Post by Kev Panther on Feb 11, 2013 19:47:28 GMT
SKELMERSDALE GO TOP
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 2 MOSSLEY 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
For the first time this season Skelmersdale United have moved into the leaders spot in the Evo-Stik Division One North after they beat the previous leaders at the West Lancashire College Stadium with a late goal from Mike Phenix. Victory leaves Skelmersdale one point clear of the men from Tameside but with a huge six games in hand.
Arguably, Mossley had to win on the day and they set about their task well, pushing Skelmersdale back in the opening half-hour, but significantly they didn’t trouble Skelmersdale goalkeeper Sam Ashton a great deal. The best Mossley could offer was a wild shot from striker Kayde Coppin that went high and wide in the 12th minute.
Gradually Skelmersdale went onto the attack and if anything looked the more promising of the two teams, despite Mossley having more of the possession, and when Kenny Strickland had a powerful effort tipped over the crossbar by Mossley keeper Russell Saunders it seemed to make the visitors a little bit cautious.
Chances were few and far between, however, in the 32nd minute it was Skelmersdale that made the first mark and it was a real example of team football at its best. The ball was rolled out to right-back Lewis Field, he released Matty Hughes down the right-hand side at pace, reaching the edge of the penalty area Hughes looked up and pulled the ball back across goal right into the path of a grateful Gary Burnett, who stroked home Skelmersdale’s opener.
Skelmersdale held the psychological advantage and were determined to ram it home too.
In the 40th minute, Burnett chased down the experienced Mossley defender Steve Halford and stole the ball, he crossed to Strickland, but he couldn’t keep the ball under the crossbar.
Mossley may have inflicted two thirds of the pressure but Skelmersdale had had the best chances.
After the interval, Burnett went close again, but then Mossley started to press, but again they found Skelmersdale were stubborn and miserly in defence. The reality was that United goalkeeper Sam Ashton will have far busier afternoons before the season ends.
With the Skelmersdale defence in charge the Mossley equaliser 20 minutes from the end came as something of a surprise. The Mossley left-back Adam Mather lofted a free-kick into the box and Ashton punched, the ball reached the edge of the penalty area and was moved from left to right, while this was going on Ashton got into almost a wrestling match with a Mossley player and by the time Jason Gorton drilled the ball low at goal Ashton was still trying to make up ground as the ball went into the net.
Play became more stretched after the Mossley goal. For the visitors both Sam Hind and Sam Madeley had shots saved by Ashton, while the sponsors (“The Trelleborg Four”) man of the match Antony Hickey had a goalbound shot bravely blocked by a visiting defender.
The longer the game went on the stronger Skelmersdale looked. In the 88th minute Burnett cleverly riddled free of his shadow on the left and fired the ball low into the six yard box, Mike Phenix got to the ball fractionally before keeper Saunders and forced the ball home.
You could argue that Skelmersdale hadn’t played all that well, but they prevented Mossley from creating much at all in front of goal and you could see what Tommy Lawson meant after the game when he said; “ I thought we had the best chances”. Defenders Field and Rob McIntosh had been particularly outstanding for Skelmersdale, while Burnett had always been a threat up front. The result was a great boost from the first of three games in which Skelmersdale face their main rivals at the top of the table and they will go to Trafford on Tuesday and New Mills on Saturday full of confidence.
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Corrigan, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hickey, Woolcott, Hughes (Phenix, 84), Burnett, Bellew (Wright, 45) Subs (not used) Jackson, Morning, Griffiths
MOSSLEY: Saunders, Coo, Mather, Brown, Halford, Gorton, Young A. ©, Gee (Nightingale, 88), Coppin (Madeley, 62), Hind, Denham Subs (not used) Hopper, Haslam, Young D.
Referee: Paul Hodskinson Attendance: 304
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 2 MOSSLEY 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
For the first time this season Skelmersdale United have moved into the leaders spot in the Evo-Stik Division One North after they beat the previous leaders at the West Lancashire College Stadium with a late goal from Mike Phenix. Victory leaves Skelmersdale one point clear of the men from Tameside but with a huge six games in hand.
Arguably, Mossley had to win on the day and they set about their task well, pushing Skelmersdale back in the opening half-hour, but significantly they didn’t trouble Skelmersdale goalkeeper Sam Ashton a great deal. The best Mossley could offer was a wild shot from striker Kayde Coppin that went high and wide in the 12th minute.
Gradually Skelmersdale went onto the attack and if anything looked the more promising of the two teams, despite Mossley having more of the possession, and when Kenny Strickland had a powerful effort tipped over the crossbar by Mossley keeper Russell Saunders it seemed to make the visitors a little bit cautious.
Chances were few and far between, however, in the 32nd minute it was Skelmersdale that made the first mark and it was a real example of team football at its best. The ball was rolled out to right-back Lewis Field, he released Matty Hughes down the right-hand side at pace, reaching the edge of the penalty area Hughes looked up and pulled the ball back across goal right into the path of a grateful Gary Burnett, who stroked home Skelmersdale’s opener.
Skelmersdale held the psychological advantage and were determined to ram it home too.
In the 40th minute, Burnett chased down the experienced Mossley defender Steve Halford and stole the ball, he crossed to Strickland, but he couldn’t keep the ball under the crossbar.
Mossley may have inflicted two thirds of the pressure but Skelmersdale had had the best chances.
After the interval, Burnett went close again, but then Mossley started to press, but again they found Skelmersdale were stubborn and miserly in defence. The reality was that United goalkeeper Sam Ashton will have far busier afternoons before the season ends.
With the Skelmersdale defence in charge the Mossley equaliser 20 minutes from the end came as something of a surprise. The Mossley left-back Adam Mather lofted a free-kick into the box and Ashton punched, the ball reached the edge of the penalty area and was moved from left to right, while this was going on Ashton got into almost a wrestling match with a Mossley player and by the time Jason Gorton drilled the ball low at goal Ashton was still trying to make up ground as the ball went into the net.
Play became more stretched after the Mossley goal. For the visitors both Sam Hind and Sam Madeley had shots saved by Ashton, while the sponsors (“The Trelleborg Four”) man of the match Antony Hickey had a goalbound shot bravely blocked by a visiting defender.
The longer the game went on the stronger Skelmersdale looked. In the 88th minute Burnett cleverly riddled free of his shadow on the left and fired the ball low into the six yard box, Mike Phenix got to the ball fractionally before keeper Saunders and forced the ball home.
You could argue that Skelmersdale hadn’t played all that well, but they prevented Mossley from creating much at all in front of goal and you could see what Tommy Lawson meant after the game when he said; “ I thought we had the best chances”. Defenders Field and Rob McIntosh had been particularly outstanding for Skelmersdale, while Burnett had always been a threat up front. The result was a great boost from the first of three games in which Skelmersdale face their main rivals at the top of the table and they will go to Trafford on Tuesday and New Mills on Saturday full of confidence.
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Corrigan, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hickey, Woolcott, Hughes (Phenix, 84), Burnett, Bellew (Wright, 45) Subs (not used) Jackson, Morning, Griffiths
MOSSLEY: Saunders, Coo, Mather, Brown, Halford, Gorton, Young A. ©, Gee (Nightingale, 88), Coppin (Madeley, 62), Hind, Denham Subs (not used) Hopper, Haslam, Young D.
Referee: Paul Hodskinson Attendance: 304