Official website of Bamber Bridge Football Club
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MATCH REPORTBamber Bridge 4 Mossley 2Northern Premier League 1st Division Northat IrongateSaturday 6th October 2007By Dave Rowland
Brig were looking to get back on track following the 0-2 defeat at Curzon Ashton during the week and were also keen to keep in close contact with the leading pack in the First Division North. With five scheduled cup ties to be fitted in before the end of October, there was understandable concern at Irongate that the club was already beginning to fall behind with their league fixtures. Relegated Mossley arrived at Irongate seeking to show some signs of improvement following their 3-2 defeat at lowly Clitheroe on Tuesday night. With the injury crisis deepening at Irongate, Brig boss Phil Entwistle was forced into shuffling his pack once again. Oliver Telford made his debut at full-back, replacing Tom Ince who was absent through work commitments. George Melling was brought into the centre of defence with regular centre-half Adam Tong moving up into the front line due to the continued absence of injured striker Sean O’Neil. Danny Mahoney was also missing with a niggling knee problem and their are currently nine players queuing up for the treatment table. This problem has plagued boss Phil Entwisle all season. Along with Telford, a further two youngsters from the ‘second string’, Phil Watson and Craig Banks were named as substitutes. Brig got down to business from the off and Tong had the opportunity to have put the home side in front on two occasions within the first five minutes. Firstly, he stung the hands of Mossley goalkeeper Ashley Connor with a drive from close in after a tremendous through-ball from Steve Williams had split open the visitors rearguard. Then he should really have done better when firing narrowly past the post following a Steve Brown cross from the right. Brig skipper Alex Porter was unlucky after 15 minutes with a volley which Connor saved with his feet following a Tong cross from the right. Chances for the visitors were few and far between, although Gareth Hamlet should have done better after springing the off-side trap on 19 minutes but Brig goalkeeper Terry McCormick came out quickly to snuff out the danger. The South Ribble side though, had dominated the opening 20 minutes with the visiting defence having had to work overtime to stem the tide, and just when it looked like they were beginning to lose their momentum, Bamber Bridge scored two goals within the space of four minutes. Brown found space down the right flank on 34 minutes before delivering a pin-point cross onto the head of Ryan Salmon who gave Connor no chance. Brown then came close himself with a rasping shot from distance shortly afterwards but Conner managed to palm the effort around the post. However, Brig’s ‘eager beavers’ were not to be denied and the second goal was not long in coming. Again Brown was involved, and from his inch-perfect cross Tong fired home from close in for his first goal for the club. Little was seen of the visitors as an attacking force and they were continually kept on the back foot against a Bamber Bridge side full of running and endeavour. Brig‘s approach play was of the highest quality with Brown, Glenn Steel and Matt Mahoney particularly impressive. It was little surprise when the home side increased their lead ten minutes after the break. The goal came about following the best move of the game involving a swift and intricate interchange of passes between Alex Porter, Matt Mahoney and Ryan Salmon which left the visitors defence in tatters. Salmon was on hand to finish off the manoeuvre, confidently pushing his shot beyond Connor’s reach for his seventh goal of the season. To further the visitors misery, Mossley manager Gerry Quinn was then dispatched from the touchline by referee Mr Stott after over-zealously disputing the goal. Salmon was denied his hat-trick on 58 minutes when Connor stretched himself to keep out the young striker’s effort from close range before a fierce shot by Porter was palmed to safety following an intelligent piece of play by Salmon. Mossley came close with their first meaningful effort on the hour mark when centre-half Lee Connor headed a Richard Conway free-kick narrowly over the crossbar.
The home side inexplicably took their foot off the accelerator and Mossley took full advantage with a couple of late strikes. Gareth Hamlet was first to react to a Conway free-kick on 73 minutes to glance home past stranded Brig goalkeeper Terry McCormick and then on 82 minutes substitute Michael Fish fired home with a superb cross-shot to give the visitors some hope. However, it was too little too late and the visitors from Tameside left the field a well beaten side at the end. Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Telford (Carroll 80mins), Fleming, Williams, Melling (Watson 89mins), Steel, Brown, M Mahoney, Salmon, Tong, Porter. Unused Sub: Banks Goals: Salmon (34,55 mins), Tong (38,68 mins) Attendance: 197
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Having collected their prize as First Division North ‘Club-Of-The-Month’
for September prior to the kick-off, Bamber Bridge gave
a Champagne performance in this altogether one-sided encounter
before conceding two late goals after taking their foot
off their pedal. Two strikes apiece by Ryan Salmon and Adam
Tong was enough to see off Mossley who’s woes were
compounded in the second-half when manager Gerry Quinn was
dismissed from the dug-out.
Bamber Bridge pressed relentlessly on and added a fourth
goal on 68 minutes when Tong doubled his account after steering
home a Porter free-kick which caught the Mossley defence
completely flat-footed.