes Ashton did get one back - and they missed a penalty (we Mossley fans are so used to that scenario) - but there was only going to be one winner today - and they've now took GIANT strides out of the bottom end of the Unibond Prem.

Need to cheer up the Ashton crew somehow.. can' think how..

I could post a pic of the Ashton penalty miss - but that sort of thing is a Mossley thing and tends to get "swept under" ....