Post by Kev Panther on Mar 27, 2013 19:12:19 GMT
“LET’S TURN TONIGHT INTO A POSITIVE ON SATURDAY”
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1 TRAFFORD 2
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Skelmersdale United lost their unbeaten home record for the season in a close game of not many chances that arguably saw the cards fall the visitor’s way at the West Lancashire College Stadium. Trafford proved what many have thought all season, they are probably the second best team in the Evo-Stik Division One North and although they are not now because of dropping points elsewhere, they posed Skelmersdale’s biggest threat. After the game Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson was not down cast, he said; “If somebody had told me we would only lose our third league game of the season in the last week in March I would have been delighted. We will go home have a think and let’s turn tonight into a positive on Saturday.”
As you would expect with two of the best teams in the division going head to head the first half hour was close tight and competitive, in the opening minute Skelmersdale striker Gary Burnett was only foiled by Trafford goalkeeper Tom Read via a block tackle some twenty five yards from goal, while the same man made a good diving save from United’s Matty Hughes in the 14th minute.
There was a frantic two minutes around the half-hour mark. Initially the ball was lost on the Skelmersdale right wing, which forced Skelmersdale central defender Rob McIntosh to move across and cover the space, this left a gap in the centre that Will Ahern flicked the ball into finding Michael Oates who ran on and beat Sam Ashton.
Within two minutes, Paul Woolcott turned his marker in the middle of the pitch and set Antony Hickey away at pace, after carrying the ball around twenty yards he beat Read from 18 yards to equalise.
There was only one more opportunity before the interval. A Kenny Strickland free-kick was lofted to the far post, McIntosh headed the ball back across goal and from an extremely acute angle Burnett couldn’t quite force the ball home.
The second-half was more of the same, it was enthralling, both teams playing some excellent football, but both teams successfully blocking out much of the penalty area excitement.
Woolcott had a goalbound 50th minute effort changed down by a defender and down the other end Ashton made a good 73rd minute save from Martyn Andrews. Then after a foul on Hughes by Nia Bayunu, Strickland saw his free-kick go over the crossbar.
The crucial goal arrived on eighty minutes from what looked a rehearsed movement. A quickly worked free-kick on the left saw the ball delivered to Bayunu some 15 yards from goal, he swept an instant shot at goal that went into the net.
The last ten minutes were dominated by Skelmersdale. Josh Hine put a half-chance just wide, then Hughes was tackled from behind in the penalty area and no spot was awarded, it was an interpretation situation, but it could comfortably be said that Skelmersdale were unlucky not to get a penalty.
The league table still says that Skelmersdale lead Ramsbottom by fourteen points, so be it with no game in hand now, if they play as well in other games as they did against Trafford, they should have no problems. Six of Skelmersdale’s last ten games of the season are against teams from the lower half of the table.
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Holden, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hughes, Woolcott, Burnett (Phenix, 71), Hine, Hickey (Morning, 85) Subs (not used) Evans, Wright, Jackson
TRAFFORD: Read, Brown, Smart, Mason, Bayunu ©, Palmer (Shipton, 81), Fallon, Andrews, Oates (Whight, 77), Ahern, Ashton Subs (not used) Schofield, Gallanders, Landregan
Referee: Mark Cunliffe
Attendance: 162
SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1 TRAFFORD 2
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Skelmersdale United lost their unbeaten home record for the season in a close game of not many chances that arguably saw the cards fall the visitor’s way at the West Lancashire College Stadium. Trafford proved what many have thought all season, they are probably the second best team in the Evo-Stik Division One North and although they are not now because of dropping points elsewhere, they posed Skelmersdale’s biggest threat. After the game Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson was not down cast, he said; “If somebody had told me we would only lose our third league game of the season in the last week in March I would have been delighted. We will go home have a think and let’s turn tonight into a positive on Saturday.”
As you would expect with two of the best teams in the division going head to head the first half hour was close tight and competitive, in the opening minute Skelmersdale striker Gary Burnett was only foiled by Trafford goalkeeper Tom Read via a block tackle some twenty five yards from goal, while the same man made a good diving save from United’s Matty Hughes in the 14th minute.
There was a frantic two minutes around the half-hour mark. Initially the ball was lost on the Skelmersdale right wing, which forced Skelmersdale central defender Rob McIntosh to move across and cover the space, this left a gap in the centre that Will Ahern flicked the ball into finding Michael Oates who ran on and beat Sam Ashton.
Within two minutes, Paul Woolcott turned his marker in the middle of the pitch and set Antony Hickey away at pace, after carrying the ball around twenty yards he beat Read from 18 yards to equalise.
There was only one more opportunity before the interval. A Kenny Strickland free-kick was lofted to the far post, McIntosh headed the ball back across goal and from an extremely acute angle Burnett couldn’t quite force the ball home.
The second-half was more of the same, it was enthralling, both teams playing some excellent football, but both teams successfully blocking out much of the penalty area excitement.
Woolcott had a goalbound 50th minute effort changed down by a defender and down the other end Ashton made a good 73rd minute save from Martyn Andrews. Then after a foul on Hughes by Nia Bayunu, Strickland saw his free-kick go over the crossbar.
The crucial goal arrived on eighty minutes from what looked a rehearsed movement. A quickly worked free-kick on the left saw the ball delivered to Bayunu some 15 yards from goal, he swept an instant shot at goal that went into the net.
The last ten minutes were dominated by Skelmersdale. Josh Hine put a half-chance just wide, then Hughes was tackled from behind in the penalty area and no spot was awarded, it was an interpretation situation, but it could comfortably be said that Skelmersdale were unlucky not to get a penalty.
The league table still says that Skelmersdale lead Ramsbottom by fourteen points, so be it with no game in hand now, if they play as well in other games as they did against Trafford, they should have no problems. Six of Skelmersdale’s last ten games of the season are against teams from the lower half of the table.
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Holden, Hardwick ©, McIntosh, Strickland, Hughes, Woolcott, Burnett (Phenix, 71), Hine, Hickey (Morning, 85) Subs (not used) Evans, Wright, Jackson
TRAFFORD: Read, Brown, Smart, Mason, Bayunu ©, Palmer (Shipton, 81), Fallon, Andrews, Oates (Whight, 77), Ahern, Ashton Subs (not used) Schofield, Gallanders, Landregan
Referee: Mark Cunliffe
Attendance: 162
