Despite showing several signs of improvement in the second half, the damage had already been done during a poor first half for the Scholars which the hosts dominated.

Chasetown newcomer Charlie Raglan blocked an Ian Bennett effort following a corner in the fourth minute as Ashton made a bright start, Scholars keeper Ryan Price called into action five minutes later to save a low shot from Aaron Burns.

The hosts were certainly on top of things and took the lead on 19 minutes when an attack down the left saw a loose ball fall to skipper George Melling and he tapped across Price’s goalmouth to find the far corner of the net.

Price cleared just before Matty Kosylo could shoot on 24 minutes before the defence headed Mark Peers’ free kick clear, but three minutes later Ashton would double their lead with Peers the man on target from the edge of the area after the Scholars defence had failed to clear.

Things went from bad to worse for the Scholars and with the last attack before half time the hosts made it three, Ian Bennett the scorer with a fine solo effort through the centre before firing home a well-placed shot, and the night was turning into a disaster for the visitors.

A mistake by home keeper Terry Smith three minutes after the break presented Dean Perrow with an opportunity but the defence beat him to the loose ball, and shortly afterwards the Scholars defence conceded a foul in the area and Burns smashed the resulting penalty in off the crossbar to make it four for the Robins.

Chasetown cleared off the line following a corner on the hour mark before substitute Lee Wright found their first major chance of the game when he cut past two defenders on the left but fired his shot wide of the near post. Thereafter the Scholars seemed to dig deeper and try to produce a fightback with Smith called into action several times in the Robins goal, Wright continuing to look impressive as did debutant Raglan in defence.

A Courtney Pitt free kick then flew straight into Smith’s arms before the hosts again went close to making it five, a cross from the left finding Peers but Jimmy Turner cleared his right-footed volley off the line.

Striker Gary Birch then departed injured, joining Richard Teesdale and Danny Quinn on the sidelines, and with all three substitutes used Chasetown were left to play the closing minutes with ten men, but it was academic in terms of the result with Ashton having long since sealed victory.

Chasetown: Price, Farmer, M Branch, Raglan, Turner, Teesdale (Quinn, HT (Wright, 58 mins)), Hands, Bridgwater (Downes, 76 mins), Birch, Perrow, Pitt

Other Subs: Cresswell, Lycett (not used)