A goal in each half was enough to see Ashton through to the first round proper of this season’s Manchester Premier Cup despite a spirited fightback from the visitors.
The Robins, record winners of the competition last triumphed in 2024 and made Tom Denton captain on the evening, and within five minutes he had missed a great chance to put the hosts ahead, heading a fine swinging cross from Alex Byrne wide of the near post.
On eight minutes Luca Navarro’s snapshot was palmed away by Morgan Bacon but after the keeper had kicked away Navarro’s next effort an attempted clearance hit Darius Osei and saw the ball rebound into the goal to put the home side ahead.
Osei then forced two quick blocks out of Bacon before Will Tomlinson fired narrowly wide after Osei had moved on Navarro’s left wing pass.
Both sides made a substitution entering the second half and a good run by Chadderton replacement Dallas Omoryyi was only stopped by the intervention of Byrne before Connor Berry’s shot from outside the area forced Eastham into a full length save with Danny McLaughlin knocking home the rebound.
Byrne’s overlap then saw Osei place his header past the near post and sub Mikey O’Neill got hold of a shot from outside the area but fired it straight at Bacon.
With the tie up for grabs Robert Flynn’s cross was sliced narrowly wide of his own post by Charlie Hayes-Green with a goalkick wrongly awarded but with 13 minutes left Kaia Dean conceded a corner as Osei tried to turn past him and after a second corner had been recycled Bacon’s punch out only reached Navarro who volleyed home the winner.
There was still time for Byrne’s next cross to be helped against the post by sub Deco Fatih before Charlie Cowm let fly from just outside the box past the right hand post leaving Ashton to progress to a home tie v Trafford in the first round.
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