Post by Kev Panther on Oct 22, 2017 9:18:23 GMT
GOOLE AFC 3 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 3
By Simon Driscoll
SPIRITED SKEM DENIED BY GOALKEEPER
It was a big day for Skelmersdale United at the Pleasure Grounds, after their poor run of form it was a game that they couldn’t afford to lose, it was the first game of new manager Dave Powell’s reign and it saw a number of changes to the team, three new signings starting and another two on the bench.
By the final whistle Skelmersdale had fought hard for a point, equalising three times and coming desperately close to winning in the last moments. The game had been a scrappy affair, but that could be excused, the second-half was played in driving rain and it was a day for the artisan, mainly because of what was at stake for both teams rather than poor play. It was a game that’s saw both teams not prepared to give an inch. They also met a goalkeeper in exceptional form.
The game didn’t start well for Skem; Goole grabbed an eighth minute lead. Home goalkeeper Ben Saynor kicked the ball the length of the pitch, number nine Scott Smith headed it on and Marcus Edwards found himself beyond the Skelmersdale defence, from an angle he slipped the ball low into the Skem goal with a cross-shot.
Skelmersdale soon pushed to level matters, Lewis Codling had a dipping shot tipped over the crossbar while Andy Owens fired wide from 25 yards.
It was noticeable that Owens was causing a great deal of consternation in the home defence and when a free-kick was hoisted into the Goole penalty area on 21 minutes he tangled with home defender Alex Varley, although goalkeeper Saynor cleanly gathered the ball, the referee pointed to the penalty spot, the likely reason was that Owens had been held. After a period of debate involving mainly Goole players and the referee, Owens drove the ball low to keeper Saynor’s left-hand side to make it 1-1.
It took Goole just six minutes to restore their lead. Piteu Crouz won the ball in the middle and quickly slipped the it down the inside-right channel, Edwards set off at pace and after holding off Callum Jones he fired the ball low across Jack Sims into the far corner to make it 2-1.
On the half-hour Codling put an effort wide, then in the five minutes before the interval, first Michael Vaughan-Muscat put in a tremendous header to clear from a right-wing cross, then Edwards fired over the crossbar after some hesitancy over a bouncing ball.
Goole had probably just about edged the first-half, but it was only just about.
Dave Powell’s first interval team talk had been a good one and Skelmersdale looked more purposeful after the restart. On 47 minutes Jason Jeffries was unlucky to have a powerful drive cleared off the line, but for a spell the game did get a bit bad tempered.
In the 61st minute Skelmersdale got their second equaliser plus got the bonus of Goole being reduced to ten men. Alaster Redmayne put in a low cross from the right and it created havoc, a defender got in Saynor’s way and the keeper spilled the ball, Owens pounced and his shot was definitely on target when it was handled on the line by Goole’s Jake Stannard, a second penalty was awarded and quite rightly Stannard was sent-off. This time from the spot Owens elected to send Saynor the wrong way, the method worked and it was 2-2.
Saynor made a pair of top drawer saves on 68 & 72 minutes as Skelmersdale swept forwards looking for a winner, first Owens was kept out, then Redmayne was thwarted by a one handed block.
Goole were now relying on counterattacks and on one such move they won a free-kick on the right. The ball was hoisted into the goalmouth a Skem defender headed the ball on and Varley had a free header at the far post to make it 3-2 to Goole on 75 minutes, but only after a consultation between the referee and his assistant.
Skelmersdale were now dominant, but they still couldn’t find a way past keeper Saynor and when they did they missed the target. Saynor was then announced as the Man of the Match and not one person on the ground disagreed.
With a minute left on the clock Skem went on the offensive again, Arnold Baxendale crossed Codling shot and surprise, surprise Saynor saved, only this time the ball ran free to substitute Razzaq Coleman De-Graft, the debutant made a name for himself by calmly slotting home to make it 3-3. It was the least Skelmersdale deserved.
However, you can’t keep a good man down. In added time Saynor saved twice from Codling, one a magnificent save. It had been a frustrating day for Dave Powell, but he must have drawn many positives from it.
GOOLE AFC: Saynor, Stannard, Jeff, Barwick, Varley, Parkinson, Williams, Bloor ©, Smith, Edwards (Morton, 84), Crouz (Constable, 76) Subs (not used) Gommersall, Shelley, Rose
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Sims, Mooney, Jeffries, Vaughan-Muscat, Hollett ©, Jones (Baxendale, 85), Redmayne, Crook (Smith C. 81), Owens, Codling, Burey (Coleman de-graft, 57) Sub (not used) Cringle
Referee: I Jackson
Attendance: 155
By Simon Driscoll
SPIRITED SKEM DENIED BY GOALKEEPER
It was a big day for Skelmersdale United at the Pleasure Grounds, after their poor run of form it was a game that they couldn’t afford to lose, it was the first game of new manager Dave Powell’s reign and it saw a number of changes to the team, three new signings starting and another two on the bench.
By the final whistle Skelmersdale had fought hard for a point, equalising three times and coming desperately close to winning in the last moments. The game had been a scrappy affair, but that could be excused, the second-half was played in driving rain and it was a day for the artisan, mainly because of what was at stake for both teams rather than poor play. It was a game that’s saw both teams not prepared to give an inch. They also met a goalkeeper in exceptional form.
The game didn’t start well for Skem; Goole grabbed an eighth minute lead. Home goalkeeper Ben Saynor kicked the ball the length of the pitch, number nine Scott Smith headed it on and Marcus Edwards found himself beyond the Skelmersdale defence, from an angle he slipped the ball low into the Skem goal with a cross-shot.
Skelmersdale soon pushed to level matters, Lewis Codling had a dipping shot tipped over the crossbar while Andy Owens fired wide from 25 yards.
It was noticeable that Owens was causing a great deal of consternation in the home defence and when a free-kick was hoisted into the Goole penalty area on 21 minutes he tangled with home defender Alex Varley, although goalkeeper Saynor cleanly gathered the ball, the referee pointed to the penalty spot, the likely reason was that Owens had been held. After a period of debate involving mainly Goole players and the referee, Owens drove the ball low to keeper Saynor’s left-hand side to make it 1-1.
It took Goole just six minutes to restore their lead. Piteu Crouz won the ball in the middle and quickly slipped the it down the inside-right channel, Edwards set off at pace and after holding off Callum Jones he fired the ball low across Jack Sims into the far corner to make it 2-1.
On the half-hour Codling put an effort wide, then in the five minutes before the interval, first Michael Vaughan-Muscat put in a tremendous header to clear from a right-wing cross, then Edwards fired over the crossbar after some hesitancy over a bouncing ball.
Goole had probably just about edged the first-half, but it was only just about.
Dave Powell’s first interval team talk had been a good one and Skelmersdale looked more purposeful after the restart. On 47 minutes Jason Jeffries was unlucky to have a powerful drive cleared off the line, but for a spell the game did get a bit bad tempered.
In the 61st minute Skelmersdale got their second equaliser plus got the bonus of Goole being reduced to ten men. Alaster Redmayne put in a low cross from the right and it created havoc, a defender got in Saynor’s way and the keeper spilled the ball, Owens pounced and his shot was definitely on target when it was handled on the line by Goole’s Jake Stannard, a second penalty was awarded and quite rightly Stannard was sent-off. This time from the spot Owens elected to send Saynor the wrong way, the method worked and it was 2-2.
Saynor made a pair of top drawer saves on 68 & 72 minutes as Skelmersdale swept forwards looking for a winner, first Owens was kept out, then Redmayne was thwarted by a one handed block.
Goole were now relying on counterattacks and on one such move they won a free-kick on the right. The ball was hoisted into the goalmouth a Skem defender headed the ball on and Varley had a free header at the far post to make it 3-2 to Goole on 75 minutes, but only after a consultation between the referee and his assistant.
Skelmersdale were now dominant, but they still couldn’t find a way past keeper Saynor and when they did they missed the target. Saynor was then announced as the Man of the Match and not one person on the ground disagreed.
With a minute left on the clock Skem went on the offensive again, Arnold Baxendale crossed Codling shot and surprise, surprise Saynor saved, only this time the ball ran free to substitute Razzaq Coleman De-Graft, the debutant made a name for himself by calmly slotting home to make it 3-3. It was the least Skelmersdale deserved.
However, you can’t keep a good man down. In added time Saynor saved twice from Codling, one a magnificent save. It had been a frustrating day for Dave Powell, but he must have drawn many positives from it.
GOOLE AFC: Saynor, Stannard, Jeff, Barwick, Varley, Parkinson, Williams, Bloor ©, Smith, Edwards (Morton, 84), Crouz (Constable, 76) Subs (not used) Gommersall, Shelley, Rose
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Sims, Mooney, Jeffries, Vaughan-Muscat, Hollett ©, Jones (Baxendale, 85), Redmayne, Crook (Smith C. 81), Owens, Codling, Burey (Coleman de-graft, 57) Sub (not used) Cringle
Referee: I Jackson
Attendance: 155