Post by Kev Panther on Mar 22, 2015 10:07:41 GMT
MITCHLEY HAT-TRICK FIRES SKELMERSDALE INTO CUP FINAL
SOUTHPORT 0 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 5
By Neil Leatherbarrow
A devastating performance at Haig Avenue fired Skelmersdale United into the Liverpool County FA Senior Cup Final, the highlight of the night was a tremendous hat-trick from striker Dan Mitchley, a goal haul that will have given him a great deal of pleasure as a former Southport player.
Leading 1-0 at the interval, two goals in a three minute period between 55 & 58 minutes made the match a “no contest” and guaranteed that the Skelmersdale players in the form of a cup final medal will have something tangible to show for their efforts this season.
Skelmersdale struck in the sixth minute. Alan Burton’s shot was charged down by a defender and the ball ran to Mitchley, he created an angle and rifled the ball home from around 12 yards.
Southport rallied and inside two minutes had the ball in the net, Micah Evans heading home from a Will Beesley cross, however, he was clearly offside and thankfully for Skelmersdale, referee Jonathan Hunt agreed with that conclusion too.
Dale Wright and Joe Whittington were creating problems for the Sandgrounders in the middle of the park and the former had a shot saved by Matty Lavelle in the tenth minute.
The game went through a fairly even period until the 33rd minute when Burton saw a shot go inches over the crossbar and remained so into the break.
From the second-half kick-off Southport’s Paul Smith put in a dangerous cross but Rob McIntosh sharply intercepted the danger.
In the 55th minute Skelmersdale netted again, Phil Mooney played a tidy pass to Mitchley, who broke away from his marker, turned and fired a power shot low into the Southport net from 22 yards.
A minute later, it was 3-0. Wright cut in from the right, beat two defenders and put a shot across the goalkeeper into the far corner.
The fourth followed in the 58th minute, Kenny Strickland shooting home from the right-hand side.
It was all over then as a contest, although Skelmersdale continued to press. Eventually Mitchley completed his second hat-trick of the season after running onto a through ball from Skelmersdale’s man of the match Wright.
Southport supporters will point out that they didn’t have a full strength team ot on the night, but they had seven first team squad member and Tommy Lawson had had to leave four players out of his side because of the competition rules, so it was a tremendous performance from Skelmersdale, who now look forward to a cup against AFC Liverpool in late April.
SOUTHPORT: Lavelle, Chrisokho, Beesley, Kay (Joyce, 45), Davies, Fitzpatrick, Rutherford (Smith, 45), Jewell (Wilson, 45), Almond, Evans, Mahamotho Sub (not used) Cavanagh
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: James, Wylie, Fernandes, McIntosh ©, Strickland (Nicholson, 86), Kirkbride, Wright, Burton (Donaldson, 79), Mitchley, Whittington (Meaney, 73), Mooney Sub (not used) Paxton
Referee: Jonathan Hunt Attendance 207
SOUTHPORT 0 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 5
By Neil Leatherbarrow
A devastating performance at Haig Avenue fired Skelmersdale United into the Liverpool County FA Senior Cup Final, the highlight of the night was a tremendous hat-trick from striker Dan Mitchley, a goal haul that will have given him a great deal of pleasure as a former Southport player.
Leading 1-0 at the interval, two goals in a three minute period between 55 & 58 minutes made the match a “no contest” and guaranteed that the Skelmersdale players in the form of a cup final medal will have something tangible to show for their efforts this season.
Skelmersdale struck in the sixth minute. Alan Burton’s shot was charged down by a defender and the ball ran to Mitchley, he created an angle and rifled the ball home from around 12 yards.
Southport rallied and inside two minutes had the ball in the net, Micah Evans heading home from a Will Beesley cross, however, he was clearly offside and thankfully for Skelmersdale, referee Jonathan Hunt agreed with that conclusion too.
Dale Wright and Joe Whittington were creating problems for the Sandgrounders in the middle of the park and the former had a shot saved by Matty Lavelle in the tenth minute.
The game went through a fairly even period until the 33rd minute when Burton saw a shot go inches over the crossbar and remained so into the break.
From the second-half kick-off Southport’s Paul Smith put in a dangerous cross but Rob McIntosh sharply intercepted the danger.
In the 55th minute Skelmersdale netted again, Phil Mooney played a tidy pass to Mitchley, who broke away from his marker, turned and fired a power shot low into the Southport net from 22 yards.
A minute later, it was 3-0. Wright cut in from the right, beat two defenders and put a shot across the goalkeeper into the far corner.
The fourth followed in the 58th minute, Kenny Strickland shooting home from the right-hand side.
It was all over then as a contest, although Skelmersdale continued to press. Eventually Mitchley completed his second hat-trick of the season after running onto a through ball from Skelmersdale’s man of the match Wright.
Southport supporters will point out that they didn’t have a full strength team ot on the night, but they had seven first team squad member and Tommy Lawson had had to leave four players out of his side because of the competition rules, so it was a tremendous performance from Skelmersdale, who now look forward to a cup against AFC Liverpool in late April.
SOUTHPORT: Lavelle, Chrisokho, Beesley, Kay (Joyce, 45), Davies, Fitzpatrick, Rutherford (Smith, 45), Jewell (Wilson, 45), Almond, Evans, Mahamotho Sub (not used) Cavanagh
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: James, Wylie, Fernandes, McIntosh ©, Strickland (Nicholson, 86), Kirkbride, Wright, Burton (Donaldson, 79), Mitchley, Whittington (Meaney, 73), Mooney Sub (not used) Paxton
Referee: Jonathan Hunt Attendance 207