Official website of Bamber Bridge Football Club
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MATCH REPORTFlixton 2 Bamber Bridge 2FA Cup 1st Qualifying Roundat Valley RoadSaturday 15th September 2007By Dave Rowland
A Preliminary Round win over Oldham Town two weeks previously presented Brig with another tie against North West Counties League opposition and although Flixton represented a much sterner test for the South Ribble outfit, Phil Entwistle’s unbeaten side were optimistic of making further progress in the competition. On the other hand, Flixton, who have made a good start in the NWCL First Division this season, were hopeful of pulling off a surprise after disposing of their neighbours and fellow high-flyers, Salford City, in the previous round. The Brig boss kept faith with the starting line-up which overcame basement side Radcliffe Borough by 2-0 at Irongate during the week to go top of the First Division North. Defender Paul McMenemy, who missed the Radcliffe game through injury was again an absentee. The visitors were caught napping almost straight from the kick-off and had a narrow escape following a slick three-man move by the home side. Ricky Strachan put Steve Moore away down the right flank with a well placed header and the former Curzon Ashton marksman whipped in a cross which Brig goalkeeper Terry McCormick did well to smother under the feet of the inrushing Lee Hendley. These three were to torment the Brig defence all afternoon.
Bamber Bridge soon got into their stride and went in front with a well worked goal on 21 minutes. Matt Mahoney won the ball in midfield before sending Guy Heywood away down the right. Heywood’s cross eluded Flixton’s spread-eagled defence and Porter slammed home from a narrow angle on the left for his third goal of the season. Brig were now in the ascendancy and Steve Williams sent a long ball out of defence which was picked up by Heywood who laid the ball off to O’Neil but the former soldier was denied when Rouse touched his effort around for a corner with an impressive save. Then in the 32nd minute Matt Mahoney latched onto a mistake by a Flixton defender and sent in a rasping drive but Rouse was equal to the challenge. The home side refused to be overawed by their higher grade visitors and should have drawn level after 37 minutes. Hendley put Moore in on goal with the Brig defence split asunder but the usually reliable front runner completely fluffed his lines in front of an open goal and the chance was gone. At the other end Rouse was on hand to block a Porter effort on the line following an in-swinging corner-kick by Danny Mahoney which had only been partially cleared by the Flixton defence.
The home side came out for the second-half in a determined mood but following a brief flurry of activity they went further behind on 48 minutes. Ryan Salmon, who had replaced Guy Heywood at the interval, soon made his presence felt with devastating effect. His darting run down the left flank completely unlocked the home defence and his lay-off was expertly dispatched into the back of the net by O’Neil. Unexplainably, from this point on Bamber Bridge all-but disappeared as a cohesive unit. The home side stepped up a gear and began to knock the ball about with growing conviction. A good run by Jonathon Maloney down the left opened the door for Strachan but the big front runner shot high and wide when a little steadiness could have yielded a much better result. McCormick came out of goal quickly to save at the feet of Tobin on 55 minutes as lethargy seemingly began to set in for the visitors. Two minutes later Flixton inexplicably missed yet another golden opportunity when Moore robbed Tong on the edge of the area before shooting hopelessly wide of an open goal with McCormick stranded on his goal-line.
Galvanised, Flixton scented a chance of further success and began to run at the retreating visitors defence inspired by the influential Strachan. His departure from the fray through injury on 75 minutes failed to deter his battling colleagues as they went in search of an equaliser. Just as it appeared that Bamber Bridge had weathered the storm, hero Moor took full advantage of a static defence on 88 minutes and drove home past the advancing McCormick to earn his side a deserved second bite of the cherry next Tuesday night at Irongate. Bamber Bridge: McCormick, Fleming, Dashti, Williams (Brown 64mins), Tong, Steel, M Mahoney, D Mahoney, O’Neil (Ince 86mins), Heywood (Salmon 45mins), Porter. Unused Subs: Cooper and Bishop Goals: Porter (21 mins), O'Neill (48 mins) Attendance: 103
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After going into a comfortable 2-0 lead shortly after the break, Bamber Bridge somehow contrived to throw away the advantage, allowing Flixton back into the game when in reality the South Manchester outfit should have been heading for the FA Cup exit door. A double strike by former Curzon Ashton man Steve Moore late in the game undid all the visitor's hard work and ensured that the sides would have to meet again on Tuesday night for a replay. It was not one of Bamber Bridge’s better performances.
The South Ribble side responded to this wake-up call and
Sean O’Neil went close on two occasions - the first
from an Alex Porter cross which he powerfully headed just
past an upright and then two minutes later when Flixton
goalkeeper David Rouse blocked his effort on the goal-line
after a snap shot from point-blank range.
Once again Flixton came close to achieving parity when
they unlocked the unsteady visitors rearguard just before
the break. A Strachan drive flew inches wide after the Brig
defence had failed to deal adequately with a Steve Tobin
free-kick.
It was little surprise therefore, when the North West Counties
League side did eventually find a way to goal on 65 minutes.
It was a goal worth waiting for as Moore volleyed home superbly
from fully twenty-five yards out giving McCormick no chance.