Post by Kev Panther on Apr 20, 2016 18:54:32 GMT
THE WEATHER WAS THE REAL WINNER
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1 MICKLEOVER SPORTS 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Arguably the weather was the only winner as Skelmersdale entertained relegation battling Mickleover, although it was a dry sunny day a persistent wind coupled with a dry bobbly pitch made football difficult to play and it could be said that it spoiled everyone’s day. Skelmersdale were denied a surface to play their ‘on the floor football’, Mickleover who really needed to win were denied a surface to create chances on and the spectators were denied much in the way of quality football.
However the men from the outskirts of Derby got off to a dream start, grabbing the lead in just 57 seconds, a Joe Fitzpatrick through ball completely split the Skelmersdale defence allowing Andy Dales all the time and space he needed to pick his spot in the Skelmersdale net to give Mickleover the lead.
Anybody that knows their football knows that weather and pitch conditions that so favour defences like they were on Saturday were going to make chances very few, so having to chase the game was just what Skelmersdale didn’t want to have to do.
Initially though Skelmersdale did react well and in the 4th minute Max Hazeldine put a shot wide of the far post that maybe he should have done better with.
Skelmersdale were pushing hard and got caught on the counterattack in the 17th minute. Dales found Sports number nine Zeph Thomas, he beat a defender then rounded goalkeeper Martin Fearon, but now pushed wide his shot hit the outside of the post. 2-0 would have been a mountain to climb for Skem.
Skelmersdale were having more of the possession and although Mickleover were able to pick off most of the danger Skelmersdale did have moments.
Hazeldine saw a goalbound stab at goal blocked on the line on 21 minutes, then on the half-hour a Dylan Vassallo lay off gave Chris Almond the opportunity to shoot from 18 yards, but youngster Jack Tolley in the Mickleover goal was up to the task diving full-length to save.
Vince Bailey did well in the middle of the park for Skelmersdale and on 54 minutes he found Hazeldine, but again his shot was blocked by a defender.
Skelmersdale got their equaliser in 63 minutes, with all eyes on an incident on Skelmersdale’s right, Almond kept his concentration and skipped through the Mickleover defence before dinking the ball over Tolley and into the net, for his 15th league goal of the season.
Mickleover needed to win and went on the offensive but they had looked a team that do their best work on the breakaway and they struggled to breakdown Skelmersdale’s defence which had 50005 Taxis Man of the Match Tony Rendell at its heart, instead it was Skelmersdale who looked the more likely to score, but that was not too often.
The later highlights seeing after a Kenny Strickland free-kick on 73 minutes, Almond brought another save out of Tolley. Then deep into added time a long ball out of the Skelmersdale defence went to Almond, he helped it on to Hazeldine who headed to Tony Donaldson; with the whistle in the referee’s mouth the teenager sent a dipping shot from 25 yards over Tolley and agonisingly inches wide of the empty net.
There will have been more memorable games at Stormy Corner this season, but as Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson commented after the game; “It was never going to be a classic on that surface, you have make up for good football with sheer hard work, it is just football at this time of the year.”
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Strickland, Holden (Mooney, 67), Rendell, Rowlands, Brewster (Donaldson, 64), Vassallo (McCarthy, 84), Woolcott, Hazeldine, Bailey, Almond Subs (not used) Tuck
MICKLEOVER SPORTS: Tolley, Marsden, Grocott, Fitzpatrick, Wiley, Degirolamo ©, Dales, Thompson (Dinanga, 70), Thomas, McGrath, Green (Cooper, 27) Subs (not used) Broadhead, Buxton, Cronin
Referee: Chris Isherwood
Attendance: 206
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1 MICKLEOVER SPORTS 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Arguably the weather was the only winner as Skelmersdale entertained relegation battling Mickleover, although it was a dry sunny day a persistent wind coupled with a dry bobbly pitch made football difficult to play and it could be said that it spoiled everyone’s day. Skelmersdale were denied a surface to play their ‘on the floor football’, Mickleover who really needed to win were denied a surface to create chances on and the spectators were denied much in the way of quality football.
However the men from the outskirts of Derby got off to a dream start, grabbing the lead in just 57 seconds, a Joe Fitzpatrick through ball completely split the Skelmersdale defence allowing Andy Dales all the time and space he needed to pick his spot in the Skelmersdale net to give Mickleover the lead.
Anybody that knows their football knows that weather and pitch conditions that so favour defences like they were on Saturday were going to make chances very few, so having to chase the game was just what Skelmersdale didn’t want to have to do.
Initially though Skelmersdale did react well and in the 4th minute Max Hazeldine put a shot wide of the far post that maybe he should have done better with.
Skelmersdale were pushing hard and got caught on the counterattack in the 17th minute. Dales found Sports number nine Zeph Thomas, he beat a defender then rounded goalkeeper Martin Fearon, but now pushed wide his shot hit the outside of the post. 2-0 would have been a mountain to climb for Skem.
Skelmersdale were having more of the possession and although Mickleover were able to pick off most of the danger Skelmersdale did have moments.
Hazeldine saw a goalbound stab at goal blocked on the line on 21 minutes, then on the half-hour a Dylan Vassallo lay off gave Chris Almond the opportunity to shoot from 18 yards, but youngster Jack Tolley in the Mickleover goal was up to the task diving full-length to save.
Vince Bailey did well in the middle of the park for Skelmersdale and on 54 minutes he found Hazeldine, but again his shot was blocked by a defender.
Skelmersdale got their equaliser in 63 minutes, with all eyes on an incident on Skelmersdale’s right, Almond kept his concentration and skipped through the Mickleover defence before dinking the ball over Tolley and into the net, for his 15th league goal of the season.
Mickleover needed to win and went on the offensive but they had looked a team that do their best work on the breakaway and they struggled to breakdown Skelmersdale’s defence which had 50005 Taxis Man of the Match Tony Rendell at its heart, instead it was Skelmersdale who looked the more likely to score, but that was not too often.
The later highlights seeing after a Kenny Strickland free-kick on 73 minutes, Almond brought another save out of Tolley. Then deep into added time a long ball out of the Skelmersdale defence went to Almond, he helped it on to Hazeldine who headed to Tony Donaldson; with the whistle in the referee’s mouth the teenager sent a dipping shot from 25 yards over Tolley and agonisingly inches wide of the empty net.
There will have been more memorable games at Stormy Corner this season, but as Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson commented after the game; “It was never going to be a classic on that surface, you have make up for good football with sheer hard work, it is just football at this time of the year.”
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Strickland, Holden (Mooney, 67), Rendell, Rowlands, Brewster (Donaldson, 64), Vassallo (McCarthy, 84), Woolcott, Hazeldine, Bailey, Almond Subs (not used) Tuck
MICKLEOVER SPORTS: Tolley, Marsden, Grocott, Fitzpatrick, Wiley, Degirolamo ©, Dales, Thompson (Dinanga, 70), Thomas, McGrath, Green (Cooper, 27) Subs (not used) Broadhead, Buxton, Cronin
Referee: Chris Isherwood
Attendance: 206