Post by Kev Panther on Oct 31, 2014 18:06:50 GMT
A TRIP TOO FAR FOR SKELMERSDALE
ASHTON UNITED 1 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Skelmersdale’s marathon eight days on the road finally caught with them at Hurst’s Cross, a trip up to Northumberland, followed a long coach ride down to the border of Cambridgeshire was bound to take its toll and when the situation was exacerbated by huge hold-ups on the M60, necessitating an 8-15 kick off, it was perhaps inevitable they would be tired. They were and when Ashton went into a tenth minute lead, Skelmersdale just didn’t have the spark to get back into the game despite the usual big effort.
Ashton have been in decent form recently and Skelmersdale goalkeeper Martin Fearon was forced into a sixth minute save from Richard Bennett.
The hosts were starting well and in the tenth minute they struck, striker Martin Pilkington ran across the Skelmersdale backline and when the through ball he was inviting released him into space behind the defence, he slotted the ball home past an advancing Fearon.
Gradually the game evened out and although by the midway mark Skelmersdale were now matching Ashton, it was still Ashton that looked the more dangerous on the offensive.
For Skelmersdale Kenny Strickland put a free-kick over the home crossbar and Aidan Kirkbride was quickly smothered in front of goal after Connor McCarthy had won the ball in the corner from Ashton goalkeeper Paul Phillips.
However, at the interval, it would be hard to argue that Ashton didn’t deserve their lead.
Skelmersdale had more of the possession in the second-half, but in truth they rarely troubled goalkeeper Phillips.
A Mark Byrne cross was headed over the bar by Kirkbride who was probably the pick of the Skelmersdale players on the night. But a series of crosses from Byrne, Jack Golding and Valtar Fernandes were dealt with without undue panic.
The end was almost confirmed in the 82nd minute when McCarthy took a poor touch on the ball then dived in to rescue to situation colliding with Ashton’s Ashley Young, the number six writhed in agony on the floor then swiftly got to his feet after McCarthy had been shown a red card.
It was a bad night for Skelmersdale, but not as bad as it could have been because when they left the pitch they found out that their main two rivals at the top of the Evo-Stik Premier Division, Buxton and Curzon Ashton had both lost, the latter 3-2 after holding a 2-0 lead.
ASHTON UNITED: Phillips, Haslam, Williams, Gorton ©, Higgins, Young, Coppin (Roberts-Nurse, 57), Gee, Pilkington (Marsh, 71), Bennett, Baguley (Robinson, 71) Subs (not used) Aspin, Halford
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Fernandes, Wisdom, McIntosh ©, Bodie, Kirkbride, Thompson (Harris, 75), Burton (Golding, 59), Strickland, McCarthy, Byrne (Simpson, 79) Subs (not used) Mooney, Wylie
Referee: Mark Powell (Halifax)
Attendance: 177
ASHTON UNITED 1 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Skelmersdale’s marathon eight days on the road finally caught with them at Hurst’s Cross, a trip up to Northumberland, followed a long coach ride down to the border of Cambridgeshire was bound to take its toll and when the situation was exacerbated by huge hold-ups on the M60, necessitating an 8-15 kick off, it was perhaps inevitable they would be tired. They were and when Ashton went into a tenth minute lead, Skelmersdale just didn’t have the spark to get back into the game despite the usual big effort.
Ashton have been in decent form recently and Skelmersdale goalkeeper Martin Fearon was forced into a sixth minute save from Richard Bennett.
The hosts were starting well and in the tenth minute they struck, striker Martin Pilkington ran across the Skelmersdale backline and when the through ball he was inviting released him into space behind the defence, he slotted the ball home past an advancing Fearon.
Gradually the game evened out and although by the midway mark Skelmersdale were now matching Ashton, it was still Ashton that looked the more dangerous on the offensive.
For Skelmersdale Kenny Strickland put a free-kick over the home crossbar and Aidan Kirkbride was quickly smothered in front of goal after Connor McCarthy had won the ball in the corner from Ashton goalkeeper Paul Phillips.
However, at the interval, it would be hard to argue that Ashton didn’t deserve their lead.
Skelmersdale had more of the possession in the second-half, but in truth they rarely troubled goalkeeper Phillips.
A Mark Byrne cross was headed over the bar by Kirkbride who was probably the pick of the Skelmersdale players on the night. But a series of crosses from Byrne, Jack Golding and Valtar Fernandes were dealt with without undue panic.
The end was almost confirmed in the 82nd minute when McCarthy took a poor touch on the ball then dived in to rescue to situation colliding with Ashton’s Ashley Young, the number six writhed in agony on the floor then swiftly got to his feet after McCarthy had been shown a red card.
It was a bad night for Skelmersdale, but not as bad as it could have been because when they left the pitch they found out that their main two rivals at the top of the Evo-Stik Premier Division, Buxton and Curzon Ashton had both lost, the latter 3-2 after holding a 2-0 lead.
ASHTON UNITED: Phillips, Haslam, Williams, Gorton ©, Higgins, Young, Coppin (Roberts-Nurse, 57), Gee, Pilkington (Marsh, 71), Bennett, Baguley (Robinson, 71) Subs (not used) Aspin, Halford
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Fernandes, Wisdom, McIntosh ©, Bodie, Kirkbride, Thompson (Harris, 75), Burton (Golding, 59), Strickland, McCarthy, Byrne (Simpson, 79) Subs (not used) Mooney, Wylie
Referee: Mark Powell (Halifax)
Attendance: 177