FA Cup replay - Ashington 1, Pickering Town 2; Pickering Town progress into the FA Cup's first qualifying round where they will meet Farsley Celtic from the Unibond Premier Division on Saturday, September 10, and they return from the North East with £1,000 prize money.

The Pikes took a first minute lead when Steve Roberts laid the ball to Danny Gray, who beat his man and lobbed the Ashington keeper, Andy Clark, with a 30-yard right foot shot.

The Pikes had the best of the next 15 minutes, with Gray going close twice, along with Dean MacAuley and Steve Baxter.

Ashington came into the game midway through the half, missing a wonderful chance following a good build up by Ian Herron, Alex Lawson and Jason Ritchie, whose left wing cross found an unmarked Ross Atkinson, who headed over the crossbar from six yards with nobody near him.

Towards half time, Jon Sunderland, Darren Timmons and Wayne Rigg all wasted good chances. Then minutes before the break, Lawson beat Pickering's Matt Higginbottom and shot wide from eight yards for the Pikes to retain their slender lead.

The Pikes started the second half almost the same as the first. This time, Gray put Baxter clean through but he shot wide from 18 yards.

Ashington equalised on 59 minutes when a corner from the right wing, taken by Ritchie, found an unmarked Rigg, who crossed with a far post header to give him his third goal of the two games.

The Pikes then got on top with Roberts, McNaughton, Adams and Higginbottom all having good chances saved or blocked.

The turning point of the game came into the 67th minute. Roberts crossed from the left wing where Lee Anderson handled the ball in his penalty area on Blyth referee Keith Wilkinson's blind side, but assistant referee Richard Clark (Morpeth) signalled a penalty kick.

It was taken by Pickering captain MacAuley and he scored, the ball going under the keeper's body but failed to stop it from going over the goal line.

Liam Salt went close twice and in stoppage time, Gray and Roberts had good efforts well saved by Ashington's keeper, Clark. Overall, it was a terrific cup tie.

Man of the Match was Matthew Morton, in front of a crowd of 281.

Pickering's future had been uncertain after they drew 2-2 with Ashington on Friday evening.

Ashington created a good chance within a minute of the kick off when Alex Lawson broke clear on the left wing. He cut in and shot with his left foot from 25 yards, but the Pikes keeper Carl Silburn saved well.

The Pikes then settled down well and had a good 20-minute spell. After four minutes, a left wing cross by Steve Roberts found Rob Eeles, whose header was saved by the Ashington keeper Andrew Clark. A minute later, a free kick taken by Matthew Morton found an unmarked Roberts, who flicked the ball to Steve Baxter but Clark saved.

After 13 minutes, a free kick taken by Lee Pallender found Dean MacAuley, whose superb through ball split the visitors' defence wide open for Baxter to run on and shoot, but Clark saved superbly, tipping the ball round his post for a corner. MacAuley tried his luck with a 30-yard right foot free kick but his effort went just wide of the goal.

Ashington then had a good 15-minute spell, with Silburn being tested a number of times. The Pikes came back strong for the last eight minutes of the half.

The Pikes took the lead after 41 minutes with a hotly-disputed goal. The Pikes were awarded a throw-in by referee D Street when most people thought the throw should have gone to Ashington. As soon as the ball was in play, the referee stopped the game to caution Ashington full back Lee Anderson for dissent. Steve Roberts then took the indirect free kick with his sweet right foot for Eeles to run in, beat his marker and score the Pikes' opening goal with a powerful bullet header.

A minute before half time Ashington's manager Ray Gowan was warned about comments he made to the referee and was dismissed from the field for the remainder of the game.

The second half saw a more determined Ashington desperate to get back into the game.

The game changed in the 58th minute when Ashington brought on two substitutes, Jon Sunderland and Wayne Rigg. This lively young man certainly came on the pitch with a plan as he equalised with his first touch within two minutes of coming on, and scored a second to put Ashington ahead after 63 minutes. Both his efforts were low shots into the bottom corner as the Pikes' defence allowed him far too much room and time.

The Pikes' equaliser was scored by Liam Salt after 83 minutes. He had only been on the pitch for four minutes when he received the ball wide on the left wing, cut in, beat two men and scored with an unstoppable 12-yard right foot shot.

In stoppage time, Morton went close for the Pikes, and Atkinson shot wide from 14 yards for Ashington but overall a draw was a fair result on the day.

The crowd for the game was 228 and Man of the Match was Dean MacAuley.

The Reserves lost 3-1 away at McKinley Park on Saturday after taking a 17th minute lead when Richard Crichton opened the goalscoring. The home side equalised within a couple of minutes and scored twice in the second half. Gary Bowes was Man of the Match for the Pikes Reserves, who had Alex Mathie playing.

Last Wednesday, the reserves were at home and drew 3-3 to Bedale with Liam Salt scoring all three goals. The Pikes were never in front but at least they got their first League point.

The reserves are at home tonight (Wednesday) to New Marske SC, kick off 7.30pm and have no game on Saturday.

The first team are away on Saturday at Harrogate Railway, kick off 1pm because of the Wales v England World Cup game on television. To get to the Railway ground head for Starbeck between Harrogate and Knaresborough, from Knaresborough turn right up Station View after the level crossing for approx 400 yards.

The Pikes fixtures for September are as follows: September 3, Harrogate Railway, away; 7, Maltby Main, away; 10 Farsley Celtic, home - FA Cup; 17 Sutton Town, home; 24 Shirebrook Town, away; 27, Thackley, home.

Reserves: September 3, no game; 10, Yorkshire Coble, away; 17, Spraire FC, away; 24, Billingham Wanderers - Macmillan Bowl, home, kick off 1.30pm.

The Pikes' team on Tuesday night was as follows: Silburn, Pallender, Brunton, Eeles, McNaughton, Morton, Higginbottom, MacAuley, Gray, Baxter, Roberts. The substitutes were: Adams, Mathie, Johnson, Ryan, Salt.

Updated: 16:18 Wednesday, August 31, 2005