Vodkat North West Counties Premier League

Saturday 27th March 2010

Bacup Borough secured all three points with a late penalty coming in the final minutes of the game, there was never any doubt about it being a penalty when Substitute Arran Spencer received the long ball played up to him before hitting a diagonal ball for another substitute Fabio Abreu to take on the last man, the seventeen year old making only his second appearance for Bacup got beyond his man to advance into the box where he was tripped, although he did not go down the Assistant had no hesitation in putting his flag across his chest for the penalty.

The first half finished goal less but how was beggars belief with the home side creating a number of half chances, this after Abbey Hey did capitalise when Lance Ogunyode gave the ball away, Abbey Hey’s Daniel Cocks drove into the box before getting his shot off which went just wide of the near post, following this Bacup produced their best bit of football of the half, Danny Holmes won the ball before finding Davey Luker who put Chris Ogunyode in, Chris cut inside with a driving run before shooting which was blocked then cleared from the goal line, it was Chris Ogunyode who was once again involved in the next move with a simple give and go ball the Abbey Hey keeper came off his line Ogunyode shot only to be thwarted by the keepers leg.

The second half got underway and what an eventful half it turned out to be, the visitors whilst busy they were not causing any threat to the Bacup goal, it was ironic that Abbey Hey took the lead, this coming when Bacup goal keeper Paul Horridge needlessly threw the ball out to his full back who was quickly closed down and eventually was robbed of the ball, Daniel Cocks had the ball pushed it past Barry Massey who in attempting to win the ball caught Cocks from which the official did award the visitors a penalty, up stepped Cocks to fire his side into the lead.

Eight minutes later Bacup Borough made a change introducing Martin Cosgrave for Danny Holmes, if Bacup were not in their stride prior to the substitution they certainly did following it, Lance Ogunyode’s effort brought the best out of the Abbey Hey keeper who produced a good save, then having been on the pitch only four minutes Bacup Borough’s Martin Cosgrave took on the Abbey Hey players creating space for himself before running into the box from which his quick feet was to much for the visitors defence leaving the inevitable to happen, a rash challenge and penalty given, up stepped Falco Lourenco to shoot his side level.

Bacup should have made it two but once again Lance Ogunyode was thwarted by Jon Paul Lewis in the Abbey Hey goal, Lee Oldham did well weaving past players before slotting in Lance who’s effort was well saved.

At this stage Bacup were well on top much to the frustration of the visitors who did allow their frustration to get the better of them when their Captain Gareth Wager was shown a second yellow card and sent from the field of play.

Abbey Hey almost punished Bacup when a piece of indiscipline at the back allowed AbbeyHey to get in but a well good timed challenge by Barry Massey prevented what could have been a goal scoring situation, whilst there was no doubt Massey took the ball cleanly the Abbey Hey contingent felt it should have been a penalty for them, it was never a penalty the Yorkshire official got the decision correct.

Bacup had introduced two youngsters from the Pro Vision Academy in Arran Spencer and Fabio Abreu, it was Fabio Abreu that did get on the end of some good link up play before he drove into the box before shooting across the goal keeper only to see his effort go narrowly wide, then approaching the ninetieth minute Arran Spencer received the ball before putting in his Pro Vision strike partner who got himself into the box, was fouled, penalty awarded, up stepped the Bacup Captain Davey Luker to convert his first kick only to be told to take again due to a player encroaching, the Captain calmly played a Captains role by also making no mistake with the second spot kick thus giving his side three points but every credit must go to the three substitutes of Martin Cosgrave, Arran Spencer & Fabio Abreu for their short but very much effective contribution.

After the game Bacup Borough Manager Brent Peters Had This To Say

“One thing you can be sure of playing against Abbey Hey is that they will work hard through out and keep believing right until the end, they never stop working, this in itself ensured my lads worked equally as hard against them, they had to do, not just in this game but also at their place, by doing so we have taken four points from the two games but credit to Abbey Hey they have made us work so hard in both games.

I always felt we had a lot more quality in our ranks although in the first half some of my lads were guilty of cheaply giving the ball away mainly through forcing the issue rather than dictating the pace with little give and goes, due to this we only did play in parts, the second half I felt we were more composed on the ball hence the reason we did create several good openings for ourselves,

Peters added “with Dougie Shaw injured and missing the game young Adrian Bellamy seemed to revel in his extra responsibilities by putting in not just an excellent performance but his talking and organising was a major factor, whilst all the lads have worked hard through out as a team. I must mention the three substitutes of Martin Cosgrave, Arran Spencer & Fabio Abreu, the three are young players with little experience but they all certainly played a major contribution with good intelligent play which got us the points, credit too for Davey Luker who did keep his nerve to score, this despite having to retake from his initial goal, It was a pressure situation but the skipper stepped up to the plate to calmly win us the game.

Peters concluded by saying "at the end Abbey Hey felt they were hard done by, not disputing our penalties but they felt they should have had another one, whilst I could not see from where I was, this apart we were the better side , we were the side that looked the most likely to score our keeper Paul Horridge had very little to do, maybe that was why he had a rush of blood when he threw the ball putting our defender under pressure which resulted in Abbey Hey taking the lead, despite our visitors frustration at the end, over the ninety minutes the best team won but once again credit to Abbey Hey for continuing to work, another game that attitude will bring them rewards"

Team: Paul Horridge, Phil Prescott, Aidrian Bellamy, Davey Luker, Arran Walters, Lee Oldham, Danny Holmes (Martin Cosgrave), Chris Ogunyode, Lance Ogunyode (Arran Spencer), Barry Massey, Falco Lourenco (Fabio Abreu)

Subs Not Used: Scott Taylor, Steve Dryden

Goals: Falco Laurenco 66p, Davey Luker 90p

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