A cruel scoreline told only half the story at Brocstedes Park on a night when Ashton Athletic once again found themselves on the wrong side of fine margins. Fulwood Amateurs walked away with a 3–0 win, but for long spells this was an even, hard-fought contest that never truly reflected the final score.

The first half was a competitive, end-to-end affair with neither side able to stamp full authority on the game. Ashton battled well, moved the ball confidently in spells and held their shape, but clear chances were hard to come by. Just as it looked like both teams would head in level, Fulwood found a breakthrough on 43 minutes when Sam Braithwaite rose highest to glance a header into the far corner.

The Yellows came back out with purpose, pushing for a way back into the game. Their work rate and desire couldn’t be faulted — and at 1–0, the match always felt on a knife-edge. But as Ashton committed more bodies forward in search of an equaliser, Fulwood struck twice in stoppage time, punishing the gaps left behind with goals in the 91st and 96th minutes to settle the contest harshly.

To compound the frustration, both Joe White and Sam Gill were shown red cards late on, meaning they will be unavailable for upcoming fixtures — a blow for a squad already fighting to find momentum.

Despite the loss, there were positives to cling to. Sam Oko was outstanding, fully deserving his Player of the Match award for his composure, athleticism and leadership. And for long periods Ashton looked every bit the equal of their opponents, competing hard and refusing to fold.
The table may not make for pleasant reading, but performances like this suggest the gap isn’t nearly as big as results imply. With commitment like last night’s — and a touch more ruthlessness in the final third — the Yellows still have every chance of turning the tide and climbing away from danger.

The effort is there. The margins are small. And the season is far from over.
Come On You Yellows.

Starting XI
1 Ewan Dodgson
2 Jake Greene
3 Aleksander Calaku
4 Joe White
5 Joseph Barlow
6 Samuel Oko
7 Zach Conway
8 Luke Crompton
9 Emmanuel Ujahchuku
10 Samuel Gill
11 Joshua Nicholson

Substitutes: Declan Wildman, Calum Wilson, William Adams, Deklan Hill, Jonathan Sodhi
Attendance 73

All Photographs and Media by Nic Cain

Next Six Matches:
Date Opponent K.O.
06/12/25 Darwen FC (H) 15:00
13/12/25 MSB Woolton (A) 15:00
20/12/25 AFC Blackpool (H) 15:00
26/12/25 Ashton Town (A) 15:00
03/01/26 Holker Old Boys (H) 15:00
10/01/26 Bacup Borough (A) 15:00