Post by Kev Panther on Dec 30, 2014 11:33:12 GMT
Ramsbottom 0-3 Skelmersdale United
6 points in the bag over xmas weekend
Ramsbottom 0-3 Skelmersdale United
Sunday brought a different test from Boxing Day and one very obvious one was an East Lancashire pitch that was blatantly unfit to play on, due to frost and before the end the area in front of the stand sounded more like a “tap dancing stage” than a football one. Tommy Lawson made one change bringing in Dale Wright to wear the number 11 shirt.
The game opened with a bad tempered twenty minutes, referee Matt Bristow using it rather unnecessarily in many opinions to caution one Skelmersdale and three Ramsbottom players, but more significant perhaps was that both defences looked in control.
It was however, Skelmersdale that broke the deadlock on the half-hour. The ball bounced around the Ramsbottom penalty area after a move down the right, Alan Burton brought it under control and laid it back to Aidan Kirkbride who was about 25 yards from goal, he stepped onto the ball and lashed a dipping shot over home goalkeeper Grant Shenton and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Ramsbottom went on the attack and Zac Hibbert made a save in the 35th minute that was to prove a “Game Changer”. A quick counterattack down the right saw the ball sent across the Skelmersdale penalty box to left-winger Phil Dean, his shot looked sure to equalise, but Hibbert’s miraculous reaction save kept him out.
A minute later Skelmersdale had the ball in the Ramsbottom penalty area, Dan Mitchley took possession and was clumsily tripped from behind by Cedric Krou and a penalty was quite rightly awarded. Mitchley slotted the ball past Shenton to make it 2-0.
There was one last scare before the interval though, but in the true style of a captain Rob McIntosh came to Skelmersdale’s rescue to thwart Dean.
It was no surprise that Ramsbottom had more of the possession after the break, but they had to weather a scare of their own first and only a diving save by Shenton prevented Mitchley from making it 3-0.
The story of the second-half was how Skelmersdale left the hosts nothing, nothing at all. For all their play they didn’t create one chance and Hibbert didn’t have a shot to save. Yes Ramsbottom put in shots but they were from either long distance or tight angles and went wide of the target as Skelmersdale completely shut them out, even withstanding a 30 second bombardment in the 64th minute that saw around 5 shots but not one worrying the goalkeeper.
Finally in the 84th minute Skelmersdale made it a “mercy killing”, Peter Wylie had been used in the uncharacteristic left side position and after holding the ball up slipped inside to Mitchley, who like a striker who is right at the top of his form netted his fourth goal of the weekend and made did make it 3-0.
The second-half had been fairly scrappy on the now icebound pitch, but that suited Skelmersdale who were comfortable defending their lead. Collectively it had been a top performance and one that reignites the Skelmersdale promotion charge.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Shenton ©, Smalley (Brooks, 68), Grayson, Stopforth, Howson, Krou, Abadaki, Burton S., Hulme, Spencer (Williams, 74), Dean (Robinson, 57) Subs (not used) Slaven, Morley
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Hibbert, Fernandes, Short, McIntosh ©, Bodie, Kirkbride, Bakkor (Strickland, 81), Burton A., Mitchley, McCarthy ((Tollitt, 45, Wylie, 82)), Wright Subs (not used) Bell, Mooney
Referee: Matt Bristow (Altrincham)
Attendance: 372
6 points in the bag over xmas weekend
Ramsbottom 0-3 Skelmersdale United
Sunday brought a different test from Boxing Day and one very obvious one was an East Lancashire pitch that was blatantly unfit to play on, due to frost and before the end the area in front of the stand sounded more like a “tap dancing stage” than a football one. Tommy Lawson made one change bringing in Dale Wright to wear the number 11 shirt.
The game opened with a bad tempered twenty minutes, referee Matt Bristow using it rather unnecessarily in many opinions to caution one Skelmersdale and three Ramsbottom players, but more significant perhaps was that both defences looked in control.
It was however, Skelmersdale that broke the deadlock on the half-hour. The ball bounced around the Ramsbottom penalty area after a move down the right, Alan Burton brought it under control and laid it back to Aidan Kirkbride who was about 25 yards from goal, he stepped onto the ball and lashed a dipping shot over home goalkeeper Grant Shenton and into the net via the underside of the crossbar.
Ramsbottom went on the attack and Zac Hibbert made a save in the 35th minute that was to prove a “Game Changer”. A quick counterattack down the right saw the ball sent across the Skelmersdale penalty box to left-winger Phil Dean, his shot looked sure to equalise, but Hibbert’s miraculous reaction save kept him out.
A minute later Skelmersdale had the ball in the Ramsbottom penalty area, Dan Mitchley took possession and was clumsily tripped from behind by Cedric Krou and a penalty was quite rightly awarded. Mitchley slotted the ball past Shenton to make it 2-0.
There was one last scare before the interval though, but in the true style of a captain Rob McIntosh came to Skelmersdale’s rescue to thwart Dean.
It was no surprise that Ramsbottom had more of the possession after the break, but they had to weather a scare of their own first and only a diving save by Shenton prevented Mitchley from making it 3-0.
The story of the second-half was how Skelmersdale left the hosts nothing, nothing at all. For all their play they didn’t create one chance and Hibbert didn’t have a shot to save. Yes Ramsbottom put in shots but they were from either long distance or tight angles and went wide of the target as Skelmersdale completely shut them out, even withstanding a 30 second bombardment in the 64th minute that saw around 5 shots but not one worrying the goalkeeper.
Finally in the 84th minute Skelmersdale made it a “mercy killing”, Peter Wylie had been used in the uncharacteristic left side position and after holding the ball up slipped inside to Mitchley, who like a striker who is right at the top of his form netted his fourth goal of the weekend and made did make it 3-0.
The second-half had been fairly scrappy on the now icebound pitch, but that suited Skelmersdale who were comfortable defending their lead. Collectively it had been a top performance and one that reignites the Skelmersdale promotion charge.
RAMSBOTTOM UNITED: Shenton ©, Smalley (Brooks, 68), Grayson, Stopforth, Howson, Krou, Abadaki, Burton S., Hulme, Spencer (Williams, 74), Dean (Robinson, 57) Subs (not used) Slaven, Morley
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Hibbert, Fernandes, Short, McIntosh ©, Bodie, Kirkbride, Bakkor (Strickland, 81), Burton A., Mitchley, McCarthy ((Tollitt, 45, Wylie, 82)), Wright Subs (not used) Bell, Mooney
Referee: Matt Bristow (Altrincham)
Attendance: 372