Guisborough Town 0-1 Ashington

Match Report

Guisborough Town Manager Steve Bell confessed to feeling “full of frustration” after seeing his side lose by a late goal to fellow top five team Ashington at the KGV Stadium on Saturday.

He commented ruefully: “This narrow defeat was a tough one to take today. There was nothing to choose between the two teams at all then a late long range Ashington effort goes in and it’s a 1-0 defeat.

“Today’s game just reinforces my thoughts that we are so close to being a top team and were missing a few key players with injuries as well.”

Steve continued: “As I speak now I feel full of frustration to be honest because 100 per cent this is not a game we deserved to lose.
“We’ve got 11 league games left and although it looks like we’re not going to be in the title run in now we definitely will be giving everything we’ve got to at least have a say on who does.

“So we go again next week, again yet another tough one at title-chasing Whitley Bay,” added Steve.

The Priorymen started the game off brightly, making most of the running and leading scorer Cole Kiernan fashioned the first real chance of the game on 23 minutes when he forced a good save from the Ashington ‘keeper.

Ashington’s first real threat came after 33 minutes with a dangerous pass across the Guisborough goalmouth but the ball was poked wide.
After a goalless first half Guisborough were first to really feature on the hour mark when striker Mikey McGee shot wide from the edge of the Ashington penalty area.

After such an even game with relatively few real chances Ashington broke Guisborough’s hearts – and most of the fans in a crowd of 285 – with a goal from Andrew Cartwright just six minutes from time for 1-0 to the visitors and that proved the final score.

Report: Bill Perfitt
Photos: Dan Clark