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Home > Archive > 2006-07 Season > Match Reports > Rossendale (10.10.06)

2006-2007 Season

Match Reports

Bamber Bridge 5 Rossendale United 0

Northern Premier League 1st Division

at Irongate

Tuesday 10th October 2006

By Dave Rowland

Everything came together on the night for Bamber Bridge as they ran in five without reply against their East Lancashire visitors Rossendale United at Irongate. Despite the score-line Rossy played their part in making this an excellent derby, especially in the first half when they played some scintillating one-touch quality football. However, they came out second best to a Brig side who have been performing well recently without gaining any tangible reward for their endeavours.

After prematurely crashing out of the FA Trophy at the weekend both sides were hoping to pick up from where they had left off in the League. Bamber Bridge were eager to carry over the form which had produced a fine win at Colwyn Bay seven days previously, whilst Rossendale United were hoping to continue on a winning run which has seen them knock in 12 goals from their last three outings in the First Division.

Andy Whittaker made a number of changes to his starting line-up from the ill-fated trip to Shawbridge on Saturday. Ross Bain replaced the injured Rob Myers at right full-back and UCL student Paul Roberts, who was to make an impressive debut, came in to replace Neil Reynolds who took his place on the bench. Danny Mahoney returned to the midfield after injury and Mike Fletcher was moved over to the left to replace Alex Porter who was named as one of the substitutes.

The first half, which was played at a fierce pace throughout, started with both sides going for goal but it was the home side that who were to make the first breakthrough.

After just two minutes of play the visitors showed their teeth and following a lightening raid Phil Edghill fired in on goal but Brig goalkeeper David Newnes dealt with the effort comfortably.

Brig responded in the grand manner and went ahead on 4 minutes.

A fine interchange between newcomer Roberts and Greg Brickell opened up the visitors rearguard and Steve Brown slotted the ball home from close range past exposed ‘Rossy’ goalkeeper Mark Thornley.

A minute later Brickell came close heading just over the ‘Stags’ crossbar from a Brown corner-kick.

Rossendale’s neat one-touch football was causing problems for the home team as the East Lancs side moved forward threateningly and Chris Makay was unlucky to see his shot glide just wide of Newnes left hand post after 10 minutes.

The entertainment continued apace when, at the other end, Brickell brought the best out in Thornley after a Ryan Salmon header had put his fellow striker in on goal.

With both sides showing great skill and passion the visitors almost drew level when a Makay cross was knocked on by former Brig man Neil Zarac but the inrushing Dean Whittal-Williams just failed with a header at the back post.

With chances falling fast and furious at both ends it was only a matter of time before somebody found the net. Thankfully for the Brig faithful it was the homesters who had the Midas-Touch and went two-up on 24 minutes.

Salmon was floored by Whittal-Williams just inside the penalty-box as the young striker bore down on goal and Brickell converted the resultant spot-kick with great authority crashing home into the bottom right hand corner of the net.

Despite this set-back the visitors continued to play with a great deal of energy and drive but were completely undone just before the interval when a searching cross by Steve Brown from deep on the left was touched home by a jubilant Danny Mahoney for Brig’s third of the night. Mahoney unfortunately received a yellow card for his over-exuberance when celebrating the goal.

Whilst Bamber Bridge fully deserved their interval lead, you couldn’t help feeling a certain amount of sympathy for Rossendale who had contributed so much to an exhilarating first 45 minutes.

Matt Edington should have done better for the visitors straight after the break flashing his shot past the post after being put in when Zarac headed on an Adam Cook cross from the left.

Not surprisingly, the pace of the game was less frenetic in the second period but Brig kept up the pressure and Mahoney created two great chances for his colleagues. The first on 55 minutes saw his well directed free-kick headed narrowly over by Brickell and a minute later his pin-point cross was fired wide of goal by substitute Alex Porter.

The steam had all but disappeared from the visitors and Bamber Bridge took advantage to run in two more goals within seven minutes.

In a chase for a fine Steve Brown through ball on 61 minutes Brickell robbed Thornley on the bye line and rolled the ball into the unprotected net for his second of the night. Then on 68 minutes Mahoney also got his second when converting a fiercely struck Porter cross from the left as the ‘Stags’ caved in.

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Bain, King, Squires, K Brown, Roberts (Reynolds 76mins), S Brown (Noon 81mins), Mahoney, Salmon (Porter 47mins), Brickell, Fletcher

Goals: Brown (4 mins), Brickell (24 & 61 mins), Mahoney (44 & 68 mins)

Attendance: 177