UniBond League

When Matty O’Neill scored twice on his Ashton United debut in a 7-2 romp against Frickley Athletic in September 2007 you would have got long odds that his next league goal for the club wouldn’t come until the second month of 2010.

Yet it was not until 78 minutes into his 74th game in the UniBond Premier Division since joining Ashton from Radcliffe Borough that O’ Neill managed that elusive league strike with the equaliser at Worksop Town this weekend (06.02.10) - a mere 2 years 4 months and 15 days after his goalscoring debut

It’s not that the former Burnley man is a stranger to scoring either, having already netted in Ashton’s FA Cup and FA Trophy campaigns this season – it was just that league goal which was proving particularly elusive.

O’Neill is a firm favourite with the Hurst Cross faithful and, in a poll on the club’s website at the end of 2009, was voted by the fans into a best XI from the Ashton players of the last decade. He remains a willing provider for his Ashton team mates, operating on the right side of midfield - mainly providing the ammunition for his colleagues rather than scoring himself. He also possesses a useful weapon in the shape of a decent long throw to complement his pacy runs and silky footwork.