Ashton’s unbeaten start came to an end in no uncertain terms as a calamitous first half saw the visitors reach the interval three goals to the good. With regular goalkeeper Carnell on the injured list Jon Diba-Musangu made his debut in goal but unfortunately only lasted half an hour before he had to be stretchered off, shades of last season for Ashton fans which saw several custodians come and go.
In the first couple of minutes Diba-Musangu had to be alert to deny Curtis Morrison from Aaron Chalmers’ back pass before Liam Hardy beat Max Cartwright with the resulting corner being headed wide by Alpha Kaba. For the Robins John Pritchard’s corner saw Liam Tomsett’s header blocked on the goal line but on 25 minutes Cartwright’s back pass saw Diba-Musangu dwell on the ball allowing Ashton’s previous nemesis Hardy to close him down and force the ball home. With the keeper sustaining a serious looking injury, Chalmers took over between the sticks but 3 minutes before the break Hardy latched on to a header and got the better of Cartwright and rounded Chalmers before squeezing the ball home and things went from bad to worse 2 minutes later as Morrison won a corner which saw Ravenhill’s delivery headed home by Greg Young.

With the hosts up against it Matty Chadwick brought them back into the contest as a great move saw Jack Dyche play him in and he turned cleverly before lobbing home and shortly afterwards side footed a promising chance well wide. The Bucks could have extended the advantage again as Hardy found space in the area with Josh Granite needing to make the block before Chadwick progressed along the by line before seeing his cross blocked with Lanre Olapede then forcing a flying save out of Budtz.

With a quarter hour left the game was up as Granite stood on the ball allowing Abbott to set up Hardy for his hat trick as he fired past stand in Chalmers and Ashton’s last chance saw a good swinging cross by Pritchard headed over by Dyche.

Team; Diba-Musanga (Chadwick 30), Olapede, Cartwright (Woodford 42, Durnin 77), Granite, Chalmers, Platt, Lees, Tomsett, Dyche, Pilkington, Pritchard. SNU: Roberts, Johnson