Post by Kev Panther on Apr 11, 2014 17:31:18 GMT
THE INJURIES CATCH UP WITH SKELMERSDALE
BARWELL 5 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Skelmersdale were without nine players as they visited Barwell, forcing manager Tommy Lawson to field seven teenagers in his starting line-up and leaving only having two fit outfield substitutes. So going 2-0 down inside six minutes was the last thing they needed.
In the fifth minute, Connor Gudger played a diagonal ball behind the Skelmersdale defence to Nigel Julien, who fired the ball into the far corner of the net.
When you are a goal down the last thing you need is bad luck and because is all you can say about the second goal a minute later. A shot from the left hand side hit three players before finding its way into the net through a crowded penalty area, the last Tom Hardwick.
Faced with a huge handicap Skelmersdale came back. In the 15th minute a free-kick was headed down Dean Astbury saw his shot hit a post with the home defence well beaten.
In the 29th minute Astbury saw a shot deflected for a corner, from which Barwell goalkeeper Liam Castle saved at Hardwick’s feet.
Skelmersdale were going well and the last thing they needed was another body blow, it came in the 45th minute. Jonah O’Reilly lost the ball in a late challenge that left him in obvious pain on the floor, as the referee ignored Skelmersdale’s claims the ball ran on and a powerful shot was saved by Conor Mitchell, Gudger snapped up the rebound.
Skelmersdale started the second-half brightly and pressed hard, but Barwell could defend and hit Skelmersdale on the break, they did in the 55th minute producing a tremendous goal. Impressive Barwell midfielder Jack Edwards lofted the ball up, Luke Barlone headed it down and Gudger swept it into the net with a powerful effort to kill off any lingering Skelmersdale hopes.
In the 61st minute Barwell got a fifth, Ben Love netting from long distance.
To their absolute credit Skelmersdale didn’t stop and they stuck to their footballing principles too. By the end they could say that the margin of defeat didn’t reflect the balance of play. And they would be right.
In the latter stages Sean Miller had a chip saved by Castle, then substitute Aaron Turner showed that he is gradually recovering from his long term injury by having an effort headed off the line.
Tommy Lawson will have a number of his missing players back on Saturday against Stamford, one player who might well retain a shirt though is seventeen year old Danny Owens, who after a bit of a shaky start showed that there is a man on those young shoulders by shrugging things off and putting in a great personal performance that labels him as another very promising player on the Lawson conveyor belt.
BARWELL: Castle, Lower, Capaldi (Griffiths, 68), Preston, Hood (Hadland, 76), Lavery ©, Edwards, Love (Brehon, 82), Barlone, Julien, Gudger Subs (not used) Weale, Garner
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Mitchell, Owens, O’Reilly, Hardwick ©, Wylie, Dunn, Miller, Burton (Turner, 22), Astbury (Strickland, 76), McCarthy (Carden, 85), Holden Subs (not used) Field, Paxton
Referee: Grant Taylor
Attendance: 137
BARWELL 5 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Skelmersdale were without nine players as they visited Barwell, forcing manager Tommy Lawson to field seven teenagers in his starting line-up and leaving only having two fit outfield substitutes. So going 2-0 down inside six minutes was the last thing they needed.
In the fifth minute, Connor Gudger played a diagonal ball behind the Skelmersdale defence to Nigel Julien, who fired the ball into the far corner of the net.
When you are a goal down the last thing you need is bad luck and because is all you can say about the second goal a minute later. A shot from the left hand side hit three players before finding its way into the net through a crowded penalty area, the last Tom Hardwick.
Faced with a huge handicap Skelmersdale came back. In the 15th minute a free-kick was headed down Dean Astbury saw his shot hit a post with the home defence well beaten.
In the 29th minute Astbury saw a shot deflected for a corner, from which Barwell goalkeeper Liam Castle saved at Hardwick’s feet.
Skelmersdale were going well and the last thing they needed was another body blow, it came in the 45th minute. Jonah O’Reilly lost the ball in a late challenge that left him in obvious pain on the floor, as the referee ignored Skelmersdale’s claims the ball ran on and a powerful shot was saved by Conor Mitchell, Gudger snapped up the rebound.
Skelmersdale started the second-half brightly and pressed hard, but Barwell could defend and hit Skelmersdale on the break, they did in the 55th minute producing a tremendous goal. Impressive Barwell midfielder Jack Edwards lofted the ball up, Luke Barlone headed it down and Gudger swept it into the net with a powerful effort to kill off any lingering Skelmersdale hopes.
In the 61st minute Barwell got a fifth, Ben Love netting from long distance.
To their absolute credit Skelmersdale didn’t stop and they stuck to their footballing principles too. By the end they could say that the margin of defeat didn’t reflect the balance of play. And they would be right.
In the latter stages Sean Miller had a chip saved by Castle, then substitute Aaron Turner showed that he is gradually recovering from his long term injury by having an effort headed off the line.
Tommy Lawson will have a number of his missing players back on Saturday against Stamford, one player who might well retain a shirt though is seventeen year old Danny Owens, who after a bit of a shaky start showed that there is a man on those young shoulders by shrugging things off and putting in a great personal performance that labels him as another very promising player on the Lawson conveyor belt.
BARWELL: Castle, Lower, Capaldi (Griffiths, 68), Preston, Hood (Hadland, 76), Lavery ©, Edwards, Love (Brehon, 82), Barlone, Julien, Gudger Subs (not used) Weale, Garner
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Mitchell, Owens, O’Reilly, Hardwick ©, Wylie, Dunn, Miller, Burton (Turner, 22), Astbury (Strickland, 76), McCarthy (Carden, 85), Holden Subs (not used) Field, Paxton
Referee: Grant Taylor
Attendance: 137