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Home > Archive > 2006-07 Season > Match Reports > Prescot Cables (28.11.06)

2006-2007 Season

Match Reports

Bamber Bridge 2 Prescot Cables 1 (After extra-time)

Northern Premier League Challenge Cup 2nd Round

at Irongate

Tuesday 28th November 2006

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge collected their second Premier Division scalp in this seasons League Challenge Cup competition when overcoming Prescot Cables by 2-1 in extra-time at Irongate after having disposed of Radcliffe Borough by an impressive 6-3 score-line in the First Round at the end of October. Brig came back from a goal behind in extra-time to move through to the Third Round with debutant Mark Edmeads grabbing the winner.

Both sides took a welcome break from league action with Brig hoping to put the 1-3 defeat at home to league leaders Buxton on the 18th November well behind them. The Irongate club were also looking forward to a return to the fray after their last two games had fallen foul of the recent bout of wet weather. The Merseyside club were hoping to continue on a winning streak after having beaten Ashton United 1-0 in the Premier Division on Saturday at Valerie Park.

Brig manager Andy Whittaker made five changes to his line-up from the Buxton game. The entire central defence were unavailable with Jamie Squires suspended and George Melling and Kevin Brown out through injury. Striker Ryan Salmon was also suspended and Greg Brickell was released during the week. Back from injury were defenders James Archer and Robin Myers. Midfielder Steve Brown returned after being unavailable recently due to work commitments. Making his first full debut was Mark Edmeads who has been outstanding recently for the Lancashire League side. Veteran striker Neil Spencer was selected to lead the line.

Bamber Bridge came out of the blocks with a vengeance and almost scored twice in the opening few minutes. A finely executed through ball by Danny Mahoney put Spencer in on goal after just 3 minutes but the strikers effort was blocked at point-blank range by Cables goalkeeper Ryan McMahon. Then ten minutes later following a neat interchange between Karl Noon and Spencer, Steve Brown fired just wide of McMahon’s left hand post.

The visitors were finding it hard to settle as Bamber Bridge went about their business with some purpose. Indeed, Brig looked more comfortable on the ball as they dominated much of the midfield, being well served by Alex Porter, Steve Brown and Mark Edmeads. It was made apparent from the word go that the South Ribble boys were not going to be overawed by their loftier opponents.

Very little was seen of the Merseysiders as an attacking unit and on the half-hour mark they were lucky not to have conceded when former Cables man Noon skimmed the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the penalty box.

Prescot continued to look disjointed and Spencer almost sneaked a goal after 38 minutes when he turned and shot just wide with McMahon well beaten. Spencer should really have put Brig in front just prior to the break when McMahon saved with his legs when the Brig man fluffed his lines from six yards out.

Whilst not posing any genuine threat in the first 45 minutes, the visitors came out fighting in the second period and nearly scored twice in as many minutes. Gary Jensen found Eammon Price in space virtually straight from the kick-off, but the wingman failed to capitalise and on 47 minutes Jensen got on the end of a smart Lee Smith pass, but Brig goalkeeper David Newnes was quickly off his line to snuff out the danger.

Despite this early threat Bamber Bridge soon regained the upper hand and Noon was unlucky to see his shot cleared off the line by a defender after a sparkling run down the left.

The Brig youngsters battled on with Spencer and Porter going close with reasonable efforts before Cables responded and Newnes was called upon to thwart Price when bravely diving at the wingman’s feet to smother the danger on 85 minutes.

Just before the end of normal time Cables were reduced to ten men when central defender Karl Bell left the field with a back injury. Unfortunately for the visitors they had used all their substitutes.

Despite this Cables got their noses in front five minutes into extra-time when Mahoney felled Price in the penalty area. Substitute Dean Thurston confidently fired the resultant spot-kick past Newnes.

Within two minutes Brig equalised when Steve Brown sent in a screamer from fully 25 yards out after a Porter corner had been knocked back to him. Then on 102 minutes the game was won when Brown found Ince out wide on the right and his cross was met by Edmeads who showed great composure when slotting home from ten yards past the stranded McMahon much to the delight of the home following.

The ten men battled on gallantly and almost equalised in the second period of extra-time when Price headed narrowly over after a pin-point cross from Smith.

Brig should have had a third goal just before the end when substitute David Campbell missed in front of an open goal after a Noon cross from the right had found him completely in the clear.

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Mahoney, Archer (Roberts 111mins), Myers (Ince 81mins), Fleming, Fletcher, S Brown, Edmeads, Spencer (Campbell 100mins), Noon, Porter

Goals: Brown (97 mins), Edmeades (102 mins)

Attendance: 108