Saturday, October 21st 2006, Welfare Park
Tech notched up consecutive league victories for the first time this season and in the process moved up to fourth in the league, 4 points behind Wallsend and Whitley Bay Rockcliff.
A victory at a venue which has, in the past, proved to be notorious for gaining favourable results is one to be cherished but having led 22-6 at one point Tech will feel disappointed that they did not finish Ashington in the same way they had flattened Acklam the previous week.
Richard Foster had given Tech the 16 point cushion by adding to his impressive try tally this season with a score in the 57th minute and with the home team beginning to look ragged it seemed that Tech would cut loose and record a second rout in as many weeks.
But instead of doing everything in their power to ensure that the game was effectively shut down, Tech produced some careless rugby to allow the home team back into the contest and with mere minutes of the game to go Ashington trailed by only 4 points and with the home crowd in full voice it seemed highly conceivable that they would snatch a victory that had, at one point, seemed unthinkable.
Coach Peter Robinson, whilst frustrated with the close finish, was happy with the result. “When we played flowing rugby we always looked the more likely winners. It was only when we were drawn into a scrappy forward battle that we lost our way.
“It’s always hard to come here and win and this result should set us up nicely for the derby with Seaton next week. A game no one wants to lose”.
Tech led 12-3 at half time courtesy of tries from Dave Cheshire and Nick Donnelly with Jon Cole adding 1 conversion. Cheshire’s try came as early as the 7th minute. Tech had started the game brightly and after a lovely break from Foster, the powerful centre fed Cheshire who darted over. Cole converted.
Having started brightly Tech became bogged down in a forward battle with the huge Ashington pack. The home team, determined to utilise their obvious forward strength, did everything they could to disrupt Tech’s ball and, with the aid of some sympathetic refereeing, they did this very well.
Tech then added to their lead on 35 minutes. Good work from the home pack took play to the Tech 22 but a turn over saw the ball shipped to Cole who punted the ball clear. Ashington failed to secure possession and the ball was hacked forward towards their own line where Donnelly pounced for the score.
Tech’s discipline went AWOL moments later when following a penalty at the breakdown some murmurings from the visitors saw the penalty advanced 10 metres and Phillips gratefully accepted the 3 points for his team.
Seemingly determined to repeat the favour Tech gifted Ashington another 3 points 8 minutes into the second half. More dissent from the visitors allowed a penalty to be brought into range of the posts and Phillips added his second goal of the afternoon.
Tech then took some time off from offering the referee advice and decided to demonstrate their rugby ability instead. A successful lineout saw an excellent rolling maul develop and the ball was taken up to the home 22. Stockdale picked up and, having made the initial advance, fed Adam Howard who stormed through some weak tackling before crashing over the line.
Foster continued his try scoring ways 5 minutes later finishing off a superb team try. Another good lineout win by Jim Wray allowed Tech to manoeuvre the ball superbly, deep into the Ashington half. The ball was moved out to Foster who cut through the defence and powered into the corner, taking a couple of Ash defenders with him!
A dubious refereeing decision to award Ashington a free kick on the Tech 22 saw Halliday open the home team’s try account on 29 minutes and when, on 31 minutes, substitute Cooper powered over from a ruck set up close to the Tech line a tense finish, exacerbated by Stockdale’s binning for offering his take on what had happened, was on the visiting support’s hands.
But Tech’s generosity ended there and after some spirited resolve from the visiting pack Tech closed out the game for only their fourth league victory at Welfare Park.
Ashington 18
Tries: Halliday (69), Cooper (71)
Con: Phillips (71)
Pens: Phillips (38, 48)
Tech 22
Tries: Cheshire (7), Donnelly (35), Howard (52), Foster (57)
Con: Cole (7)
Ashington
Lynn, Thorne, Davis, Phillips, M Brown, Jarvis, Halliday; Martinez, Armstrong, Moody, Nelson, Wood, Dickenson, Lees, Hill, Subs: Cooper, Hart, Dent (all used)
Tech
Cole, C Brown, Foster, Donnelly, Bulmer, Cheshire, Metson; Thompson, Hamilton, Palmer, Howard, Wray, Best, Cook, Stockdale, Subs used: Ward, Pinchen, Sub not used: Jukes
Sin Bin: Stockdale (71)