Saturday, September 18, 2004

REFEREES are getting blasted left, right, and centre lately.

Whether it's for sending off chest-baring players celebrating a goal, or awarding penalties then changing their mind, officials are becoming more the talking point than the football itself.

Hurst Cross was no different as outraged City players and fans screamed blue murder over a costly blunder by referee William Smallwood.

By failing to punish Ashton United's captain Danny White for a blatant hand-ball on his own goal-line moments before half-time, Smallwood robbed Worcester of their best chance of salvaging a result in Greater Manchester.

The decision incensed the City dug-out and boss John Barton lost his cool with the assistant referee, no doubt questioning if basketball rules applied in the United box.

It was a day of frustration all round for Barton, his side distinctly off the pace as they crashed to their first defeat in Nationwide North.

Losing the unbeaten tag was never going to be a nice feeling, but having it ended by a one-dimensional side scratching for points makes the pain two-fold.

There are better and more aesthetic teams than Ashton, and the Tameside club may struggle to protect their league status by the end of the season.

But United's not-so-pleasing-on-the-eye approach worked wonders against a City side strangely out of sorts.

Sharpness was the order of the day to prise open an organised United defence but coming off the back of high-tempo games with Lancaster and Kettering, many of City's players looked weary both with and without the ball.

The usual spark was missing from midfield and front pairing Adam Webster and Leon Kelly were short of opportunities, despite running themselves into the ground.

Set-pieces provided City's best chance of a goal but a combination of poor deliveries and stout United defending quashed all hope.

Ashton gained the early dominance with their direct approach and were unlucky not to snatch the lead on 15 minutes when Paul Garvey's low shot was hacked off the line by Les Hines.

Centre-half Dean Johnson rose high to head an inswinging corner moments later but his effort struck Garvey from two yards out and landed in the grateful hands of City 'keeper Aaron Kerr.

Worcester soon began to assert pressure, with Webster going close with a deflected volley, but it was during a short spell of dominance that United grabbed the only goal on 38 minutes.

Jason Dormer slipped the ball between Colin Hoyle and Carl Heeley to Garvey who raced into the box and fired into the net through Kerr's legs.

Smarting from that set-back, City came close to equalising on 43 minutes with Hines' stinging 25-yard free-kick.

The shot was parried into the air by United 'keeper Ashley Connor and Heeley's follow-up was headed on to the roof of the net by White.

But it was skipper White's next intervention which caused controversy.

Hines' free-kick rocked the woodwork and Hoyle knocked in the rebound, only for White to bundle the ball away with his arm and Smallwood point for a corner to City's disbelief.

Tempers flared between both sides with Hoyle and Dormer booked afterwards for minor fisticuffs.

City bossed the second half but could find no way through Ashton's rear-guard, despite several promising moves down the right-hand side.

The home side looked likelier to double their lead on the counter attack and went close late on.

Kerr was on hand to stop sub Joseph Walsh's fierce drive on 75 minutes, while Garvey smacked the bar on 85 minutes from 12 yards.

Dormer was sent off on 90 minutes for his second booking but United held firm for victory.

City: Kerr 7, Warner 7, *Hines 7, Hoyle 6, Heeley 6, Carty 6, Colley 6, McDonald 6, Webster 6 (Hobbs 77), Kelly 7, Lyons 6. Subs not used: Davies, Parker, Khan, Skyers. Attendance: 258.