FA Cup Preliminary Round

Saturday 30th August 2008

Bacup Borough booked their place into the first qualifying round of the competition following a comprehensive victory over St Helens Town. Manager Brent Peters made four changes from the previous game, new club captain Davey Luker made his first start of the season, Ryan Marley was back following injury as well as two debutants goalkeeper Paul Horridge & Kyle Harrop., It was Kyle that broke the deadlock following an impressive start by Bacup on 32 minutes, Tommy Turner latched onto a channel ball, using his body strength he held off a defender before playing a perfect pass into Harrop who had made a late burst from midfield, Harrop made no mistake with his first time shot.

For almost the entire forty five minutes keeper Paul Horridge was a mere spectator, only on one occasion was he brought into the action when Marley got caught the wrong side of Dyson, despite the sheer dominance and several chances created from the home team surprisingly there was the only goal separating the two sides at the break.

The second saw much the same as St Helens were kept on the back foot. Bacup Borough’s Tommy Turner brought the best out of the saints keeper Kevin Woods with a good save giving Bacup a corner which was defended. However, Woods could do nothing to stop Turner on 51 minutes when Davey Luker played the ball to Harrop who found his midfield partner Nicky Taylor who’s pass found Warren Collier wide on the right. Collier delivered a quality ball in for Turner to head the ball past the helpless Woods, two minutes later Tommy Turner had his second when he dispossessed a Saints defender to produce a quality finish.

With the home side in full control Matthew Hampson was replaced by Jamie Rother, Martin Cosgrave replaced Dominic Slavin these substitutions were then followed by an injury to Nicky Taylor who was replaced by Nicky Thompson, on 79 minutes. Thompson conceded a free kick which St Helens took quickly, with men pushed on in advanced positions for once in the game certain individuals lacked in their responsibilities failing to stay with runners resulting in Tom Sumner being free, Bacup’s Marley made an effort to stop the shot resulting in Dyson being free, Sumner slipped Dyson in who could not believe the space he had to slot the ball past Horridge. Minutes later St Helens managed another shot which whistled over the bar, had that have gone in Bacup could have found themselves in a nail biting last five minutes in a game where they were so comfortable through out.

Brent Peters Managers Comments “It was a pleasure to sit and watch the passing and movement and the creativity of this young Bacup side, football is a simple game and these boys did everything simple and impressively. I heard comments from the St Helens supporters at the end saying St Helens should take a long hard look at themselves, those comments were not being fair on their team or Bacup. St Helens tried as much as they could but sometimes you have to give credit to how well the opposition have played. St Helens could not get the ball due to how well we kept it and our goals were well made and well taken. Whilst it was very much a team effort we must all take our hats off to Tommy Turner with another brace to his credit and Dominic Slavin worked hard alongside Tommy,. Kyle Harrop made an impressive debut marked with a goal well supported by Nicky Taylor and Matthew Hampson. Craig Corneille and Warren Collier worked tirelessly on the flanks and at the back it was the strongest we have looked in all our games. Having said that, their goal was really sloppy due to one individual not being disciplined resulting in a domino effect with players leaving their responsibilities ending in an easy finish. Despite the fact we won and in convincing style some of the young lads may have felt I was being hard having a go about the goal we conceded but what they must learn is good teams and on form to date we are a good team, they don’t give the opposition simple opportunities, we did today once, the next time it could be once too many & goals change games hence why it was addressed.”

Team: Horridge, Cross, Luker, Marley, Corneille, Harrop, Hampson (Rother), Taylor (Nicky Thompson), Collier, Turner, Slavin (Cosgrave)

Subs Not Used: Ben Blundell

Goals: Harrop 31, Turner 51, 53

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