Vodkat North West Counties Premier League

Wednesday 5th May 2010

Bacup Borough got themselves back on track following two disappointing performances against a New Mills side that required a victory to guarantee Vodkat Premiership Runners Up.

Both sides deserve credit for producing an excellent display of football that was equally complimentary to the excellent West View Playing Surface.

As early as the second minute of the game Bacup created an opening and should have gone in front, Josh Greenhalgh and Chris Ogunyode combined well down Bacup Borough’s left before Ogunyode played the ball into the penalty area where Lee Oldham did make a connection diverting the ball from Liam Higginbottom the New Mills keeper but his effort was inches wide of the target.

The majority of the New Mills threat did come from dead ball situations, none more than in the fifteenth minute when they won a free kick twenty five yards out the ball was slipped quickly to Adam Mather who was stood off the Bacup wall, Mather drove to the bye line before drilling the ball across the face of the Bacup goal, any connection would have resulted in New Mills taking the lead, this was a let off for the home side who managed to get back on the ball taking the game too New Mills.

Martin Cosgrave playing upfront did latch onto a loose ball in the centre of the pitch but rashly ended up knocking the ball back that ended up going for a corner, this certainly put his side under pressure with quality delivery coming in and plenty of bodies in there attacking the ball which was deflected away from goal for yet another corner which Horridge the Bacup keeper punched out from which the pressure was relieved.

On twenty seven minutes New Mills not surprisingly took the lead having had ten minutes of pressure but once again from Bacup Borough’s point of view the goal should have been dealt with better, the goal was yet another result of an unnecessary free kick being given away approximately twenty yards out, Bacup keeper Horridge was screaming at his defenders for a four man wall which failed to happen, up stepped Carlos Meakin who struck the ball which was pushed away by the Bacup keeper, Bacup Borough’s Bryan Herbert switched off and his marker Adam Mather followed up to fire New Mills into the lead.

On thirty five minutes Bacup Manager Brent Peters made an early substitution taking off Bryan Herbert and replacing him with Arran Spencer, it was then Bacup Borough’s turn to earn a free kick around twenty yards from the New Mills goal, Chris Ogunyode shaped the ball to Barry Massey who headed just wide, following this was the home sides best display of football in the half, Aidrian Bellamy, Arran Spencer combined well down the Bacup right, the ball was played to Lee Oldham who created space for himself before shooting goal bound, his first effort was blocked from which his follow up was saved by the New Mills keeper, this ensured their slender one goal lead was intact at the half time break.

The second half brought Bacup several opportunities in open play constantly putting the New Mills defence under pressure particular following the 59 th minute substitution of Martin Peters replacing Barry Massey, immediately the movement of Cosgrave and Peters backed up with the impressive Chris Ogunyode and Arran Spencer and Lee Oldham backing up from the middle of the park this certainly helped to improve the home teams tempo with pace and power, the pressure these players were putting onto the visitors defence got them their rewards on 72minutes, Chris Ogunyode picked the ball up deep on Bacup Borough’s left, Ogunyode then progressed forward, Martin Peters made an intelligent diagonal run across the New Mills penalty area, this run immediately created space for Ogunyode to continue his run into the penalty area goal bound, this created a rash challenge onto Ogunyode leaving the official with no option at all but to award Bacup a penalty, up stepped Captain Davey Luker who made no mistake from the spot.

Almost immediately following Bacup through Martin Cosgrave almost took the lead, Cosgrave dispossessed the New Mills defender with their keeper Higginbottom off his line, intelligently Cosgrave turned and shaped his shot goal bound that their keeper got the faintest of touches enough to take the goal bound effort away from the back of the net.

Further chances came Bacup’s way when Dougie Shaw played a long ball that Cosgrave got on the end of catching the New Mills keeper once again off his line, then the lively Cosgrave was fouled and Chris Ogunyody’s free kick was placed over the New Mills cross bar.

With the clock ticking down and New Mills desperate for three points to secure the Runners up spot, it was little wonder that several corners did come their way of which did put Bacup under pressure but good defending marshalled by skipper Davey Luker and Dougie Shaw ensured Bacup deservedly got something from an highly entertaining game.

The Bacup Borough Manager Brent Peters Had This To Say

“Having beaten the Champions Newcastle the first team to do so after they had gone thirty games unbeaten, this then gaining one point from the team that will finish Runners up does prove that our team on its day are more than capable of competing with the best, the difference being the two teams I have mentioned have obviously been consistent over the entire season whilst we have not been, this is an area we must aspire to be next season but this will only happen if these players stop playing Sunday League Football in addition to the games that Bacup Borough have to compete in.

I have stressed to these young but talented players just how demanding the North West Counties League is, competing in this league is a task in itself, recover is every bit as important as preparation but recovery is not playing Sunday’s ahead of mid week games, Peters added “ take last week we played Saturday, Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Monday & Wednesday, yet some of my lads stupidly played on Sunday and Tuesday prior to our Wednesday game against New Mills, perhaps this points to why we were so bad Saturday & Monday?

Peters added in this game we were every bit as good as New Mills, in open play it was Bacup that did create the better openings and did look good within our approach play, this said New Mills did put us under a mighty lot of pressure following corners and free kicks around the box, their quality on their delivery was very good to which at times we did lead a charmed life, this along with some very good defending ensured they were kept at bay, in total contrast we were a constant threat to New Mills with our pace and power going forward to which we did create several openings in open play and should have really turned those openings into goals, Peters finished by saying “ I really enjoyed the game there were two very good sides on show with contrasting playing styles"

Team: Paul Horridge, Adrian Bellamy, Dougie Shaw, Davey Luker, Josh Greenhalgh, Bryan Herbert, (Arran Spencer), Lee Kershaw, Lee Oldham, Chris Ogunyode, Barry Massay (Martin Peters), Martin Cosgrave

Subs Not Used: Adiel Chikereema, Steve Dryden

Goals: Davey Luker 72 pen

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