Ashton Athletic

By Matt Lawton
November 10 2009

A clinical second half performance saw Leigh Genesis put dogged North West Counties hosts Ashton Athletic to the sword and earn a place in the quarter finals of the Lancashire FA Co-Operative Challenge Trophy.

Although Genesis twice hit the woodwork during the first half, they didn't have things entirely their own way against an Ashton side that were keen to play passing football, despite the greasy pitch.

The first chance of the game arrived on eleven minutes when Matt Jansen saw a curling free kick clip the crossbar, with Chris Thompson seeing a header tipped over the crossbar from a Jansen cross two minutes later.

With the game on the half-hour mark, the hosts had no less than three chances to take a shock lead, with Leigh indebted first to goalkeeper Dean Porter as he made a terrific double save, tipping away one shot before saving a second with his legs, only moments before Mark Ross was in the right place to head a shot off the line after Porter had been beaten.

Although Porter had to be alert to tip a looping shot over the crossbar on thirty two minutes, it was Genesis that finished the half the strongest as David Hill drilled a twenty five yard strike that thumped the right hand post on forty minutes.

With the scores tied at half-time, Genesis needed just two minutes to take the lead when Jordan Stepien was brought down in the penalty area and duly sent the resultant spot kick in to the top corner of the net.

The lead was doubled on sixty one minutes when Jack Dorney did well to get in front of his marker and send a diving header in to the net from Jansen's clipped cross from the left hand side.

After providing the assist for the second goal, Jansen had a goal of his own to celebrate on sixty seven minutes when substitute Kris King, enjoying a degree of attacking freedom on the left hand side of midfield as opposed to his usual role at left back, broke through on goal and drew the goalkeeper away from his goal before unselfishly laying the ball across goal for Jansen to finish, albeit after allowing a defender to get back on to the line before eventually hitting the net.

Dale Whitham and Jamie Baguley joined King on the field from the substitutes bench, and almost grabbed a fourth for his side with a bright run towards the edge of the area that created enough space for him to send a strike flying narrowly over the crossbar.

Ashton had a potential consolation disallowed for offside late on, but, despite several attempts on Porter's goal, the result wasn't in much doubt once Genesis take control, and they will now take their place in the last eight of the competition.

This Saturday (14th November) sees Leigh return to UniBond League First Division North action when they travel to local rivals Prescot Cables for a 3pm kick off, before Chorley's Victory Park provides the venue for a home league fixture against Harrogate Railway Athletic next Wednesday (18th November, 7:45pm).

Leigh Genesis; Dean Porter, David Gbemie, Chris Page, Ilie Ovidiu Morariu, Mark Ross, David Hill, Jack Dorney (Kris King), Steve Flitcroft, Matt Jansen (Dale Whitham), Chris Thompson (Jamie Baguley), Jordan Stepien