Fish & chips: £4-99
Train ticket (Manc-Ashton): £5-90
Entrance: £10
Programme: £2
Tea: £1
Oxo: £1
Total: £24-89
There are a small cluster of grounds which I can now realistically do in the evenings from Sheffield, and Ashton is one of them. I must admit to feeling somewhat jaded from recent travelling before this one, but came away completely invigorated by a thrilling game of football and a cracking ground. Ashton United's Hurst Cross ground is a 15-minute walk from the nearby station, on a corner nestled behind a row of houses. This isn't actually that far from the likes of Stalybridge and Mossley, though I daresay its a tricky journey by public transport. The ground was a real gem, as you enter at the top of a few rows of terracing, onto the vista of two covered stands (one seated, one terraced), with some distinctive looking red crush barriers lining the edges of the pitch. The music in the build-up was awesome - 'Relax' (Frankie Goes to Hollywood), 'All you need is love' (The Beatles), and 'The longest time' (Billy Joel).
Ashton are in the title race, and came into this one on the tails of Skelmersdale and FC United. Frickley, its fair to say, defied the odds. The Yorkshire side threatened early on when Reece Thompson's cross drifted agonisingly across the face of goal on 2 minutes, and when Luke Hinsley fired wide after a smart passing move. At the back, Luke Hornsey and John Cyrus were immense in containing the Ashton strikeforce, with first-half chances limited to Dale Johnson's shot over, and Jack Higgins' header wide. They were working incredibly hard, and I was impressed they'd got to this point at parity.
The second-half was incredibly open. Ashton went 2-0 up with goals from Martin Pilkington and Jack Higgins on 63 and 68 minutes respectively. The second had seen a particularly good top corner save from Sam Leigh in the away goal, only for Higgins to slot in the rebound. Game over? Not in this league. Frickley seemed to grow in confidence despite the deficit, and were riled even further when a rough tackle from Jack Higgins sparked an angry reaction from the away fans (I believe they used the term 'chicken shit' to describe the referee's decision!). On 76 minutes, Frickley were handed a lifeline when Thompson was brought down in the box, and Gavin Allott coolly converted from the spot. Reece Thompson, who had been at the centre of many of the away attacks, grabbed a deserved equaliser on 87 minutes when he cut inside and rattled in a goal off the inside of the post. After that, Frickley could even have won, with a couple of half-chances not quite working out for them. This game was absolutely terrific, played at a fast pace, and I have to say well done to both sides for a great game of floodlit football played under chilly conditions.
