ASHTON UNITED 0, CREWE ALEXANDRA 5
Manager Steve Cunningham was left with much to ponder after Ashton United’s heavy home defeat to Crewe Alexandra.
The Robins’ second pre-season friendly saw them comfortably beaten by their League Two opponents in an early kick off at a scorching hot Hurst Cross.
It took the visitors only two minutes to move ahead as Remi Effunuga gave the ball away allowing Calum Agius a comfortable opener.
The Railwaymen could have moved ahead even earlier as Conor Thomas’s chest down to Agius saw a good save required from Connor Eastham.
Five minutes in and Agius’ near post cross was met by Mickey Demetriou whose flick held by the keeper and then a cross found Callum Saunders whose attempt was cleared amidst one-way traffic.
Just past the 20-minute mark, the second Crewe goal arrived as Louis White was beaten by his opposite number Lewis Billington allowing him to tee up Owen Lunt for a cross converted close in by Agius.
Ten minutes from the break, Josh Doherty intercepted a cross-field pass before firing narrowly over.
Crewe’s Charlie Finney was then denied at the near post after the influential Agius tricked his way into the area.
The second period had hardly started as Agius tried an audacious attempt from distance after Doherty gave the ball away.
Good work from Darius Osei saw his pullback from the by-line fired into the keeper’s arms by triallist Luca Navarro.
Agius then worked a cross from the left which saw Lunt’s shot glance over off the crossbar.
Callum Rowe won the ball outside the area and tested Crewe keeper Tom Booth with a fierce effort.
Just past the midway point of the half, Fin Roberts’ cross was touched home at the far post by an unmarked triallist.
Luca Moore’s left-wing cross should have seen Oliver Armstrong do better than side foot straight at Eastham.
WIth six minutes remaining, a left-wing cross from Roberts found the trialist firing home his second from the edge of the area before the same player returned the compliment and set up a tap in for Roberts to complete the scoring.
Ashton United: C Eastham (Smith 81), White (Tahra 67), Doherty, Newton (Hargreaves 76), Effunuga, Tomlinson (Triallist B 67), Byrne, Rowe, Gilchrist (Connolly 67), Osei, Navarro (Horne 55).
Attendance: 279.
Report: David Robinson.