Match Report: Ashington AFC 0-8 Redcar Athletic

Our biggest win since the Silsden game, and with other results going our way to it may just have been the perfect matchday for the Steelmen

After the many postponements, there was a real pining for some Steelmen action, and we, at long last, got it in the form of an away trip up to Ashington.

A slightly nippy, but otherwise decent day saw us head to Northumberland, but truthfully, I don’t think anyone could have expected what would follow

We started on the front foot, with Oscar Fletcher heading over and John Howard smacking a strike off the post.

Ashington’s new loanee Ben Metcalf made some solid stops early on, and we passed the 15th minute with no goals.

Deadlock was eventually broken, though, and it was by John Howard.

The midfielder got the ball outside the box and was able to weave and work his way into it before powering a shot into the net.

That 1-0 lead lasted just 5 minutes too, as Adam Boyes grabbed our second following some nice dribbling from Oscar Fletcher, before he laid a pass across the face of the goal and Bosh was on hand to turn it in.

It was then 3-0 by the 26th minute, as JJ Bartliff dinked a ball over Ashington’s defence, and a mix-up at the back meant the ball was cleared away from the keeper to Oscar, who curled a strike into the top corner of an empty net.

We nearly bagged a 4th on the half-hour mark, with Oscar Fletcher and Dane Burlace both seeing their attempts saved.

But that 4th goal did come soon after, as Metcalf fumbled a shot and it went out for a corner, which John Howard whipped into the box, straight onto the head of Rio May, who put it into the goal for his second Steelman strike of the season.

A near 5th was the last real highlight of the half, as Bartliff’s audacious attempt narrowly went wide of the goal, but we still entered the break with a very comfortable lead.

We resumed the match with two changes, with Bosh and Oscar both coming off for Brad Fewster and Owen Burns, but it was Ashington who had the first few real chances.

Josh Mazfari was on hand to make a brilliant stop as an Ashington chance meant he had to be on his toes as the ball was worked across the box.

Ashington then won a penalty five minutes after, as Curtis Round tugged an attacker’s shirt and he went down. Soft? Maybe. Given as a penalty? Yes.

Luckily for us, though, that penalty was missed as the attempt cannoned off the post, allowing us to counter

We then got our monumental 100th league goal through Louis Johnson. Owen Burns laid a pass out wide, and Louis worked his way into the box before drilling a low shot into the bottom corner.

We made another change, as Mark Anderson came on for Bartliff. Fewster had a shot pushed out for a corner, and we then got our 6th goal of the match in the 74th minute.

It was Louis Johnson again, too, but this one was even better, as he went on a meandering run from our own half before leathering a strike into the top left corner of the goal.

Danny Rowe and Dane Burlace both came off for Kev Burgess and Nathan Guru in what would be our final changes of the afternoon, and just after the 80th minute, we grabbed our 7th goal of the game.

Owen Burns once again got an assist as he received the ball on the right, cut back and played a pass into the box that Fewster was able to put home

We weren’t done yet, though, as Louis bagged his hat trick in the final moments of the game.

A simple pass from Curtis Round allowed Louis to take a touch and drill a low shot through a crowd and past the Ashington keeper, making it 8-0 on the afternoon, meaning we were now on 103 league goals!

That was it in terms of action, though, and it meant our return was a successful one.

Next up is a trip to Grimsby on Wednesday night, with our next home match being against Brighouse on Saturday

Hopefully, we will see you at both of those, but if not, then there will, as usual, be live updates on our X page.

As always, take care, and up the Steelmen.