Vodkat North West Counties Premier League

Monday 20th April 2009

Bacup Borough supporters will be hard pressed to find a more one sided game anywhere when the dominating team create as many opportunities as Bacup Borough did yet failed to find the net and then to make matters worse concede two goals in the bargain.

Despite how well Bacup had started it was Maine Road that took the lead on seven minutes, this came as a result of James Rothel being given too much space from which he got his shot off resulting in a good save by Tomposs who pushed the ball away, Maine Road picked up the loose ball and still found Rothel in space who was not going to give Tomposs the chance to save with a well struck goal.

From this moment on it was wave of wave of Bacup Borough possession, following a Maine Road corner Bacup Borough’s Steve Smith came out with the ball who found Cosgrave who passed to Collier who found Turner who turned the defender before getting off his shot which seemed to get deflected for a corner but the assistant was too busy wanting to know the Burnley score than getting his decision correct.

Tommy Turner latched onto a loose ball before driving into the penalty area before shooting from which his shot was just over the cross bar.

From the next attack Bacup have only themselves to blame for not being on level terms, Sean Roscoe had got himself into the opposition penalty area from where his well struck shot the keeper saved but could only push the ball out into space from where both Cosgrave and Collier failed to react, had this have happened it would have been a certain goal.

More Bacup Borough opportunities were to come, Martin Cosgrave won his team a free kick in a wide right position just ten yards from the penalty area, Roscoe delivered a quality ball into the box from which a Bacup player got an head onto the ball which whistled just wide of the post, another Bacup attack saw Matthew Hampson with Cosgrave pulling into space on his right and Tommy Turner on his left, Hampson attempted to get it to Turner but it was deflected away from danger.

Sean Roscoe was having plenty of the ball down Bacup Boroughs left from where he put some quality balls that went right across the face of the Maine Road goal crying out to be attacked.

On thirty minutes Andrew Jones the Maine Road keeper pulled off a top save from an half volley from Tommy Turner.

It was almost half time before Maine Road had another opportunity to increase their lead, this came as a result of Declan O’Shea being given too much space and time to get his shot off which went wide of the post.

The only time the ball was in the Bacup penalty area in the second half was on forty seven minutes when Tony Tomposs was picking the ball out of the net, the goal came from nothing, a long ball which seemed to be going out of play howeverit did not do so resulting in Jacub Wood giving Greg Hall to much space, enough to swing a leg Jacub Woods back was facing his near post, he gave Hall enough room to get the ball over Woods head, Tomposs was stood at his near post but failed to make any effort for the ball which struck the far post before dropping over the line to give the visitors a surprise two goal cushion.

On fifty five minutes Giggs was introduced in place of Cosgrave, Bacup won a free kick which was delivered into the box with quality, a cluster of players were going for the ball which was headed partly clear from which a Bacup Borough player produced an over head kick which was cleared off the goal line.

A further chance came when the ball was slipped through to Giggs who shot wide with his weaker left foot, Sean Roscoe once again got high up the pitch and once again he struck a telling cross which went right across the face of the goal with not one Bacup player attacking the ball resulting in a story of sheer domination, missed chances and a missed opportunity of further climbing the league.

Speaking after the game Manager Brent Peters had this to say “ The lads worked hard throughout the game from which we dominated the entire match, we used the ball well most of the time, Matthew Hampson who is usually reliable with his quality passes was at times guilty of giving the ball away but in the main as a team we moved the ball well and by doing so we created numerous opportunities to have scored, we were probably guilty of not gambling to get onto the end of quality coming across the area which came from Sean Roscoe, to typify this which for me was the difference between the two sides at the break, our keeper saves but can only push the ball out, Maine Road react to this resulting in a goal, a similar situation happened for us basically identical but we fail to follow up, that is the difference, players being on their toes and hungry will get reward, players on their heels and not hungry will get nothing, this is exactly what did happen.

We got off to a worst possible start following half time, I felt our keeper should have taken responsibility to come and get the initial ball coming in, when he did not do so then Jacub Wood should have got tighter and defended the situation, he seemed to relax his body as though the ball was going out of play, even at this stage when the lad wrapped his leg round the ball Tomposs was at the near post but made no attempt to stop the ball presuming it to be going over, always players should defend first and then ask questions after, this was not done, both goals were cheap, however if we defend better at the back and don’t concede, and miss the chances at the opposite end like we missed tonight then the score is nil nil, to this end I must question the defending on both goals “

Team: Tony Tomposs, Jamie Rother, Kyle Harrop, Jacub Wood, Sean Roscoe, Warren Collier (Martin Peters), Matthew Hampson, Davey Liuker, Steve Smith, Martin Cosgrave (Rhodri Giggs), Tommy Turner (Lee Oldham)

Subs Not Used: Phil Melville, Lawrence Greenhalgh

Goals:

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