Post by Kev Panther on Mar 23, 2015 19:20:35 GMT
FINE MARGINS
WITTON ALBION 2 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
“Fine Margins”, a phrase used a few times over the weekend by Premiership managers to describe the games their teams were involved in, is also a phrase that appropriately summed up Skelmersdale’s afternoon at Witton Albion. A close game in which no team really stamped their authority on affairs was decided by the vagaries of where a ball went after hitting a piece of wood. Witton scored their crucial opener from a rebound off the Skelmersdale crossbar that fell kindly, while Skelmersdale were denied an equaliser at a vital point in the game because of where a ball landed after it hit the Witton crossbar. As the professional’s say, “fine margins”.
The match was never going to be one that left the purest salivating. Witton are scrapping hard to stay above the relegation trapdoor (a target they should just about achieve) and their manager Tony Sullivan had said his team would need to rely on a good battling spirit to survive, while although Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson would no doubt disagree, Skelmersdale have not really been at their fluent best recently.
Skelmersdale probably had the edge for the first 15 minutes, with a shot from Danny Mitchley being saved by home goalkeeper Andy Robertson and a 25 yarder from Phil Mooney clearing the Witton bar, before Witton turned their first serious attack into a goal via a little assistance from the crossbar.
Joe Shaw hit the crossbar with a header from a right-wing corner, the ball dropped to Zac Corbett some 12 yards from goal and he half-volleyed the rebound low and powerfully into the net.
The goal seemed to give Witton confidence and for the next twenty minutes they were the better side and the pick of their efforts saw Peter Wylie head the ball off the Skelmersdale line after Sam Barnes won a high ball in the box and a free-kick from Danny Andrews go wide after an unnecessary foul by Valtar Fernandes.
However, just before the interval Mitchley put one into the Witton side-netting after Dale Wright set up the half-chance for him.
Tommy Lawson made a couple of changes during the break, introducing experienced pair Mark Jackson and Paul Woolcott and they made a difference, the latter especially showing a vast improvement on his showing two weeks ago.
The 55th minute was a decisive one. Jackson cleverly put Mitchley in on goal, home goalkeeper Robertson left his line and saved but Mitchley latched onto the rebound and his header crashed against the crossbar in true “Geoff Hurst style”, the ball dropping downwards. Skelmersdale’s players and supporters appealed loudly that the ball had crossed the line, but referee James Mainwaring refused to give a goal. Whether he was right or wrong it is impossible to say, but it was a very close call between in or out.
Such was Skelmersdale’s momentum at the time that arguably they could well have overrun Witton, but as it was Witton gradually weathered the storm. Jackson had a goalbound shot blocked and Alan Burton saw his shot cleared off the line, before a penalty appeal for a foul on Mitchley was waved away.
In the last ten minutes Skelmersdale were pouring forward and they were caught out on the counterattack in the 83rd minute. Alex Titchinor ran at Wylie and won a challenge before squaring the ball to strike partner Jamie Rainford, who slotted the ball under an advancing Steve James to finish off the Skelmersdale fightback.
WITTON ALBION: Robertson, Goulding, Dawson, Shaw John ©, Barnes, Shaw Joe (Schofield, 80), Corbett, Clark (Parker, 68), Rainford, Titchinor (Poquet-Molina, 87), Andrews Sub (not used) Swift
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: James, Wylie, Fernandes, McIntosh ©, Strickland, Kirkbride, Wright (Woolcott, 45), Burton, Mitchley, Whittington (Jackson, 45), Mooney Subs (not used) Holden, Rendell
Referee: James Mainwaring
Attendance: 363
WITTON ALBION 2 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
“Fine Margins”, a phrase used a few times over the weekend by Premiership managers to describe the games their teams were involved in, is also a phrase that appropriately summed up Skelmersdale’s afternoon at Witton Albion. A close game in which no team really stamped their authority on affairs was decided by the vagaries of where a ball went after hitting a piece of wood. Witton scored their crucial opener from a rebound off the Skelmersdale crossbar that fell kindly, while Skelmersdale were denied an equaliser at a vital point in the game because of where a ball landed after it hit the Witton crossbar. As the professional’s say, “fine margins”.
The match was never going to be one that left the purest salivating. Witton are scrapping hard to stay above the relegation trapdoor (a target they should just about achieve) and their manager Tony Sullivan had said his team would need to rely on a good battling spirit to survive, while although Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson would no doubt disagree, Skelmersdale have not really been at their fluent best recently.
Skelmersdale probably had the edge for the first 15 minutes, with a shot from Danny Mitchley being saved by home goalkeeper Andy Robertson and a 25 yarder from Phil Mooney clearing the Witton bar, before Witton turned their first serious attack into a goal via a little assistance from the crossbar.
Joe Shaw hit the crossbar with a header from a right-wing corner, the ball dropped to Zac Corbett some 12 yards from goal and he half-volleyed the rebound low and powerfully into the net.
The goal seemed to give Witton confidence and for the next twenty minutes they were the better side and the pick of their efforts saw Peter Wylie head the ball off the Skelmersdale line after Sam Barnes won a high ball in the box and a free-kick from Danny Andrews go wide after an unnecessary foul by Valtar Fernandes.
However, just before the interval Mitchley put one into the Witton side-netting after Dale Wright set up the half-chance for him.
Tommy Lawson made a couple of changes during the break, introducing experienced pair Mark Jackson and Paul Woolcott and they made a difference, the latter especially showing a vast improvement on his showing two weeks ago.
The 55th minute was a decisive one. Jackson cleverly put Mitchley in on goal, home goalkeeper Robertson left his line and saved but Mitchley latched onto the rebound and his header crashed against the crossbar in true “Geoff Hurst style”, the ball dropping downwards. Skelmersdale’s players and supporters appealed loudly that the ball had crossed the line, but referee James Mainwaring refused to give a goal. Whether he was right or wrong it is impossible to say, but it was a very close call between in or out.
Such was Skelmersdale’s momentum at the time that arguably they could well have overrun Witton, but as it was Witton gradually weathered the storm. Jackson had a goalbound shot blocked and Alan Burton saw his shot cleared off the line, before a penalty appeal for a foul on Mitchley was waved away.
In the last ten minutes Skelmersdale were pouring forward and they were caught out on the counterattack in the 83rd minute. Alex Titchinor ran at Wylie and won a challenge before squaring the ball to strike partner Jamie Rainford, who slotted the ball under an advancing Steve James to finish off the Skelmersdale fightback.
WITTON ALBION: Robertson, Goulding, Dawson, Shaw John ©, Barnes, Shaw Joe (Schofield, 80), Corbett, Clark (Parker, 68), Rainford, Titchinor (Poquet-Molina, 87), Andrews Sub (not used) Swift
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: James, Wylie, Fernandes, McIntosh ©, Strickland, Kirkbride, Wright (Woolcott, 45), Burton, Mitchley, Whittington (Jackson, 45), Mooney Subs (not used) Holden, Rendell
Referee: James Mainwaring
Attendance: 363