Weekend football round-up: Shak inspires back-to-back league wins for the Tigers

A last-gasp penalty from Jack Redshaw handed Hyde United all three points in 3-2 win over Workington at Ewen Fields on Saturday.

An injury ravaged Tigers took an early lead when Shakeel Jones-Griffiths thumped home his first goal for the club on six minutes, but were pegged back when Stephen Rigg capitalised on a defensive mishap moments later. 

Hyde restored their lead on 33 minutes. A fearless tackle in the centre of the park from Jones-Griffiths started a move that ended up with Matt Fearnley powering a shot from an acute angle past a dumfounded Alex Mitchell. 

Both sides had chances after the break, with Callum Hiddleston making a smart stop from Workington sub, Jamie Allen.  

However, Hyde’s stopper was outfoxed by a clever Kai Nugent freekick, the midfielder’s effort sneaking in at the near post for his first goal of the season. 

The home side piled on the pressure as the clock ticked down, and a dangled foot in injury time from Sam Hetherington was invitation enough for Harry Ditchfield to go to deck and win a penalty. 

Redshaw blasted the spot kick into the roof of the net, a goal that moved the Tigers up into 6th place in the Northern Premier League (NPL) table. 

“We were comfortable without pushing ourselves, and that’s what disappointed me in the second half. We seem to have a break, and everybody goes for that 10 or 15-minute spell. 

“I’ve said to the experienced boys that they need to get their foot on the ball, but they know that pitch is difficult when it’s dry, it’s very difficult to play one-touch football and retain possession. 

“It’s nice to have two back-to-back wins, though.” 

Ashton United are one place behind Hyde on goal difference after giving up a two-goal lead at Lancaster City. 

Nathan Lowe and Jason Gilchrist’s 10th strike of the season put Steve Cunningham’s team in the driving seat after just 13 minutes, and although the Robins came close to extending their lead, they also survived three Lancaster penalty appeals before half-time. 

The home side - who are managed by former Mossley, Glossop and Stalybridge boss Chris Willcock – piled on the pressure in the second period, eventually breaking the Ashton resistance on the hour via a low Dom Lawson drive. 

Lancaster almost restored parity a minute later when Jordan Eastham tipped a Charlie Bailey header onto the bar. They didn’t have long to wait for Lewis Mansell to convert a deft Dylan Thompson cross to make it 2-2 and condemn Ashton to a fourth successive NPL game without a win. 

After starting life under Liam Tongue’s temporary stewardship with a win last week, outstanding goals from Joe Duckworth and Greg Wilkinson weren’t enough to prevent Stalybridge Celtic succumbing to a 5-2 defeat at Bootle in the NPL West. 

“If you give any team at any level a two-goal head start, you’re always chasing the game,” Tongue told the club’s YouTube channel. “It’s moments in games that matter.” 

“I think the mindset from the warm-up was completely different to last week. Today in the first half we were nowhere near at it. We scored a very good goal, and again, it’s just those moments, that desire to get there first. 

“For the first 15 or 20 minutes of the second half they couldn’t get near us, and I don’t think we’ll score two better goals all season. The scoreline probably doesn’t reflect the second half, but it certainly reflects how we played in the first half.” 

Mossley were also on their travels, picking up a hard-fought 1-1 draw at Chasetown to make it three league games without defeat. 

Mason Fawns scored in those previous two wins against Trafford and Witton Albiom, and celebrated his 100th appearance for the Lilywhites with a goal from the spot just before the break. 

“A point’s probably a fair result,” said Mossley assistant manager, Alex Craddock. “The first 20, they definitely had their fair share of the play, and Fin’s [Madigan] made a couple of really good saves. 

“We were unlucky to be one-goal down, but it was a good reaction. We were good value for it in the second half, there were no grey areas, and we went out there with a strong game plan.” 

New Mills are our sole representatives left in the FA Vase after beating Yorkshire Amateur 2-0 on the road. 

They go into Monday’s 2nd Round draw thanks to a brace from Ashley Woods. 

It was heartbreak for in-form Glossop North End, though, who despite leading after 90 minutes, slipped to a 2-1 defeat at home to Sandbach United. 

On the plus side, Elijah Fisher scored his fourth goal in five games for the Hillmen, while Lewis Reilly – who scored 10 goals in his curtailed loan spell earlier in the season – has made the switch from Bootle permanent. 

In the National League North, despite Isaac Sinclair putting Curzon Ashton in front with a 25-yard effort into the top corner after 7 minutes at the Tameside Stadium, goals either side of half-time gave Hereford a 2-1 win. 

The result pushes the Nash down to fifth place, with Hereford moving up into second. 

“It’s something for us to learn from,” said player-manager, Craig Mahon. 

“I thought we started off really well, obviously with Isaac Sinclair’s fantastic goal to get us going, but to concede at the time we did – if we go in at half-time one-nil up, then it’s a completely different game. 

“They’ve come out second half still buzzing from scoring, and we’ve not really got going.  

“The two goals we’ve conceded, for our standards, aren’t good enough. We expect to deal with that better, but we’re never going to go the whole season unbeaten. We’ve just got to lick our wounds now, prepare for Tuesday, and try to get another run going.” 

Midweek fixtures (all Tuesday, 7:45pm kick-off): 

Ilkeston Town v Hyde United (NPL Premier) 
Mossley v Wythenshawe (NPL West) 
Scarborough Athletic v Curzon Ashton (National League North) 
Stalybridge Celtic v Clitheroe (NPL West)