Lancaster City 0-3 Ashton United: Third straight defeat for the Dollies

Promotion-chasing Ashton United produced a clinical display at Giant Axe on Tuesday evening to take home all three points.
Craig Carney went close for Lancaster City late on against Ashton United.Craig Carney went close for Lancaster City late on against Ashton United.
Craig Carney went close for Lancaster City late on against Ashton United.

The Dolly Blues fought tirelessly until the final whistle but the in-form visitors were too strong on the day with two goals late in the first half the turning point as Phil Brown’s side went down to a third straight defeat.

In an opening that was low on chances at either end, City shot-stopper Josh Powell produced a smart one-on-one save to deny Daniel Mooney early on in the half, whilst the hosts offered little with Fleetwood Town loanee Mamadou Djabi a lonely figure up front.

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Ashton went in front on 38 minutes with John Pritchard’s free-kick breaking the deadlock.

Pritchard curled in a good effort from 25 yards which seemed to evade Powell at the last second on its way into the back of the net.

There was no doubting the quality of the second goal however as the visitors stamped their authority on the game by doubling their lead just three minutes later.

A chipped ball was caught flush on the volley by forward Liam Tonsett and the ferocious strike from nearly 30 yards dipped just under the bar to put Ashton in a dominant position heading into the second period.

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Lancaster huffed and puffed after the interval with little end product and the game was put to bed on 69 minutes.

It was another super strike from range, this time Mooney firing home from 25 yards, with this effort hit with pace and enough dip to find the net.

Brown had sent on additional strikers just minutes before the decisive third and the extra firepower made a difference.

The injection of energy saw City enjoy most of the possession in the closing stages.

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Craig Carney went closest when he saw a shot from a narrow angle parried away late in the game, but an unlikely goal never materialised with City well beaten on the night.

The result leaves the Dollies 12th in the Evo-Stik Premier Division having lost five of their last six games.

Ashton are fifth with just three points separating Grantham Town in second and Farsley Celtic in sixth.

Lancaster City: Powell, Henry, Anson, Steel, Dugdale, Winder, Carney, Wills, S Bailey, Jarvis, Djabi.