Lancaster City suffer heavy defeat away at Ashton United 

Lancaster City's run of good results came to a halt as they were beaten 5-0 away from home at Ashton United.

It was Lancaster’s first league defeat in seven games and their heaviest loss of the season. 

Despite sitting just three points outside the top five, the defeat is a huge blow to their playoff chances, as teams both above and below them have games in hand, some as many as three. 

Kielen Adams opened the scoring for the Robins on the half hour mark. 

There was only goal in it at half time, but the goals began to roll in from the 56th minute.

James Hardy bagged a brace before Jason Gilchrist got a fourth midway through the second half.

Bernardo Couto capped off the scoring with ten minutes remaining.

Lancaster have had to deal with several departures, especially in the defensive department, and big injuries in recent weeks, so Jamie Mellen being forced off at the halfway stage of the first 45 will be of huge concern for the Dolly Blues. 

The first 20 or so minutes was by far Lancaster’s strongest period of the game.

Both goalkeepers had to make a big save in the opening stages.

Tom Stewart made a strong save from Alex Byrne’s low drive and Paul Cooper kept out Nic Evangelinos within the first five minutes.

Ten minutes later, City’s joint top scorer Dom Lawson had the chance to open the scoring but Cooper saved his effort from an awkward angle.

Jamie Mellen forced another good stop from Cooper not long after, but struggled to continue following that. 

He was taken off just four minutes later and replaced by Paul Jarvis. 

David Norris saw a header brush the side netting.

That was City’s last big chance before the hosts opened the scoring from a counter attack.

Once the ball was played into the box, Lancaster’s defence did well to deal with the first few attempts from the Ashton attack, but couldn’t keep out Kielen Adams’ strike.

James Hardy doubled the hosts’ advantage on 56 minutes with a calm finish after a ball into the box.

They got a third, Hardy’s second, just six minutes later. 

Tom Stewart saved Kielen Adams’ initial attempt to get a second goal himself, but the ball came back out to Hardy, who struck the ball home with another composed effort from the edge of the box.

The Robins got a fourth, and it was too easy for them.

Alex Byrne had plenty of time and space to find Jason Gilchrist in the box, who poked it in to put the game beyond any doubt. 

Bernardo Couto made a rapid run into the box with ten minutes to go and fired the ball into the far corner to round off the goals. 

Lancaster City will look to make amends on Saturday afternoon (March 9) when they travel to Matlock Town in the second of three consecutive away games. 

Lancaster City: Stewart, S Bailey (c), Brownhill (Connelly 46’), Sloan, Barnes, Cowperthwaite, Evangelinos, Ikpakwu, Lawson, Norris (Kilifin 63’), Mellen (Jarvis 24’)