Ashton followed up their win in August in the reverse fixture with a goal in each half good enough to see off their high-flying visitors. Fielding an unchanged line up the hosts were facing a couple of familiar faces in the visiting defence in Liam Goulding and Jack Higgins as the action opened with McCarten heading Williams’ corner well wide at the back post for Town.

A searching pass from Nicky Platt then picked out Jack Dyche’s run with the forward just unable to keep his volley on target but a minute later Nic Evangelinos cross was cleared to Platt who rifled home a swerving effort from 30 yards. Just past the half hour Aaron Chalmers mis controlled Carnell’s throw out giving Hine the chance to fire over from a narrow angle and Platt then came to the rescue after Hughes had blocked Chalmers’ clearance and the half ended with Higgins’ header from Williams’ corner being forced wide.

Carnell then had to be alert at the start of the second period to tip McCarten’s header over before Matty Chadwick’s teasing cross was tipped away by McMillan with Chalmers forcing another tip over from the resulting corner. Bakkor’s shot in the area was then blocked in the nick of time before Hughes aimed well wide, and a great pass by Mark Lees then put Chadwick in on McMillan with the keeper making the save low down, Tomsett hammering the rebound over.

Tomsett then played Dyche into the area from where he fired past the near post and Bakkor caught hold of an effort from 20 yards forcing a tumbling save out of Carnell, but with 13 minutes left Carnell’s long clearance saw Alex Johnson cut inside and force a decent save with Dyche on hand to fire the rebound home. The hosts could have been even more comfortable as Evangelinos picked up a loose ball in the area and just missed the angle on his right foot but the Robins now move up to sixth place in the league table.

Team: Carnell, Smalley, Beesley, Granite, Chalmers, Platt (Eckersley), Lees, Tomsett, Chadwick (Johnson), Dyche, Evangelinos. SNU: Banim, Roberts, Ollerenshaw