Ashville followed up Saturday’s battling win at Shawbury United with a narrow defeat at home to high flying Stafford Town on bank holiday Monday.

Villa started the game well, providing the first chance when Joel Kelly drew a save from Jenkins inside 10 minutes with a low drive from the edge of the area.

Stafford soon grew into the game though and had Ashville under heavy pressure resulting in a number of corners for the away side but they couldn’t capitalise.

After penalty heroics on Saturday it was Ashville’s turn to face a shot from 12 yards after Josh Maldon was unlucky to catch Matthew Hearsey inside the area. The home side received a reprieve as they saw the penalty cannon back off the post on 24 minutes.

A minute after the penalty and the visitors were ahead. Patryk Mazurkiewicz glancing a header in from close range to give Stafford what was a deserved lead.

Ashville remained under pressure, relying on counter attacks to get out of their own half but good defending from the visitors ensured Villa didn’t get much of a break from defending themselves. 

Three minutes before the half time interval and Ashville should have been level. Their best counter attack of the game thus far saw yet more brilliant link up play between Madden and Moynes with the latter finding Tom Hewlett with space at the back post but the summer recruit couldn’t direct his half volley on target and the entire Ray Parker Stadium collectively groaned in agony as the effort went oh so narrowly past the post.

Villa did start the second half much better but found themselves further behind just after the hour mark when Jamie Fox glanced a header into the far corner following a cross from the right hand side. It was a sucker punch for an Ashville side that were much improved from the first half but the home side determinedly upped the tempo to try and salvage the game.

And they got a lifeline when Joe Dulson tapped home from close range on 76 minutes. Junior Siyakhowla Fani drove forward at the Stafford defence before firing a low cross into the corridor of uncertainty where Dulson met the ball to convert from 5 yards out and bring Villa back into the game.

The goal sparked a new lease of life into the home side when went onto to dominate the remainder of the game. Lewis Moynes, skipper for the evening, nearly equalising with a curling effort which went just wide with just over 10 minutes to go. 

Ashville kept Stafford pinned into their own defensive third but couldn’t find that elusive golden chance to level the scores. Sam McNeill was the next player to come close with a minute left of regulation time when his half volley from the edge of the area was saved by Jenkins. 

Not even a minute later and Tom Hewlett attempted to make up for his earlier miss by trying to cheekily chip Jenkins from a tight angle. Whether it was a genuine attempt on goal or an mis-hit cross is something only Hewlett will know but it almost came off.

Despite a valiant performance, especially in the final 15 minutes, Ashville narrowly tasted defeat against a Stafford side who moved to joint 1st in the NWCFL First Division South following favourable results elsewhere. The defeat leaves Ashville in 5th place, still inside the playoff places and with a visit to struggling Stockport Georgians to look forward to this weekend as the Villa look to bounce back and get back in the mix to solidly themselves as title contenders.