Post by Kev Panther on Apr 22, 2014 18:20:33 GMT
SKELMERSDALE HAVE HAD BETTER WEEKENDS
By Neil Leatherbarrow
The faithful supporters of Skelmersdale United have had better weekends. Knowing it was going to be difficult, facing two of the play-off/league title chasing teams in consecutive games, with a team that was weakened by injuries and a lack of confidence it was always going to a tough couple of games.
Without top goalscorer Dean Astbury, Skelmersdale have managed only two goals in the previous four games, with two eighteen year olds spearheading the attack, the last thing they needed at Ashton United on Saturday was to concede after just eight minutes. A pair of helped on headers putting Martin Pilkington clean in of goal and he duly slotted the ball home.
It didn’t help the Skelmersdale cause that Ashton goalkeeper Paul Phillips was in excellent form. The Robins custodian saved from Sean Miller in the 11th minute, then made a double save from Connor McCarthy and Miller after the former had beaten the home offside trap. Significantly Mark Jackson played a big part in creating the opportunities.
The position worsened just before half-time. Ashton number nine Dale Johnson forcing his way through two challenges before squaring the ball to give Pilkington an almost perfect chance.
Twenty two seconds into the second-half Skelmersdale struck and it really was the goal of the game. A ball into the Ashton penalty area wasn’t cleared as Skelmersdale pressured the home defence, the ball dropped to Miller some twenty yards from goal in a central position, Miller let the ball bounce once and let fly a vicious shot rocketing into the far corner of Phillips goal.
Skelmersdale dominated the next twenty minutes. McCarthy had an appeal for handball turned away after his shot was blocked, Phillips saved from Miller, and then did the same from Alan Burton, before McCarthy headed wide off a Shaun Holden cross.
Ashton gradually looked like coping and counterattacked in the 71st minute and Zac Hibbert made a fine save from Pilkington and another from Lee Rick.
The killer blow came in the 73rd minute. Man of the Match Pilkington fought his way down the right and crossed, Chris Lynch who had stayed forward from an earlier corner tapped home at the far post.
On ninety minutes Johnson get a fourth for Ashton, but that only kicked a man when he was down. Skelmersdale had fought hard if they had had more power upfront would very likely have at least drawn, but that is the cross Skelmersdale are having the carry at the moment.
With the play-off door closed, Skelmersdale faced AFC Fylde on Monday. Remarkably it was the first league game they have played in over six years in which nothing was at stake for them.
Fylde had plenty to play for. If results went their way elsewhere, they could still win the league title. Arguably, just what a vulnerable Skelmersdale side didn’t need.
After eight minutes the worst happened. A hard fought run down the middle ended with the ball ricocheting to Richie Allen, who gratefully gave Fylde the lead.
With Mark Jackson out injured, Skelmersdale were even lighter weight up front than they had been at Ashton, even so, McCarthy created an opening for Miller, but the youngster shot wide.
In the twentieth minute Matty Blinkhorn netted at the far post, then found the net two minutes later with a header from a corner. Fylde needed all the goals they could get because of a potential goal difference situation at the top of the league.
In the 34th minute they struck again, Hibbert could only parry an Allen shot and Blinkhorn completed his hat-trick from the rebound.
Just after the interval word filtered through that Chorley were 3-0 up against Marine, so Fylde effectively had no chance of winning the league title.
Jackson came as substitute, but didn’t look fully fit, but he still brought a quality save out of Fylde’s Ben Hinchliffe in the 59th minute.
The final Fylde goal came from the penalty spot via Allen in the 75th minute.
It really is a nightmare scenario for Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson, the problems are obvious, he needs to bring in experienced cover, but he cannot do anything about it because the transfer deadline passed in late March, leaving him with a team made up of young kids and walking wounded. He will no doubt be a happy man at around 4.45pm next Saturday when the season ends at Stocksbridge. He can look back upon a season that has seen Skelmersdale more than establish themselves as a leading team in the Evo-Stik Premier Division, despite the last few weeks.
By Neil Leatherbarrow
The faithful supporters of Skelmersdale United have had better weekends. Knowing it was going to be difficult, facing two of the play-off/league title chasing teams in consecutive games, with a team that was weakened by injuries and a lack of confidence it was always going to a tough couple of games.
Without top goalscorer Dean Astbury, Skelmersdale have managed only two goals in the previous four games, with two eighteen year olds spearheading the attack, the last thing they needed at Ashton United on Saturday was to concede after just eight minutes. A pair of helped on headers putting Martin Pilkington clean in of goal and he duly slotted the ball home.
It didn’t help the Skelmersdale cause that Ashton goalkeeper Paul Phillips was in excellent form. The Robins custodian saved from Sean Miller in the 11th minute, then made a double save from Connor McCarthy and Miller after the former had beaten the home offside trap. Significantly Mark Jackson played a big part in creating the opportunities.
The position worsened just before half-time. Ashton number nine Dale Johnson forcing his way through two challenges before squaring the ball to give Pilkington an almost perfect chance.
Twenty two seconds into the second-half Skelmersdale struck and it really was the goal of the game. A ball into the Ashton penalty area wasn’t cleared as Skelmersdale pressured the home defence, the ball dropped to Miller some twenty yards from goal in a central position, Miller let the ball bounce once and let fly a vicious shot rocketing into the far corner of Phillips goal.
Skelmersdale dominated the next twenty minutes. McCarthy had an appeal for handball turned away after his shot was blocked, Phillips saved from Miller, and then did the same from Alan Burton, before McCarthy headed wide off a Shaun Holden cross.
Ashton gradually looked like coping and counterattacked in the 71st minute and Zac Hibbert made a fine save from Pilkington and another from Lee Rick.
The killer blow came in the 73rd minute. Man of the Match Pilkington fought his way down the right and crossed, Chris Lynch who had stayed forward from an earlier corner tapped home at the far post.
On ninety minutes Johnson get a fourth for Ashton, but that only kicked a man when he was down. Skelmersdale had fought hard if they had had more power upfront would very likely have at least drawn, but that is the cross Skelmersdale are having the carry at the moment.
With the play-off door closed, Skelmersdale faced AFC Fylde on Monday. Remarkably it was the first league game they have played in over six years in which nothing was at stake for them.
Fylde had plenty to play for. If results went their way elsewhere, they could still win the league title. Arguably, just what a vulnerable Skelmersdale side didn’t need.
After eight minutes the worst happened. A hard fought run down the middle ended with the ball ricocheting to Richie Allen, who gratefully gave Fylde the lead.
With Mark Jackson out injured, Skelmersdale were even lighter weight up front than they had been at Ashton, even so, McCarthy created an opening for Miller, but the youngster shot wide.
In the twentieth minute Matty Blinkhorn netted at the far post, then found the net two minutes later with a header from a corner. Fylde needed all the goals they could get because of a potential goal difference situation at the top of the league.
In the 34th minute they struck again, Hibbert could only parry an Allen shot and Blinkhorn completed his hat-trick from the rebound.
Just after the interval word filtered through that Chorley were 3-0 up against Marine, so Fylde effectively had no chance of winning the league title.
Jackson came as substitute, but didn’t look fully fit, but he still brought a quality save out of Fylde’s Ben Hinchliffe in the 59th minute.
The final Fylde goal came from the penalty spot via Allen in the 75th minute.
It really is a nightmare scenario for Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson, the problems are obvious, he needs to bring in experienced cover, but he cannot do anything about it because the transfer deadline passed in late March, leaving him with a team made up of young kids and walking wounded. He will no doubt be a happy man at around 4.45pm next Saturday when the season ends at Stocksbridge. He can look back upon a season that has seen Skelmersdale more than establish themselves as a leading team in the Evo-Stik Premier Division, despite the last few weeks.