GNP Sports 1-2 Ashby Ivanhoe FC

Ivanhoe started brightly and put GNP under pressure from the first whistle. Conditions were tough for both sides but Ashby dealt well with the heavy pitch.

On 10 minutes, Tom Rowell played a great ball from the back which cut their defence open to play in Sam Grouse but the host's keeper came out well to clear.

Five minutes later, Jack Robinson was bundled over on the right. The resulting Benn Minshull free-kick was superbly stuck and flew towards the top cornerm but the keeper made an outstanding save to deny Ashby the lead.

The Ashby corner was cleared to an Ivanhoe player and the ball was whipped back into the box for Macauley Holmes, who had stayed up top from the corner, to get onto the end of it and smash home to give Ashby the lead.

GNP were not offering anything going forward and Ashby nearly made it two as Minshull played a ball over the top.

The keeper and centre half got in each other's way to leave Sam Grouse through on goal, but the other GNP centre half came out of nowhere to make an outstanding last ditch tackle to stop it going 2-0.

The hosts came closest when Ashby's Tom Rowell made a defensive header from a corner that nearly ended up in the Ivanhoe net.

But Ashby made it two after Jack Robinson was hacked down for a free kick. Minshull stepped up and delivered a pinpoint ball into the box for Jake Conkay to head past the keeper into the net.

HT GNP Sport 0-2 AIFC

In the 67th minute, GNP took advantage of being on top since the restart and got one back.

GNP looked a different side and were creating plenty of chances and causing Ashby trouble - but they could not get an equaliser.

Ashby had a brilliant chance ffor a third in the 83rd minute when Grouse broke down the right, but he shot wide of the target.

In the dying minutes there was another chance for Ashby to get a third, and it was almost a carbon copy of the previous chance but Grouse squared to Angus Blair-Park who could not poke it home.

Ashby were superb in the first half and the hosts could not get close.

But the 2nd half was much tougher, and GNP got one back.

Ivanhoe had chances to put the game to bed but could not add to their score.

They defended well as a unit and held on to take another fantastic three points on the road.

Ivanhoe are next in action on Tuesday night at the NFU Sports ground as they host Shepshed Ingles in the County Cup Quarter Final.