Ashton United 0 Trafford 4
(Pre-season friendly) Saturday 25 April 2015 – Hurst Cross, Ashton-under-Lyne
Well, it’s certainly been some hiatus from non-league blogging. Shrewsbury Town’s relegation and instant return to League One proved to be just too gripping for this reporter over the last 18 months or so, but a last-minute change of plans on this particular Saturday presented a fine opportunity to tick off another one of the jewels of the Greater Manchester footballing scene, especially with the fine weather defying even the most optimistic of forecasts.
After scouring the listings, a jaunt over to deepest Tameside appealed most. It’s a good job I packed the A-Z (am I the last person in the world to use one of these?), as every time I go to or through Ashton-under-Lyne I end up getting lost, mercifully this time I was able to identify and correct my error early, with two swift left turns getting me back on track. With the ground visible from the main road and plentiful on-street parking it was a quick and painless journey.
Wikipedia claims that Ashton United’s Hurst Cross ground is one of the oldest surviving footballing venues in the world, since the game was first played there in 1880. I’m happy to report it is an absolute delight – simply the archetypal Northern English non-league stadium – a footballing arena par excellence.
The Grandstand, Hurst Cross
Plenty of covered standing
There’s acres of concrete terracing on all sides, and the red gloss on the crush barriers must be at least half an inch thick from overpainting through the years. Aside from the traditional grandstand, the rest of the ground is a veritable mish-mash of various stand designs, including a very modern looking curved metal effort behind the far goal. There is also a large social club in one corner (not sampled on this occasion) and a variety of portacabins and nooks and crannies to pique the interest.
Home dug-out, Hurst Cross
Ashton United are currently members of the Northern Premier League and are presumably one of the early promotion favourites, having lost out in play-off penalty shoot-outs in each of the last couple of seasons. Trafford were relegated to the tier below at the end of last season, and have a number of ex-Ashton men in the ranks, including new manager Tom Baker (not that one) who has raided his former club for personnel, four of whom are in the starting XI this afternoon, Messrs Haslam, Caldecott, Deegan and Lambert.
The players must be eager, as they’re out on the pitch ready for kick-off and kicking their heels at five to three. Finally the referee and his assistants emerge, with knowing smiles as the players suggest they should be fined for keeping them waiting! A little cloud cover can’t spoil the afternoon which is warm, yet not overbearing.
After some probing opening skirmishes, and an early substitution for the visitors due to an injury to midfielder Ash Reece, Trafford are presented with the first real goal-scoring opportunity when Chris McDonagh is clipped by home keeper Ole Martin in the box. The resulting penalty is confidently despatched by McDonagh, 0-1 to Trafford.
A combination of Ashton’s sloppiness, and a tactically aware Trafford performance created the perfect storm for the hosts. The former Ashton man appearing at left-back for Trafford, Danny Caldecott, is particularly impressive in defence and attack, with an absolute pneumatic hammer of a left-foot.
Trafford get into their stride
Ex-Rochdale man Godwin Adabaki is withdrawn for the hosts on 40 minutes, to be replaced with prolific centre-forward Martin Pilkington. Unfortunately for Martin, he has barely touched the ball before Trafford double their lead on the stroke of half time as Ben Deegan ghosts his way past his former employers defence and finishes calmly into the bottom left hand corner past the hapless Martin.
Half time: Ashton United 0 Trafford 2
There’s time for a quick circuit of the ground at half-time, but I chose to return to my vantage point on the half-way line for the second half. Ashton make a flurry of substitutions a few minutes in, but it’s to no avail as Trafford extend their lead on 58 minutes, McDonagh converting another penalty cooly after another hatchet-job tackle just inside the box. The scoring is wrapped up by substitute Porya Ahmadi on 70 minutes with a close-range shot into the top left corner.
The view from the far side, Hurst Cross
The scoreline was certainly a fair one on the day. Ashton’s best chance fell late on to Kevin Leadbetter whose cannonball shot ricocheted off the post in the closing minutes, but they struggled against Trafford’s organised and committed performance in this pretty one-sided contest.
Full time: Ashton United 0 Trafford 4
inthecowshed 