Pics complete fine turnaround

ASHTON suffered their second successive home defeat as the Pics turned around an early deficit to take the spoils.

The hosts moved ahead with their first effort on goal as Ryan Crowther’s rightwing cross on 15 minutes reached Jack Dyche and he forced the ball home at the second attempt after Jose Veiga had made an initial save.

Just before the half hour a long free-kick found Joel Kettle unmarked in the area and he volleyed home the

ASHTON U 1 RUSHALL O 2

equaliser. And five minutes later Richard Smith caught Jazz Luckie just inside the area, with Terry Smith needing to come to the Robins’ rescue with a low save from Zac Martin’s spot-kick.

There was little respite for the home side, however, as Smith’s attempt to run the ball out of defence saw him robbed and a forward pass picked out Alex Reid, who squeezed his effort home, despite the best attempt of Daniel Cowan on the goal line.

On the stroke of half-time Rushall could have moved further ahead as Mickael Partodikromo set up Luckie who was denied first by Terry Smith and then by a defender.

On the resumption Ashton were again under pressure as Kettle headed a corner against the post and saw his follow-up cleared off the line.

But the closest Ashton came to grabbing an equaliser was when substitute Jody Banim saw his corner headed against his own goal frame by Luke Bottomer, and when Banim set up Dyche whose diving header was palmed away.

The result meant hosts Ashton could not capitialise on defeats from the sides above them in the table, while three points for Rushall – their first in three league matches – sees them into ninth place with games in hand.