Vodkat North West Counties Premier League

Saturday 8th August 2009

Bacup Borough made an excellent start to the season with two goals from Lee Oldham & a single goal from Warren Collier.

Bacup with a complete new look back five were well worthy of their victory, this despite loosing the services of club Captain Davey Luker on thirty minutes injured following an earlier challenge when two players seemed to sandwich him in a mid air challenge.

With Bacup Borough parading several new faces that have only played together in one previous friendly it was no surprise that Goal keeper Ashley Timms had to be sharp off his line to block a goal bound effort this on the counter attack following a long Timms kick up into the Squires Gate Half in the opening stages of the game.

It was the home side that took the lead on ten minutes when Matthew Hampson showed great vision in spotting Lee Oldham’s run which Hampson played a well weighted ball in behind the Squires Gate defence which Oldham connected as the ball was dropping to chip the ball over the Squires Gate keepers head into the net.

Squires Gate had an opportunity to equalise when a long deep cross was delivered from the Bacup left, with Bacup Borough’s right full back Paul Waine wrongly positioned the flight of the ball beat him to drop to the advancing Left winger, Ashley Timms was alert to the danger getting across his goal to block the danger.

Bacup lost the services of Davey Luker who was replaced by Jamie Rother who made an immediate impact from entering the field of play.

The home side should have been two goals up when Arran Walters sent in a deep cross which Lee Oldham did connect with but the fact that he was leaning back did send his effort over the bar.

On forty four minutes Jamie Rother made a terrific intelligent pass in behind the Squires Gate defence which Steve Smith switched onto giving chase, Striker Lee Oldham was sprinting to get into the box and with great timing and quality ball in from Smith, Lee Oldham got onto the end of the cross before smashing the ball into the net.

On the half time whistle frustration which seemed to be in the Squires Gates game after the first quarter of the half boiled over when both teams were leaving the pitch, from what ever had gone on Bacup Borough’s Steve Smith was shown a yellow card but the Squires Gate Player Rus Mckenna was shown a red card leaving his team mates down to ten men for all the second half.

Almost from the re start of the second half Squires Gate got themselves back into the game, this came when Bacup conceded a free kick around twenty yards out, from this kick Bacup Borough were guilty of some slack defending which cost gifted the visitors a goal.

At the opposite end of the pitch Lee Oldham had weaved his way through their defence but was brought down to win his side a direct free kick, Steve Smith took the kick which created two blocks before averting the danger.

On fifty five minutes Ashley Timms made another vital block, this time this came when Arran Walters did go to win the ball which was his centre half’s job, due to the mix up the ball dropped loose to which a Squires Gate player sprinted down on goal but Timms was very quick to block the effort.

Whilst it could be said that Arran was the villain in their last attack, he certainly made amends one minute later when he made a powerful run down the left before delivering a stunning cross which Warren Collier headed over the keeper who had no chance other than to pick the ball out of the net.

Bacup Borough who were well in control of the game made two more substitutions, Darren Perkins and Arran Spencer were introduced for Steve Smith and Martin Cosgrave..

Manager Brent Peters Comments “Every team in the country wants to win their opening game in order to get off to a good start Bacup Borough have done just that, this team have only played once previously together but we looked a good side that could become a very good side once players become accustomed with their team mates strength’s & weaknesses, I commented in my pre match interviews that we have a better squad than last season, we have a more athletic looking back four, we are strong in midfield, I did think that loosing Tommy Turner would be a problem but Lee Oldham as done what Tommy did not do last season and that is to score a brace on the opening day of the season.

At times in this game it just shows the importance of a very good goal keeper, when Arran Walters attempts to win an header which was Braima Djassi’s to go and attack, this mistake let Squires Gate in with the score at 2-1 but Ashley read the situation well and covered his angles to make an important block, one minute later its 3-1 so that just shows the importance and also the thin dividing line of the game being equal to a two goal advantage".

"This was a good start and one we must build on"

Team: Ashley Timms, Paul Waine, Braima Djassi, Aidrian Bellamy, Arran Walters, Warren Collier, Matthew Hampson, Davey Luker (Jamie Rother), Martin Cosgrave (Arran Spencer), Steve Smith (Darren Perkins), Lee Oldham

Subs Not Used: Dominic Slavin, Nick Hudson

Goals: Lee Oldham 10, 45 Warren Collier 60

Home - Fixtures