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Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Skelmersdale United (01.01.08)

MATCH REPORT

Skelmersdale United 4 Bamber Bridge 0

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Ashley Travel Stadium

Tuesday 1st January 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge’s Christmas misery was complete after another confidence sapping derby defeat, this time by 0-4 at the hands of a rampant Skelmersdale United team bubbling with energy and enthusiasm. The visitors were quite simply blown away by a team full of running and endeavour. And yet, it could have been oh so different. The South Ribble side should have taken advantage of a 23rd minute penalty which was saved by stand-in goalkeeper Aaron Turner after first choice keeper Ryan McMahon had been sent-off. Then following this, a failure to make the extra man count proved disastrous. Missing was the self-assurance that has been so much a feature of their pre-festive performances and disappointingly a lack of discipline, which saw a sorry Brig reduced to nine men before the day was out.

Brig arrived at the Ashley Travel Stadium smarting from two straight derby defeats against Chorley and Lancaster City over the festive season. However, they were keen to record a victory in what was billed as a ‘six-pointer’. Nevertheless, they knew that they had their work cut out. Their hosts, Skelmersdale United, replaced Brig in third position in the First Division North table on Saturday following an excellent 1-0 win at Newcastle Blue Star. Tommy Lawson’s side are the form team in the northern section of the First Division at present, having won ten and drawn one of their last 11 league and cup games; including the 2-0 win over League 1 side Tranmere Rovers in the Liverpool Senior Cup on the 11th December.

Phil Entwistle made four changes, two of them positional, to his line-up from the game at Giant axe at the weekend. Glenn Steel was again moved to full-back allowing George Melling to take up the centre-half berth in the absence of the injured Adam Tong. Paul McMenemy returned to the colours after missing the Lancaster game with a cold and Matty Mahoney was pushed back into a more familiar roll in midfield. Former ‘Skem’ striker Dave Eaton was preferred at the front in place of Sean O’Neil who was named as one of the substitutes.

‘Skem’ laid siege to the Brig goal from the off and almost went in front after only two minutes play when Shaun Foster’s centre flew across the face of goal and was fired into the side-netting by Sean McConville at the back post. Brig goalkeeper Terry McCormick, who was kept busy all afternoon, then raced quickly from his goal to deny George Donnelly as the ‘Blues’ striker shaped up to shoot from just six yards out before Aaron Turner had a goal ruled out for offside.

It was no surprise therefore, when United took the lead on 10 minutes. Sean McConville split the visiting defence with a neat through-ball into the path of DONNELLY, and the ‘Skem’ front runner drew McCormick from his line before firing home with confidence.

Now with their tails up, ‘Skem’ began to steamroll their opponents and the visitors were not allowed to regroup before United got a second seven minutes later. Full-back Tom Hardwick made some ground down the left flank before finding McConville in space. McComville in turn laid the ball off to midfielder PHIL HOLLAND who finished off the move in fine style driving effortlessly past the exposed McCormick. Brig were being overwhelmed and almost conceded a third goal on 20 minutes when Kevin Leadbetter fired narrowly wide following some intelligent work by Donnelly.

The visitors were given a great chance to get back into the game on 23 minutes when ’Skem’ goalkeeper Ryan McMahon brought down Dave Eaton in the penalty area and was dismissed for his trouble. However, stand in custodian Aaron Turner made a magnificent save diving to his left to palm away Alex Porter’s well struck spot-kick.

As was to be expected, the visitors began to show signs of recovery as the home side took a little time to reassemble themselves. However, they still looked in control and McConville came close with a speculative shot from distance but McCormick gathered the effort from underneath his crossbar.

Brig were unlucky when Ryan Salmon volleyed over a Danny Mahoney cross on 39 minutes as the South Ribble side began to make some meaningful inroads for the first time in the match. However, a neat bit of football and some clinical finishing by the ten men completely undermined the visitors just prior to the break.

McConville got away down the right on 40 minutes before delivering a fine cross from the bye-line and DONNELLY was on hand to finish off the move from close range despite the attention of several Brig defenders.

The second half started on a much quieter note but more drama lay in store for the New Years Day crowd. A McConville ‘goal’ was ruled out for offside on 55 minutes and despite being down to ten men, ‘Skem’ continued to dictate the pace.

Bamber Bridge came close on the hour mark after a short period of pressure when Steve Williams was just inches away from reaching a Porter corner-kick. Then Sean O’Neil drove just past an upright following a neat lay-off by Neil Spencer who had just come on as substitute for Dave Eaton.

McCormick twice denied ’Skem’ when keeping out well struck efforts by Donnelly and Leadbetter after more enterprising play by the home team.

Bamber Bridge were reduced to ten men themselves on 73 minutes when central defender Steve Williams was sent-off when receiving his second yellow card after upending Leadbetter. Things got exceedingly worse for the visitors three minutes later when they conceded a penalty and were reduced to nine men when full-back Paul McMenemy was sent-off following an altercation with an opponent. Former Southport and Burscough man KEVIN LEADBETTER dispatched the resultant spot-kick with confidence to put United four goals to the good.

Sadly, for Bamber Bridge it was a day to forget.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Steel, McMenemy, Williams, Melling, M Mahoney (Fletcher 61mins), Edmeads (O’Neil 33mins), D Mahoney, Salmon, Eaton (Spencer 61mins), Porter

Goals: -

Attendance: 330