Post by Kev Panther on Feb 18, 2013 19:30:15 GMT
A VALUABLE POINT FOR SKELMERSDALE
NEW MILLS 1 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
There are times in football when a draw is a good result for a team, even a team that has only failed to win three of their previous twenty one league games; this without doubt was one of those occasions for Tommy Lawson’s Skelmersdale United side. From United’s perspective, faced with one of the two teams who are best set to catch them (that arguably had to win on the day), on a tight, boggy pitch against a physically stronger team and on the back of two very hard games in the previous seven days, a point was a wonderful result. Skelmersdale in the last four games have tackled four crucial games and have emerged with ten points.
Skelmersdale didn’t have the best of it in the first-half, but they still almost grabbed the lead inside fifty seconds, as only a superb save by home goalkeeper Dave Stevenson denied striker Gary Burnett.
However, in the sixth minute New Mills took the lead. Chris Luby was sent away at pace down the right-wing, from where he pulled the ball back across to the far post, finding Dave Fitzpatrick who fired into the roof of the net.
It was almost 2-0 in the 14th minute. A slip on the pitch allowed Carlos Meakin a clear run on goal, but with a save right out of the top-drawer Skelmersdale goalkeeper Sam Ashton kept him at bay with an outstretched left leg.
Skelmersdale tightened things up and bit by bit they clawed their way back into the game and in the 21st minute Mark Jackson went close with a header.
New Mills were now playing counterattack football and but for a brave block they may well have converted one of their breaks in the 33rd minute via Luke Horrocks.
Before the interval Skelmersdale went close twice, first via Jackson then Rob McIntosh put a header over the crossbar.
It took Skelmersdale precisely five minutes of the second-half to level matters. Kenny Strickland slipped a magnificent ball inside the home left-back with the outside of his foot, putting Matty Hughes away for a one on one with keeper Stevenson, this time the home custodian had no chance as the nippy forward blasted the ball into the net.
The destination of the points was now up for grabs and a bookmaker would be scratching his head to name a favourite.
In the 54th minute Antony Hickey shot wide of the Millers goal, then Strickland sent a free-kick fizzing over the crossbar. But down the other end Ashton saved well from Daniel Grimshaw.
Hughes was causing problems with his pace, but New Mills are a powerful team and their forwards were causing different problems for Skelmersdale.
Twice Burnett went close, the latter of the two efforts created by Hughes, but unfortunately the young striker chose to round the keeper when he might have been better to shoot. Just to keep the balance though, home substitute James Hampson headed wide of the United goal.
In added time former Skelmersdale player Dave Chadwick went close with a header, but by then that would have been an injustice, as no one deserved to lose this one.
Skelmersdale had bravely faced up to the challenge and New Mills had given their best in what was a thriller to watch. There is every chance they will meet again, next season.
After the match Tommy Lawson was very pleased and he emphasized just how well his Skelmersdale players have responded to what could easily have been a nightmare run of games that have actually stamped his teams credentials firmly on the football map. Tommy said; “When I looked at the fixtures and saw what we faced in back to back games, I knew we had to be thoroughly prepared and the players knew too, they have dug deep into their own personal resolve and bodies to achieve what we have in the last fortnight and I must thank them. . . . If someone had told me we would have got ten out of the twelve points available I would have been happy, but the way we have done it has absolutely delighted me.”
NEW MILLS: Stevenson, Say (Graham, 85), Fitzpatrick, Grimshaw, Chadwick, Bowler, Meakin ©, Young (Innes, 87), Luby, Douglas-Pringle (Hampson, 59), Horrocks Subs (not used) Fish, Weston
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Corrigan, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hickey (Morning, 81), Woolcott, Jackson (Phenix, 75), Burnett, Hughes Subs (not used) Wright, McCartney, Griffiths
Referee: James Wilson (Stockport)
Attendance: 252
NEW MILLS 1 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
There are times in football when a draw is a good result for a team, even a team that has only failed to win three of their previous twenty one league games; this without doubt was one of those occasions for Tommy Lawson’s Skelmersdale United side. From United’s perspective, faced with one of the two teams who are best set to catch them (that arguably had to win on the day), on a tight, boggy pitch against a physically stronger team and on the back of two very hard games in the previous seven days, a point was a wonderful result. Skelmersdale in the last four games have tackled four crucial games and have emerged with ten points.
Skelmersdale didn’t have the best of it in the first-half, but they still almost grabbed the lead inside fifty seconds, as only a superb save by home goalkeeper Dave Stevenson denied striker Gary Burnett.
However, in the sixth minute New Mills took the lead. Chris Luby was sent away at pace down the right-wing, from where he pulled the ball back across to the far post, finding Dave Fitzpatrick who fired into the roof of the net.
It was almost 2-0 in the 14th minute. A slip on the pitch allowed Carlos Meakin a clear run on goal, but with a save right out of the top-drawer Skelmersdale goalkeeper Sam Ashton kept him at bay with an outstretched left leg.
Skelmersdale tightened things up and bit by bit they clawed their way back into the game and in the 21st minute Mark Jackson went close with a header.
New Mills were now playing counterattack football and but for a brave block they may well have converted one of their breaks in the 33rd minute via Luke Horrocks.
Before the interval Skelmersdale went close twice, first via Jackson then Rob McIntosh put a header over the crossbar.
It took Skelmersdale precisely five minutes of the second-half to level matters. Kenny Strickland slipped a magnificent ball inside the home left-back with the outside of his foot, putting Matty Hughes away for a one on one with keeper Stevenson, this time the home custodian had no chance as the nippy forward blasted the ball into the net.
The destination of the points was now up for grabs and a bookmaker would be scratching his head to name a favourite.
In the 54th minute Antony Hickey shot wide of the Millers goal, then Strickland sent a free-kick fizzing over the crossbar. But down the other end Ashton saved well from Daniel Grimshaw.
Hughes was causing problems with his pace, but New Mills are a powerful team and their forwards were causing different problems for Skelmersdale.
Twice Burnett went close, the latter of the two efforts created by Hughes, but unfortunately the young striker chose to round the keeper when he might have been better to shoot. Just to keep the balance though, home substitute James Hampson headed wide of the United goal.
In added time former Skelmersdale player Dave Chadwick went close with a header, but by then that would have been an injustice, as no one deserved to lose this one.
Skelmersdale had bravely faced up to the challenge and New Mills had given their best in what was a thriller to watch. There is every chance they will meet again, next season.
After the match Tommy Lawson was very pleased and he emphasized just how well his Skelmersdale players have responded to what could easily have been a nightmare run of games that have actually stamped his teams credentials firmly on the football map. Tommy said; “When I looked at the fixtures and saw what we faced in back to back games, I knew we had to be thoroughly prepared and the players knew too, they have dug deep into their own personal resolve and bodies to achieve what we have in the last fortnight and I must thank them. . . . If someone had told me we would have got ten out of the twelve points available I would have been happy, but the way we have done it has absolutely delighted me.”
NEW MILLS: Stevenson, Say (Graham, 85), Fitzpatrick, Grimshaw, Chadwick, Bowler, Meakin ©, Young (Innes, 87), Luby, Douglas-Pringle (Hampson, 59), Horrocks Subs (not used) Fish, Weston
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Corrigan, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hickey (Morning, 81), Woolcott, Jackson (Phenix, 75), Burnett, Hughes Subs (not used) Wright, McCartney, Griffiths
Referee: James Wilson (Stockport)
Attendance: 252