Post by Kev Panther on Apr 19, 2015 7:41:37 GMT
SKEM ROCK UNITED TITLE HOPES
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1 FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
The men from Manchester arrived at Stormy Corner in their hordes with the added expectation that the Evo-Stik Premier Division title was within touching distance, boosting the attendance to 1,133. However, United’s hopes were rocked by a very determined Skelmersdale side who returned to form with a bang.
FC United started confidently but Skelmersdale started solidly too, in the opening 20 minutes the men in red were limited to a couple of speculative efforts from outside the penalty area, both going wide of the mark.
On the half-hour FC United went closer when Matthew Wolfenden headed wide off a cross from the right, but generally Skelmersdale were coping well and were beginning to threaten themselves with the visitors defence not having an easy time when exposed to the pace of Scott Bakkor.
A cagey first-half ended with what proved to be the closest FC United were to come to scoring all night when a superbly struck shot by Craig Lindfield dropping onto the top of the Skelmersdale crossbar, the way he connected with the shot with the outside of his boot displaying a high level of skill.
Straight from the restart FC United went close twice, the second of which saw Rory Fallon failing to get a telling touch to a Lindfield cross.
Skelmersdale regained their composure and the red men’s attacks started to form a familiar pattern, essentially they were not getting behind the Skem defence and the focus of much of their threat came from crosses to the far post and balls lifted into the goalmouth, which suited Rob McIntosh and Danny Wisdom who stood out like beacons in the centre of the Skelmersdale backline.
Skelmersdale were counterattacking dangerously and again Bakkor went on a run, this time his run down the left resulted in a ball across goal that didn’t get a finishing touch. This was soon followed by a vicious dipping shot by Alan Burton that just cleared the bar.
In the 68th minute Skelmersdale were awarded a free-kick wide on the right and its taking was delayed by about 45 seconds. When Kenny Strickland did swing in the free-kick Dan Mitchley lost his marker and fired the ball into the net from around 12 yards out. The goal clearly stunned FC United.
Six minutes later it was almost 2-0, but goalkeeper Dave Carnell saved from Mitchley.
The last fifteen minutes saw FC United pressing, but that was not surprise and again they struggled to create much on the floor and were reliant on crosses. Many of which were swallowed up by the 50005 Taxis Skelmersdale Man of the Match Steve James in goal, the young goalkeeper snatching several crosses out of the air, but significantly not having to make many saves from goalbound efforts.
In the 86th minute Skem did have a bit of luck when a header hit the post, but that was the nearest the men from Manchester got to levelling. Luke Ashworth headed wide from a corner, then in added time Fallon fired over the crossbar as the added time went on for some five minutes.
It was a superb performance from Skelmersdale they restricted FC United to very little at all in front of goal then stung them with a winner from a free-kick. After the match Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson praised the attitude of his players saying; “Everyone put a good shift in”, before telling how it was done when he said; “They are a good team and we had them watched at Witton Albion last Saturday and we set ourselves up accordingly, the players stuck rigidly to the plan and it worked a treat.”
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: James, Fernandes, Holden, Wisdom, McIntosh ©, Kirkbride, Strickland, Burton, Mitchley, Woolcott (Tollitt, 64), Bakkor (Rendell, 89) Subs (not used) Mooney, Bellew, Donaldson
FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER: Carnell, Brownhill, Daniels (Norton, 75), Stott ©, Lynch, Ashworth, Wolfenden (Greaves, 63), Brown T., Fallon, Wright, Lindfield (Walwyn, 75) Subs (not used) Byrne, Payne
Referee: Darren Strain
Attendance: 1,133
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1 FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
The men from Manchester arrived at Stormy Corner in their hordes with the added expectation that the Evo-Stik Premier Division title was within touching distance, boosting the attendance to 1,133. However, United’s hopes were rocked by a very determined Skelmersdale side who returned to form with a bang.
FC United started confidently but Skelmersdale started solidly too, in the opening 20 minutes the men in red were limited to a couple of speculative efforts from outside the penalty area, both going wide of the mark.
On the half-hour FC United went closer when Matthew Wolfenden headed wide off a cross from the right, but generally Skelmersdale were coping well and were beginning to threaten themselves with the visitors defence not having an easy time when exposed to the pace of Scott Bakkor.
A cagey first-half ended with what proved to be the closest FC United were to come to scoring all night when a superbly struck shot by Craig Lindfield dropping onto the top of the Skelmersdale crossbar, the way he connected with the shot with the outside of his boot displaying a high level of skill.
Straight from the restart FC United went close twice, the second of which saw Rory Fallon failing to get a telling touch to a Lindfield cross.
Skelmersdale regained their composure and the red men’s attacks started to form a familiar pattern, essentially they were not getting behind the Skem defence and the focus of much of their threat came from crosses to the far post and balls lifted into the goalmouth, which suited Rob McIntosh and Danny Wisdom who stood out like beacons in the centre of the Skelmersdale backline.
Skelmersdale were counterattacking dangerously and again Bakkor went on a run, this time his run down the left resulted in a ball across goal that didn’t get a finishing touch. This was soon followed by a vicious dipping shot by Alan Burton that just cleared the bar.
In the 68th minute Skelmersdale were awarded a free-kick wide on the right and its taking was delayed by about 45 seconds. When Kenny Strickland did swing in the free-kick Dan Mitchley lost his marker and fired the ball into the net from around 12 yards out. The goal clearly stunned FC United.
Six minutes later it was almost 2-0, but goalkeeper Dave Carnell saved from Mitchley.
The last fifteen minutes saw FC United pressing, but that was not surprise and again they struggled to create much on the floor and were reliant on crosses. Many of which were swallowed up by the 50005 Taxis Skelmersdale Man of the Match Steve James in goal, the young goalkeeper snatching several crosses out of the air, but significantly not having to make many saves from goalbound efforts.
In the 86th minute Skem did have a bit of luck when a header hit the post, but that was the nearest the men from Manchester got to levelling. Luke Ashworth headed wide from a corner, then in added time Fallon fired over the crossbar as the added time went on for some five minutes.
It was a superb performance from Skelmersdale they restricted FC United to very little at all in front of goal then stung them with a winner from a free-kick. After the match Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson praised the attitude of his players saying; “Everyone put a good shift in”, before telling how it was done when he said; “They are a good team and we had them watched at Witton Albion last Saturday and we set ourselves up accordingly, the players stuck rigidly to the plan and it worked a treat.”
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: James, Fernandes, Holden, Wisdom, McIntosh ©, Kirkbride, Strickland, Burton, Mitchley, Woolcott (Tollitt, 64), Bakkor (Rendell, 89) Subs (not used) Mooney, Bellew, Donaldson
FC UNITED OF MANCHESTER: Carnell, Brownhill, Daniels (Norton, 75), Stott ©, Lynch, Ashworth, Wolfenden (Greaves, 63), Brown T., Fallon, Wright, Lindfield (Walwyn, 75) Subs (not used) Byrne, Payne
Referee: Darren Strain
Attendance: 1,133