Skelmersdale United 4-1 Burscough
Skelmersdale United put on a dazzling show on Saturday afternoon at the JMO, in cold, wet and windy conditions, United produced a performance to warm the coldest of hands.
The game started at a tremendous pace, United making their intentions clear from the off as Danny Mitchley went for a long one just seconds into the game and it was Mitchley who provided the cross that was just out of reach of Howard.
Burscough had forays into the Blue’s box and Ben Barnes had to be alert from a long range effort by Daniels, also called upon to keep out a 25 yard free kick from McNamara.
But it was Skem who took the early lead after 21 minutes, a surging run from makeshift right back Tom Croughan saw his pass fall nicely at the feet of Elliott Morris, who casually slipped it under the advancing keeper Reynolds, it was the same combination two minutes later, this time Morris could only poke it into the arms of the grateful keeper. Reynolds earned his corn before half time when he thwarted a run and finish from Howard. It had been an engaging first period with Skem just marginally shading it.
Great team play created Skem’s second on the hour, a flowing move that involved no less than 6 players saw Elliott Morris get on the end of a Howard cross, leading Skem Manager to say after the match “If that had been on Match of the day you would have had the punters drooling over it! Howard could have put United out of sight just moments later, Reynolds again coming to the rescue of the visitors.
The save spurred on the men in orange, Barnes pushing the ball onto the post from a long range effort but he or any other keeper could keep out a 25 yard pile driver from McNamara that blazed into the top corner of the net to put Burscough back in the game.
Back came Skem, a through ball from Nicholson saw Mitchley beat the offside trap and the prolific marksman made no mistake 3-1, the game was over a minute later and again it was United’s fluent passing, movement and pace from Mikey Howard that was the key, Morris, Mitchley and Strickland all combined to send Howard racing through on goal, despite the efforts of Kinsella to trip the speedy winger, Howard claimed his 20th goal of the season with a sublime finish. Heading towards the corner flag the scorer was mobbed by the youthful fans behind the goal, it was a brilliant sight to see.
Paul McNally was delighted at the final whistle “Burscough came here with a good recent record, they are hard to break down but the lads all put in a sublime performance, we made it at times look easy, all four goals we scored were top quality and their goal was no mean effort”.
On hearing that Macclesfield had been beaten McNally went on “that is of no concern to me, I am only interested in what we do and nothing else”.
United line up Barnes, Lees, Preston, Sheen, Grogan, Strickland, Morris, Nicholson, Mitchley, Croughan, Howard Subs: Ellams, Adegbenro, Salkeld. Not used: Servuts
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