ASHVILLE FC 3-2 ST MARTINS PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY

ASHVILLE FC 3-2 ST MARTINS PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY PLAYED AT VILLA PARK, CROSS LANE, WALLASEY SATURDAY 8TH AUGUST 2020 MATCH REPORT BY STATTO OF ST MARTINS FC Ashville's opening pre-season friendly saw them record a 3-2 home win over North West Counties League Division 1 South side St Martins at Villa Park on Saturday. It was a keenly competitive encounter which got more than a little feisty at times but the hosts deserved their win over their Oswestry-based visitors, who put in a rather poor performance to say the least. Saints had gone into the game on the back of a 1-2 away defeat by fellow Shropshire side Wem Town earlier in the week, which was preceded by a 2-2 home draw with Cheshire League Premier Division side Greenalls Padgate St Oswalds in their opening friendly the previous Saturday. It was Ashville who took the lead just into the 13th minute when Callum Hughes' corner from the right found Mike Reynolds, who escaped his marker to send his header from 8 yards into Saints keeper George Austin's left hand corner. It was 2-0 in the 17th minute when a throw in on the right by Adam Summers found Lee Davies who took a touch to control before crossing to the near post, where Sam Hunt took a touch to control and beat his man before firing his low right foot shot from 6 yards into Austin's left hand corner. Saints pulled a goal back in the 22nd minute when a long ball over the top from the right of middle by Jay Smith led to a defensive mix-up between Ashville keeper Jamie Kelly and defender Callum Smith, Saints' Aaron Davies nipped in to intercept and rounded Kelly before tapping his low right foot shot from 2 yards into the centre of the empty net. Ashville made a double change at half time with Danny Hardman coming on to replace Shaun Farrall and Dylan Jeffries coming to replace Hunt.  Meanwhile, Saints made no changes at the break. However, the visitors made a double change in the 58th minute when Danny Kendall came on to replace David Forse and Connor Maguire came on to replace Joe Salter. Saints made a further change in the 63rd minute when Josh Leach came on to replace Joe Foster. Then right at the end of the 69th minute, Saints equalised when Davies fired his low left foot free kick from 19 yards from just to the right of middle into Kelly's right hand corner to score his second goal of the afternoon. Ashville made a double change immediately before the restart half way through the 70th minute when Corey Scarisbrick came on to replace Hughes and Abe Robson came on to replace Jamie McColl. Saints made a change just before the end of the 73rd minute when Foster came back on to replace Ryan Malone. Ashville then made 3 changes in quick succession with Hunt coming back on to replace Davies in the 74th minute, Sam Robinson coming on to replace Reynolds in the 77th minute and Farrall coming back to replace Smith in the 80th minute.  Saints made the penultimate change in the 87th minute when James Page came on to replace Ryan Mondiwa before the visitors made their final change just before the end of the 90th minute when Harvey James came on to replace Smith.  Then with 26 seconds of added time gone at the end, Ashville won it when Dobson's low through ball on the left found Hardman who took a touch to control and beat his man before crossing to the far post, where the unmarked Jeffries sent his header from 8 yards past Austin into the centre of the net. The final blast of referee Bradley Irvine's whistle after an eventual total of a touch over 8 minutes of added time at the end brought the game to an end and confirmed a famous win for the hosts over their higher ranked opponents. Despite the poor performance by the visitors, it was (as always seems to be the case on these occasions) still a good work-out for both sides. Ashville: Jamie Kelly, Adam Summers, Tom Hartley, Shaun Farrall, Mike Reynolds, Callum Smith, Jamie McColl, Josh Maldon, Sam Hunt, Lee Davies, Callum Hughes.  Subs: Danny Hardman (for Farrall 46), Dylan Jeffries (for Hunt 46), Corey Scarisbrick (for Hughes 70), Abe Dobson (for McColl 70), Sam Hunt (for Davies 74), Sam Robinson (for Reynolds 77),  Saints: George Austin, Harry Murray, Joe Salter, Jay Smith, James Durman, Ryan Mondiwa, David Forde, Nathan Saunders, Joe Foster, Ryan Malins, Aaron Davies.  Subs: Danny Kendall (for Forde 46), Connor Maguire (for Salter 46), Josh Leach (for Joe Foster 63), Joe Foster (for Malone 73), James Page (for Mondiwa 87), Harvey James (for Smith 90).