Post by Kev Panther on Feb 1, 2013 19:15:05 GMT
END OF RECORD RUN FOR SKELMERSDALE
BURSCOUGH 4 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
How can you be disappointed with a team that loses its first league game of the season two days before February and with it suffers only its second league defeat in a calendar year? Well although there were a few heads down and a few frayed tempers after the game at Victoria Park, most Skelmersdale United supporters can only be proud of what their team has achieved. Defeat over the course of a season is inevitable, so now it is down to Skelmersdale to build another run and there is no obvious reason why they shouldn’t, as they fought to end despite looking a loss straight in the eye for most of the game.
The initial exchanges promised an attacking game, Skelmersdale were turning home defenders with their movement and Skelmersdale keeper Sam Ashton parried away an early low ball into the box from Burscough’s David Lynch.
A three minute period changed everything and put Burscough in a very strong position.
In the eighth minute Jordan Williams was allowed a free run down the right, he played the ball into the box toward Niall Cummins who dummied and the ball ran through to Louis Mayers, who from around 12 yards had the time to pick his spot in the top corner of the Skelmersdale net. Three minutes later Burscough won a corner, from the resulting cross Cummins got away from his marker and with a spectacular overhead kick made it 2-0.
Ninety seconds later Skelmersdale went desperately close, as after a well worked move Gary Burnett hit the bottom of the Burscough post. Seven minutes after that Burnett was denied by Linnets keeper Tim Horn, who blocked the effort with his feet. The instant thought was “Is it just not going to be Skelmersdale’s night?”
Play had been very open, but for the rest of the half the flow of play tightened up. In the 33rd minute Ashton made a good save from Dave Roberts, before at the other end Skelmersdale’s Warren Bellew supplied a sublime finish to put Skelmersdale into a better position in the 42nd minute. A cross from the right was only punched to just outside the penalty area by Horn, Bellew latched onto the ball and delicately chipped the ball under the Burscough crossbar, which considering there was a defender on the line was some feat.
However, Burscough still had one more effort with the wind at their backs, Phil Quirk trying to emulate Bellew, but Ashton was sharp enough to read the situation and tip the ball over his crossbar.
The second-half started with Skelmersdale on the offensive and soon Bellew found Burnett with a cross to the far post, but the forward was closed down very quickly, then Antony Hickey saw his shot saved by Horn.
In the 59th minute Burscough got a third with a vicious effort, the shot by Jordan Williams thundered into the net from 20 yards and arguably was unstoppable, I think the modern word for it is “A Worldy.”
Skelmersdale were now committed to pushing men forward in numbers and the inevitable happened in the 74th minute, though maybe the scorer Liam Caddick was a little fortunate to get away with his initial challenge on Rob McIntosh before he gathered a long ball and slotted into the net.
It was all Skelmersdale in the latter stages, with Burscough looking to break away quickly, on the balance of play another goal would have been an injustice. Burscough had set out with a plan and it had worked and the quality of their finishing was excellent.
From a Skelmersdale perspective, it is the second game this season they have lost 4-1, the other in the FA Cup at Tadcaster, both were shocks. There are huge similarities between the two games, though and Skelmersdale went on a three month unbeaten run after the reverse, if they were to do that now it would make for a glorious end to the season. However, it would be churlish not to give Burscough the upmost credit for their performance on the night, their finishing really was top drawer.
BURSCOUGH: Horn, Camozzi, Quirk, Roberts, Williams P. (Dodd, 88), Williams J. (Rushton-Woods, 76), Brookfield ©, Lynch, Cummins, Caddick (Adam, 76), Mayers Subs (not used) Wilkinson, Duff
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Corrigan, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hickey (Hughes, 60), Woolcott, Jackson (Wright, 80), Burnett, Bellew (Morning, 55) Subs (not used) Griffiths, Freitas
Referee: Jonathan Hunt Attendance: 266
BURSCOUGH 4 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
How can you be disappointed with a team that loses its first league game of the season two days before February and with it suffers only its second league defeat in a calendar year? Well although there were a few heads down and a few frayed tempers after the game at Victoria Park, most Skelmersdale United supporters can only be proud of what their team has achieved. Defeat over the course of a season is inevitable, so now it is down to Skelmersdale to build another run and there is no obvious reason why they shouldn’t, as they fought to end despite looking a loss straight in the eye for most of the game.
The initial exchanges promised an attacking game, Skelmersdale were turning home defenders with their movement and Skelmersdale keeper Sam Ashton parried away an early low ball into the box from Burscough’s David Lynch.
A three minute period changed everything and put Burscough in a very strong position.
In the eighth minute Jordan Williams was allowed a free run down the right, he played the ball into the box toward Niall Cummins who dummied and the ball ran through to Louis Mayers, who from around 12 yards had the time to pick his spot in the top corner of the Skelmersdale net. Three minutes later Burscough won a corner, from the resulting cross Cummins got away from his marker and with a spectacular overhead kick made it 2-0.
Ninety seconds later Skelmersdale went desperately close, as after a well worked move Gary Burnett hit the bottom of the Burscough post. Seven minutes after that Burnett was denied by Linnets keeper Tim Horn, who blocked the effort with his feet. The instant thought was “Is it just not going to be Skelmersdale’s night?”
Play had been very open, but for the rest of the half the flow of play tightened up. In the 33rd minute Ashton made a good save from Dave Roberts, before at the other end Skelmersdale’s Warren Bellew supplied a sublime finish to put Skelmersdale into a better position in the 42nd minute. A cross from the right was only punched to just outside the penalty area by Horn, Bellew latched onto the ball and delicately chipped the ball under the Burscough crossbar, which considering there was a defender on the line was some feat.
However, Burscough still had one more effort with the wind at their backs, Phil Quirk trying to emulate Bellew, but Ashton was sharp enough to read the situation and tip the ball over his crossbar.
The second-half started with Skelmersdale on the offensive and soon Bellew found Burnett with a cross to the far post, but the forward was closed down very quickly, then Antony Hickey saw his shot saved by Horn.
In the 59th minute Burscough got a third with a vicious effort, the shot by Jordan Williams thundered into the net from 20 yards and arguably was unstoppable, I think the modern word for it is “A Worldy.”
Skelmersdale were now committed to pushing men forward in numbers and the inevitable happened in the 74th minute, though maybe the scorer Liam Caddick was a little fortunate to get away with his initial challenge on Rob McIntosh before he gathered a long ball and slotted into the net.
It was all Skelmersdale in the latter stages, with Burscough looking to break away quickly, on the balance of play another goal would have been an injustice. Burscough had set out with a plan and it had worked and the quality of their finishing was excellent.
From a Skelmersdale perspective, it is the second game this season they have lost 4-1, the other in the FA Cup at Tadcaster, both were shocks. There are huge similarities between the two games, though and Skelmersdale went on a three month unbeaten run after the reverse, if they were to do that now it would make for a glorious end to the season. However, it would be churlish not to give Burscough the upmost credit for their performance on the night, their finishing really was top drawer.
BURSCOUGH: Horn, Camozzi, Quirk, Roberts, Williams P. (Dodd, 88), Williams J. (Rushton-Woods, 76), Brookfield ©, Lynch, Cummins, Caddick (Adam, 76), Mayers Subs (not used) Wilkinson, Duff
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Corrigan, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hickey (Hughes, 60), Woolcott, Jackson (Wright, 80), Burnett, Bellew (Morning, 55) Subs (not used) Griffiths, Freitas
Referee: Jonathan Hunt Attendance: 266