O'S HIT BY LATE, LATE WINNER

It was cruel on an Oldland side who had deservedly equalised themselves in stoppage time when Tommy Hutton latched on to a bouncing ball on the edge of the box and thumped home. But Smart’s late intervention extends the O’s sequence of games without a win to six.

O’s should have been out of sight by half time with the Ashton keeper matching anything that Ben Harris, Jordan Hawkins, Tom Morgan and Miles Allen threw at him. The home side started brightly and pushed for an early breakthrough but the visitors stood firm in a first half where Ryan Perry was the quieter of the two stoppers.

Perry tipped two efforts over his crossbar either side of half time and both Hutton and Ali Bamford headed over from corners. But with fourteen minutes to go, Ashton went ahead against the run of play when striker Lee Delaney lashed home a loose ball in the box.

But after Hutton’s late leveller, O’s delight turned to despair as Smart latched on to a weak clearance and finished well.

Team: Perry, Sarre, Bamford, Day, Douglas, Hutton, Allen, Leigh, Morgan, Harris, Hawkins.

Sub: Davies (not used)