112 days after Spartans relegation from the Vanarama National League North was sealed in a crushing 5-1 defeat, our return to the Northern Premier League Premier Division see’s us take on old foe’s Ashton United, away at Hurst Cross.
Since we last met during the 2018/19 season, which saw Ashton United drop straight back down to the NPL, The Robins have struggled at the wrong end of the table in recent years – however the 2023/24 season saw them bounce back to some degree under former Curzon Ashton and Buxton manager Steve Cunningham, as they finished the season in 7th place.
They even managed to make it to the 4th qualifying round of the FA Cup, losing 0-2 away National League side Kidderminster Harriers. They did cap the season off with a trophy though, winning the Frank Hannah Manchester Premier Cup.
This summer Ashton have strengthened their side a fair bit. One of the biggest coups of the summer will likely be that of Darius Osei, who leaves Stalybridge Celtic to sign for the Robins. A former South Shields striker, Darius is a well established striker at this level of football, having netted 30 goals in 90 games during his time in South Tyneside. Last year he only managed to bag 5 in 19 games for Stalybridge, so the pacey forward will likely to want to improve on that tally this season.
Another big summer signing is Tom Denton. Now 35-years old, Tom is still capable of scoring goals and blitzing through centre back’s at this level. A proper Target Man who’s earned himself a fearsome reputation at this level after playing nearly 300 games in non-league football, Tom will give even the strongest of centre back’s a battle.
Midfielder Jak McCourt is another big pick up for Ashton, having left Buxton after they went full time and ditched most of their squad. A very capable central midfielder who’s a tough tackler and solid playmaker, Jak should make a huge impact on Ashton’s midfield this season.
Goalkeeper Conor O’Keefe was another signing that was lauded this summer. The 28-year old Irishman joins following a season at Macclesfield, having had a career in Scandinavian football and Gibraltar. A confident keeper with top notch reflex’s, O’Keefe will likely be one of the best keepers in the NPL this season.
Experienced forward Jason Gilchrist has netted over 100 goals in just 250 games in a career that has been a bit stop start, but the the former South Shields forward comes into the game fresh off a season in which he bagged around 20 goals. Now a bit wiser and surrounded by even more talent, Gilchrist may even break the 30 goal barrier this season with the right support. Another former Mariner who’s now a Robin is Nathan Lowe. The midfielder is another experienced playmaker, who be able to pick passes and really challenge our defence.
It’s safe to say that manager Steve Cunningham has assembled a squad capable of pushing for promotion back to the National League North this season.
During the pre-season campaign, they were defeated 4-1 by Buxton before beating Darwen FC 3-0. A 2-2 draw local side Padiham followed, then The Robins traveled to National League North side Marine, beating them 2-1.
They took on Warrington Town next, losing 1-0. Ashton then bounced back, beating National League side Halifax 2-0. They’d cap off their pre-season campaign against Chorley, losing 2-0.
Going into his first proper game as Spartans manager, Nobby Solano will have some tough calls to make. Now flanked by former Premier League goalkeeper David Stockdale as his assistant, the pair only seem to have a few injury worries to think about ahead of the Spartans return to the Pitching In Northern Premier League Premier Division.
Harrison Bond seems to be favoured over Michael Hogan at present, and will likely start in the opening day. Though the gap between isn’t much at present. If Bond doesn’t impress across the first few weeks and months of the season, we may see Hogan given a chance once again.
In defence, Joe Oliver is undoubtedly the clubs right back. And rightly so. The rest of the defence however, seems to be a bit all over the place, as Nobby seems keen to insert Ryan Donaldson in at centre back. He also slotted Connor Pani in last weekend at Hebburn, who’s also never really played there before.
Both Ben Milburn and Harrison Clark are established centre back’s and while they are both young, it’ll be interesting to see if they get the nod to play together. Joseph Abrahart seems to be getting the nod at left back, though Pani is capable of playing there as well.
As for the midfield, this is where things get really tricky. Nicky Deverdics hasn’t played all that much in recent weeks, as he’s been trying to help out on the bench – though he has trained regularly. Michael Woods should in theory be a starter, though he did go off with an injury during the Consett game, so he may not be fit. Lucas Reed will be a question mark for the first few games of the season, as he picked up a knock earlier in pre-season.
Isiah Cornet has been training with the side for weeks now, playing in the last few pre-season games. If he is picked up prior to the start of the season, he could provide the midfield with some much needed legs. He is predominately a playmaker though, and will no doubt want to get forward as often as possible.
Further up the pitch is where things get a bit more complex. Charlie Aitken and Billy Gordon have played all over the place this summer, so it’s difficult to identify what Nobby has in mind for them both. Though in reality, Charlie has always looked better on the left flank, whereas Billy probably operates better in a central role, playing off a striker.
Hartlepool youngster Max Storey is an exciting and raw talent, though his experience in senior football is very limited. From you can see online, he seems to best off being used on the left flank in a front 3, being allowed to cut in and cause havoc. Former West Allotment Celtic and Whitley Bay winger Marcello Benedetti has played on both wings during the summer, and will likely be in contention for a start. It’ll be interesting to see how he fares against much tougher opposition than he’s used to.
As to what we’ll do at the top end of the pitch, that’s a total mystery. While Dan Savage and Joao Gomes are exciting young players, if you ask anyone about them, they’ll struggle to narrow down a specific position they’re best at. That seems to be a common theme throughout the team in fairness.
Looking at Gomes’ previous games for South Shields, a role on the wing or as the number 10. As for Savage, he should probably be the main man upfront. While he isn’t a target man and may get bullied at times by some of the big fuckers in this league, he has the pace to effortlessly flash past them if he’s given space.
Adding to the selection headache could be Mitch Curry, who’s been linked with the club recently. A former Middlesbrough/Sunderland youngster who spent time in the USA before joining Darlington last summer, Mitch is another one who plays ‘either in the wing or upfront’.
Realistically, he’s better utilised on the right flank, where he can put his superior dribbling to good use. After failing to agree terms with Darlington and Morpeth (allegedly) this summer, Mitch would only be here for a few months, before he heads back off to the States. That being said, he would be a decent signing if it materialises.
Predicting a starting XI is nearly impossible, given that Nobby seems to keen to move players around, a lot of the younger players don’t have defined positions yet and we’re still working on bringing players in. As for who I’d like to see starting, if Curry and Pani are brought in prior to Saturday’s game, our best chance would be with the below.
This allows us to get the best out of Curry, Gomes and Storey, while also giving Savage plenty of support up front. Woods and Dev’s are both good at picking out passes, and they’ll both be able to sit a little deeper and offer the defence some protection.
While Pani may have only really played as a LWB in a back 5, slotting into the LB role in a back 4 won’t exactly be difficult for him, surely?
The make up of the squad is certainly intriguing. We have a squad mostly made of youngsters (some of whom do have some real potential though) and a few players who will likely be winding down their career in next few years. The only players aged between 22 and 32 currently in the team are from a lower level, and they’ll have a lot of adjusting to do at this level. Mitch Curry is the only player in the team within that age gap who’s actually had any experience at this level or above.
With that in mind, it feels like we haven’t gone into this season with a clear and concise plan when it comes to building a squad. It seems more like we’ve just picked bits up here and there when presented with them and thrown them into a squad.
That being said though, some of those pick ups could end up being solid signings in the future, if they’re given the time to develop at this level.
Ultimately though, this season is going to be a slog at times at this rate. The first weeks and months in particular will be tough, as the squad gels together and the younger and more inexperienced players find their feet at this level.
If we get off to a bad start, the temptation to take frustrations out on the players will be there, and you can understand why – as it’s been a long time since we’ve been remotely successful. However, jumping on the backs of the young and inexperienced players wouldn’t be the best way to go about expressing frustration right now.
Ultimately, this squad is good enough to avoid the drop and cause some surprises. It even has the potential to stay clear of that mess and finish in a relatively safe spot above the drop zone. That will only happen though if the senior players step and perform, and the younger prospects in the team live up to their potential. For that to happen though, they need time and patience.
If you’re on the supporters bus, a reminder that we’ll be leaving sharpish from The Wallaw at 9am, with a High Pit pick up following at 9:10am and then Seaton Delaval for 9:15am.
We’ve got a scheduled stop at Hartshead Moor, but we should make it to Ashton for 12:15pm. If you’re interesting getting booked on the bus, you can find payment information and more here.
Don’t forget to bring some change for blind cards as well!
The Social Club at Ashton (also know as the The Cross Bar) has had a bit of face lift since our last arrival. A new modern décor with Sky, TNT and all that jazz. The club will have some beer offers on for us, and the Ashton United Supporters Club will putting on some free chip butty’s for us.
The clubhouse is open from 12pm, and We’ll also be having a game of darts against some of the locals, which promises to get competitive with Captain Calvo leading the team out.
If you do fancy testing some other local pubs though, you’ll find the Royal Oak just around the corner, and the Hare and Hounds was a good spot for a pint last time out. The place is laced with Pizza places and Chippy’s as well, so you certainly won’t starve.
If you’re on the train, the ground is about a 25 min walk from the station. So may want to try an sort an uber, to conserve time and energy for a beer. For those driving down themselves, getting parked won’t be fun. You’ll likely have to end up down on of the residential streets, or at the ASDA down the road.
Obviously no segregation will be needed for this one. Match tickets can be purchased online here, or you can use cash or card on the gate.
Adult – £12.00
Senior (Over 65) – £8.00
Student (16-21+) – £8.00
Concession (12-15 Years) – £8.00
Child (Under 12) – £1.00
Sadly we won’t really be able to bring you a Ref Watch or Betting Preview this season, as down in the glue leagues, information travels slow. Information about refereeing appoints online is lacking, and most bookies don’t bother putting any odds out until late on a Saturday morning.
Anyway, safe travels to all those that are making the journey down on Saturday. and let’s hope for the best…
#HowayBlyth