FA Vase Qualifying Round 2

Saturday 19th September 2009

Prior to this game the Bacup Manager Brent Peters described this FA Vase Cup tie as a potential Banana Skin, how right he was as his side made hard work of their passage into the next round.

After witnessing Bacup Borough’s midweek performance one would not have thought that this was the same side that destroyed Squires Gate. Apart from Aaran Walters for Lee Stott it was the same team which produced an entire team performance of the highest quality, yet against Holker in this FA Vase Cup Tie it was a case of after the Lord Mayors Show.

It was the home side that carved out a good early opportunity when, following a good move, Smith’s effort was tipped over the cross bar by the Holker keeper for a corner from which Nick Hodson’s effort was blocked by the keeper at his near post.

Despite Bacup Borough’s early efforts on a couple of occasions Holker got themselves into good positions without really testing Tommy Allen in the Bacup goal.

Martin Cosgrave made a good run cutting inside the Holker penalty area but when a shot seemed the obvious option he surprisingly opted to pass square to Smith who tried to place his shot which was blocked by a Holker defender. On 36 minutes Bacup were in front, Smith did well forcing the corner from which the ball was partly cleared to Lee Oldham who placed the ball into the net.

Bacup had an opportunity to increase their lead when Jamie Rother and Steve Smith got something from a nothing situation, they then linked play with Moises and Lee Oldham who shot, the Holker keeper saved but failed to hold but once again no player following for the tap in. Going into the half time break Bacup went in with a slender one goal lead

The second half Holker had a belief that they could get something from the game which almost happened due to sloppy play in the heart of the Bacup defence. Captain Davey Luker did make a short pass for Nick Hodson, Nick with the ball at his feet wanted too much time on the ball and a Holker player disposed him before getting in a shot on goal, thankfully Bacup survived this scare.

At the opposite end Bacup Borough’s Steve Smith’s effort rattled the Holker crossbar. On 82 minutes Bacup conceded a free kick just inside the Holker half, the ball was played into the box where Michael Kelly guided the ball past Tommy Allen. Bacup had only themselves to blame for allowing their standards to drop and at times playing like they were a bunch of strangers with each other.

With five minutes remaining Nick Hudson did well in dealing with the ball from defence he then played the ball into the feet of Moises Costa Soares, Moises who quickly turned before sprinting goal bound and fired Bacup into the next round.

Following the game the Bacup Borough Manager Brent Peters had this to say. “The Bacup team performance was a clear situation of after the Lord Mayor Show. Following a complete team performance on Tuesday at Squires Gate, we were the complete opposite in this game, had I have not known better I would have thought all my players collectively had been out for an early Christmas Party the night before. Collectively we were yards off the pace, a team may be able to carry one player but today Tommy Allen apart the team in its entirety was off. I am not sure whether this was down to the players mindset of who the opposition were and their past results or what.

I accept even on a below par performance we had enough opportunities to have won the game comfortably but we failed to take those chances and Holker to their credit got themselves back into the game. However we did get our noses back in front again and this I was pleased about because the way we were playing and the fact that Holker had scored a late equaliser, I dread to think what the outcome would have been had we not have hit back so quickly. The bottom line is thankfully we are in the next round “

Team: Tommy Allen, Warren Collier, Davey Luker, Nick Hodson, Aaran Walters, Sean Roscoe (Moises), Jamie Rother (Scott Taylor), Matthew Hampson, Martin Cosgrave, Lee Oldham (Ricardo Brandio), Steve Smith

Subs Not Used: Aaron Spencer, Paul Waine

Goals: Lee Oldham 36, Moises Soares 85

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