Dolly Blues produce five-star performance to advance in LFA Challenge Trophy

Lancaster City booked their place in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy quarter final with a glut of goals against Ashton Athletic.

Aaron Bennett, making his first start since January played an integral role in the opening minutes. It was his set pieces who was causing bother in the first 5 minutes and then on 6 minutes, his neat play with Dylan Moonan made space for a pass to Matty Clarke and his through ball to Dom Lawson was perfectly weighted for the striker to turn his defender and slot it past Ewan Dodgson.

The visitors responded straight away. Will Adams taking advantage of a loose pass at the back saw his effort from 20 yards saved by debutant Will Owen.

Lawson forced another save from Dodgson and Jim Craig fired over before Emanual Ujahchuku broke through the City back line and just before he was one on one with Owen, Toby Oliver with the last-ditch tackle, timed to perfection.

It was 2-0 shortly after, Adam Fairclough picking up a knock down header from Dylan Moonan on the halfway line and the Morecambe loanee embarked on a mazy run to the edge of box to lay off Dom Lawson for his and Lancaster’s second of the evening.

Jimmy Marshall’s side started the second half in earnest, Lewis Mansell picking up the ball on the halfway line, Matty Clarke’s ball forward was headed away only to Aaron Bennett and his pass to Jim Craig gave him the opportunity to Cross and after starting the move, Mansell finished the move with a low glancing header on 46 minutes for his first goal since August.

Ashton Athletic rallied for another good spell of football, top goal scorer Adam Nicholson with a lopping effort which just didn’t dip in time and then on 64 minutes, John Sodhi with a free kick to sting the palms of Owen, Nicholson on the rebound and his snap shot was expertly saved by Owen.

The visitors could not convert this pressure to a goal and as the game carried on the Dolly Blues were on the lookout for more, with Fairclough delivering two goals in two minutes. The first from a cross from Lewis Mansell, taking a deflection of a defender for a low finish from 10 yards out. His second followed shortly after.

Following on from almost scoring a free kick away at Cleethorpes, Fairclough found the net with this one. It did take a deflection on its way, but it rounded off the scoring on a good night for the Dolly Blues.