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Home > 2007-08 Season > Match Reports > Rossendale United (05.04.08)

MATCH REPORT

Rossendale United 1 Bamber Bridge 5

Northern Premier League 1st Division North

at Dark Lane

Saturday 5th April 2008

By Dave Rowland

Bamber Bridge stormed to an impressive 5-1 victory with a commanding performance in East Lancashire. Whilst most of the goals came after the break, paradoxically, the visitors played their best football in the first 45 minutes when totally dominating the proceedings. The score could so easily have been 5-0 at half-time had it not been for a superb display of goalkeeping by United’s number-one Lee Bracey who defiantly stopped everything that Brig threw at him.

After taking nine points from their last three outings in the First Division North, Brig were hoping for further success against county rivals Rossendale United at Dark Lane. Still fresh in the memory of the South Ribble side however, was the disappointment of the home defeat against ‘The Stags’ at Irongate just prior to Easter. With only seven games remaining, Bamber Bridge were especially keen to strengthen their position amongst the play-off positions in the table. Mid-table, Rossendale United, were similarly looking for their fourth consecutive victory following a good run of form recently which included their 4-2 triumph at Irongate on the 18th March.

Phil Entwistle made three changes; one positional, to the successful starting line-up which overcame Woodley Sports at home last Tuesday evening. Returning at full-back was Martin Crowder who was serving a one-match ban after being sent off on his debut against ‘The Stags’ in that recent game at Irongate. He replaced Glenn Steel who was forced to retire early from the action on Tuesday night due to a troublesome hamstring injury. Neil Zarac made his first full appearance since arriving from Clitheroe in January, replacing Ryan Zico Black in the front line. Black was moved to a deeper midfield position in place of Matt Mahoney who was unavailable.

‘Rossy’ kicked off on a rather cold but beautifully sunlit afternoon with a flurry of early raids. However, the first meaningful effort came from the visitors after 5 minutes when a Sean O’Neil header was tipped around the goalpost by ‘Stags’ goalkeeper Lee Bracy; the first of many, following a cross by Brig centre-back Adam Tong.

Bamber Bridge soon got into their stride playing with speed and guile and were desperately unlucky not to have taken a 12th minute lead when O’Neil’s drive thundered back off the crossbar following an Alex Porter corner kick. The follow-up by Steve Williams was hacked off the goal-line by a defender before Bracey made a brilliant finger-tip save from a Ryan Zico Black blockbuster as the ball ran free.

The visitors were threatening to overwhelm their hosts with some lovely flowing football and Black set up another opportunity with a neat angled pass out to Martin Crowder but Bracey dived at full stretch to keep out the full-back’s well struck drive.

Brig could not have come any closer to an opener than they did on 24 minutes when Porter got on the end of a Tom Ince cross from the left, but Bracey saved with his feet before the Brig skipper poked the rebound agonisingly past the goalpost.

On the half-hour mark Bracey was on hand once again to keep out the marauding visitors when he tipped over from a Black drive after a Neil Zarac lay-off on the edge of the penalty-box.

Little was seen of the home side as Brig laid siege to their goal and Zarac provided Ince with a crack at goal but his powerful volley was pushed around the post by the outstanding Bracey and Steve Williams headed narrowly wide from the resultant corner-kick.

The visitors got their long awaited reward on 34 minutes with a finely worked goal. O’Neil set Danny Mahoney on a run down the right and the hardworking midfielder found TOM INCE in space some twenty yards from goal. The former Burnley man sent in an unstoppable swerving low shot beyond the reach of Bracey’s despairing dive; the ball tucking neatly just inside the far post.

Martin Crowder went close with a fee-kick for Brig before ‘Rossy’ constructed their first meaningful opening on 38 minutes. The strangely subdued former Brigger John Turner split the visitors defence with a superb through-ball but Mario Daniel fired straight at Brig goalkeeper Terry McCormick from a good position.

Just before the break Bracey pulled off his best save of the afternoon when he dived backwards and somehow tipped a fierce Zarac header over the crossbar following a pin-point cross by workaholic Zico Black.

Despite their total dominance of the first-half, Brig only had a one goal advantage to show for all their hard work and that was soon to be eliminated just three minutes into the second-half when Rossendale scored an equaliser. Tom Williams got free on the right flank and sent in a powerful cross which CROWDER thundered into his own net at the back post under pressure from Phil Eastwood.

Undisturbed by the set back, Brig maintained their tempo and were soon back in front on 55 minutes. INCE grabbed his second of the game; striking home on the half-volley following some good work down the left by Black and Danny Mahoney.

The visitors were once again in control and ran in a further three goals in an outstanding eight minute spell of inventive football. DANNY MAHONEY scored, arguably, the best goal of the afternoon after advancing through the retreating home defence to deliver an unstoppable 20 yard drive which rocketed over the exposed Bracey in the 70th minute. Three minutes later the visitors increased their lead with a three man move which tore holes in the ‘Stags’ defence. Ince’s cross was touched on by Porter and SEAN O’NEIL rounded the move off from close range with the home defence all over the place. Brig were running amuck and got a fifth goal on 78 minutes. Following some enterprising football, Porter manoeuvred menacingly down the right before crossing to Neil Spencer who found STEVE WILLIAMS unmarked and big central defender dispatched the ball home with ease.

United had a real chance to reduce the arrears on 85 minutes but after collecting a neat through-ball from Joe Booth and rounding McCormick, Andrew Watson somehow fired over the gaping net. It was just not Rossendale’s day and they left the field a well beaten side at the finish.

Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Crowder (Fleming 83mins), Bowen, Williams, Tong, Black, Ince, D Mahoney, O’Neil (Spencer 77mins), Zarac (Edmeads 84mins), Porter.

Goals: Ince (34,55 mins), D Mahoney (70 mins), O'Neil (72 mins), Williams (78 mins)

H-T: 1 - 0

Attendance: 125