Ashton United 1 Witton Albion 2

3:39pm Wednesday 3rd October 2007

WITTON moved back to the top of the UniBond Premier Division with another impressive away day win at Ashton.

With Alex Brown and Liam Brownhill out injured, enforced changes saw Tom Spearritt playing at left-back with Ian Kearney operating just in front.

Mark Peers gave the Ashton keeper no chance, sending the spot-kick into the opposite corner as he dived to his right.

Pocket-sized midfielder Dean Craven, who was involved in the incident that saw Mike Moseley dismissed at AFC Telford last season, was signed and registered just two minutes before the 11am deadline.

The first serious attack came in the 17th minute when a Tony Barras clearance to Rob Lloyd was knocked onto Adam Warlow with his shot going over the bar.

Two minutes later though Albion took the lead. It came following a clumsy challenge by Matty O'Neill on Lloyd near the left touchline.

Lloyd got up to lift the resultant free kick towards the far post and Tony Barras got up perfectly to nod the ball down into the bottom corner.

Three minutes before the break Rod Thornley controlled the ball beautifully on the right, and when he parted with it Steve Brodie saw his shot just go over the crossbar.

From the restart Albion immediately attacked and won a free-kick 25 yards out. Peers' kick struck the wall but the referee spotted that Iain Howard had lifted his arm and so awarded a penalty.

Mark Peers gave the Ashton keeper no chance, sending the spot-kick into the opposite corner as he dived to his right.

On 70 minutes though the Albion defence and Jon Kennedy were breached for the first time in 728 minutes of league football. Ian Kearney's attempted headed clearance only succeeded in landing at Ben Smith's feet and he quickly let fly, low through a sea of players from 25 yards and wide of Kennedy's outstretched right hand.

Ashton piled on the pressure as they went searching for the equaliser and it called for some desperate defending from the Witton defenders.

In the end though the three hard earned points ensured that, with a quarter of the season already gone, Albion are in the best possible league position.

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STAR MAN: Rod Thornley ALBION: Kennedy, Coo, Barras, Pritchard, Spearritt, Peers (Dillon 74), Lloyd, Kearney, Brodie (Craven 60), Warlow, Thornley. Sub n/u Proffitt.

ATTENDANCE: 213