They came away with a win, but what was more pleasing was a good team performance as they were expecting a tough game with JCB going into the match on the back of an 8-0 victory.
The game started slowly with both teams struggling to keep the ball for long periods and both keepers were mainly spectators for the opening 20 minutes.
The home side had a couple of half chances which were fired straight at Will Fearn in the Ashbourne goal.
Ashbourne themselves were starting to get a foothold in the game and looked threatening going forward, with Frith making a nuisance of himself up front and Coates in midfield was having a good game, breaking up play and helping Ashbourne start attacks of their own.
JCB nearly took the lead after half an hour when a freekick into the box was headed onto the crossbar, but this was the closest they got to scoring throughout the game.
The deadlock was finally broken two minutes before the break when good work down the right by Dave Barrrie saw him get to the by-line, and his ball across the six-yard box was not dealt with well by the goalkeeper and Barrie Swan was on hand to smash home from four yards to give Ashbourne the lead.
The second half was similar to the first, with both teams having good possession of the ball but failing to create clear cut chances and call on the goalkeepers to make a save.
Etherington and Godfrey were working hard on the wings and the back four of Swan, Bloor, Barrie and Donnelly all having good games and clearing any danger with ease.
JCB were still in the game at 1-0 and Ashbourne were finding it hard to put the game beyond their reach.
They made changes, with Williams replacing Frith and Sellers coming on for Mann, who had a good game on his debut for the club.
The home side were still having the majority of possession but Fearn was still a spectator in goal and as they pushed up it left them short at the back and Ashbourne capitalized on this with two lovely breakaway goals to finish the game.
Firstly, good play by Alex Taylor found Steve Williams one-on-one with the keeper and he took it round him and calmy slotted the ball into an empty net from a tight angle.
Then, two minutes later, Taylor himself produced a nice finish, chipping the ball over the on rushing keeper to make the game safe.
This was a good win and important in getting the season off and running and is something to built on.
ON SATURDAY, Cheadle Town completely overwhelmed Ashbourne in a 5-2 defeat at the Leisure Centre Ground.
Ashbourne actually opened the scoring through Gavin Wood, but were then overrun as Adam Cartlidge bagged a hat-trick to secure victory.
Wood scored a consolation goal towards the end of the tie, but by then, goals from Marc Hubbard and Andy Elkes had sunk Ashbourne
