Magpies sparked into life by Ashe (06.04.04)

A SUPERB strike from Ryan Ashe coupled with an excellent team performance led to an unexpected but well deserved point for the Magpies on Tuesday night.
Faced with something of a selection crisis due to unavailability and injury, and full-time opposition with an unbeaten home record, manager John Dreyer opted for an enterprising formation.
United lined up with three defenders, a conventional four man midfield including debutant Sam Scully and a second debut for the returning Rob Saunders.
Striker Lawrence Yaku played just behind the two on-loan target men Richard Harris and Rob Howarth.
Sticking stridently to their manager’s instructions, the Magpies took an early lead on eight minutes.
A Scully corner from the right was beaten out by Grays only as far as Ashe who unleashed a shot from 20 yards which easily beat the unsighted Mel Capleton in goal.
Realising they had a game on their hands Grays began to press forward, calling Phil Wilson into serious action on three occasions.
Either side of the half time interval three substitutions changed the game.
Firstly Haworth was forced to go off after suffering a blow to the head, to be replaced by Ben Hammond, changing the emphasis from long balls down the middle to target men, to ones down the flanks for the pace of the two smaller strikers.
Then Grays brought on two strikers, Ellis Remy and Wes Daly who brought more purpose and conviction to their frontline. This produced a result on 57 minutes when a free-kick on the right was headed down by Eddie Youds for star striker Freddie Eastwood to lash into the back of the net.
However this equaliser did not produce the expected Grays onslaught, instead it was United who dominated the last half hour of the match with Hammond regularly roasting former Everton, Ipswich and Charlton defender Youds on the right wing. Hammond then almost conjured up a winner for the Magpies.
Firstly his cross on 81 minutes found an unmarked Yaku at the far post, whose header was only stopped by a Gordon Banks style save from ex-Southend and Orient keeper Capleton.
Then with three minutes remaining a Hammond shot was palmed away by Capleton, unfortunately there was no Magpies player following up to hit the winner and ruin the hosts proud unbeaten record.
United continued to go for goal deep into injury-time and finished much the stronger team.