FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round

Friday 14th August 2009

This was the second Anniversary of the horrific beating of Sophie Lancaster & Rob Heys in a Bacup Park. Both sets of players stood for a minutes along with the crowd who were impeccable bringing a complete hush in a busy Brian Boys West View Stadium. All the Bacup Borough team and the Management wore Sophie wrist bands through out this FA Cup tie.

The game got under way and with only six minutes on the clock Bacup had gone in front with a quality finish by Steve Smith. Goalkeeper Ashley Timms knocked a long ball up the field which found Smith who rifled the ball into the roof of the net. The visitors were unlucky not to have drawn level when the ball was put across the keeper who got his hand to the ball but only enough to help the ball on into the path of an advancing Atherton player who’s goal bound effort was cleared by defender Nick Hodson. Goalkeeper Timms was brought into the action again when he saved at the second attempt.

At the opposite end Smith and Moises was linking up well with Moises getting in a first time shot which clipped the top of the crossbar A further chance came Borough’s way when Warren Collier found Steve Smith who’s effort was well saved. This gave Bacup a slender one goal half time advantage.

Immediately following the re-start Bacup should have increased their lead when Moises played in Luker but rather than shoot he passed to Warren Collier who’s effort was cleared off the line, although the Bacup players were adamant the ball was over the goal line. The next Bacup chance came from defender Adrian Bellamy who weaved his way past several defenders but then blasted his effort well over the cross bar. Bacup then had a lucky escape at the opposite end of the ground the ball coming back off the top of the Bacup cross bar.

The home side had another excellent effort when captain Davey Luker played a good pass to Moises who’s effort was pushed away by the sprawling keeper, had a fellow striker gambled he would have had a simple tap in. Not scoring the vital second goal came back to haunt Bacup who would have been worthy winners had they have gone through. Instead defender Djassi Braima Djanco went to ground on the left with an Atherton player, his counterpart was the quickest to react as he raced goal wards and with no Bacup players coming around to cover offered LR their last chance to strike at goal which they gratefully accepted and finished to earn themselves a replay at Crilly Park on Tuesday 7-45pm kick off.

After the game we spoke to Manager Brent Peters who had this to say “We did enough on the night to have won the game, we scored a very good goal, we had I am told a good goal chalked off because the official did not see that it had crossed the line. Admittedly we were not as fluent as we can be but maybe this was down to this being our second game in three days and our third in seven days. However, had we have been more disciplined as a unit defensively when they got their equaliser then we would have been through into the next round. Once Djassi got into trouble he should have been backed up but he wasn’t which ultimately allowed them in to snatch a late equaliser. Obviously I am not happy about this but I have on this occasion got to make allowances as the new back five have had a limited number of games together. “

Team: Ashley Timms, Paul Waine, Nick Hodson, Adrian Bellamy, Braima Djanco Djassi (Martin Cosgrave) Warren Collier, Matthew Hampson (Josh Lynch) Davey Luker Arran Walters Steve Smith Moises Soares (Aaran Spencer).

Subs Not Used: Lee Oldham, Scott Taylor

Goals: Smith 6

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