Bacup Borough progressed in another major FA competition but how they made hard work of this game taking the tie into extra time when in the ninety minutes they had enough chances and control of the game to have won at a canter.

It was the Bacup keeper Jon Paul Lewis that was brought into the action from the start when Nostel had found a way through before producing a shot the Bacup keeper did well to hold, this was to be one of only two efforts of the first half for the Yorkshire side as Bacup started positive with pace and power, this produced a good move involving the Bacup skipper Davey Luker who found Chris Ogunyode breaking into the box from the left before firing off his shot which came back off the Nostel cross bar from which Martin Cosgrave failed to react by doing so did miss an easy opportunity in the centre of goal, whilst Cosgrave was guilty of missing this opportunity he was unlucky on the next Bacup attack when Davey Luker played the ball into space from which Cosgrave latched onto before cutting inside to fire his shot across the goal keeper, the Bacup striker did everything right and was unlucky in not opening the scoring although his effort did produce a corner which was defended, on nineteen minutes Bacup were in front this following the Bacup midfield breaking up a Nostel attack before playing the ball into space for Lance Ogunyode who unselfishly found Martin Cosgrave who this time made no mistake with a well placed shot into the corner of the net.

Bacup dominated the first half the only other effort that Nostel were able to produce was a long range effort which Jon Paul Lewis did tip over his cross bar for a corner from which was then headed over for a goal kick.

The second half did get underway, Bacup certainly did not have it all their own way in this half, it started as early as the opening minutes of the half when defender Gareth Wager did present Nostel with an opportunity from which was struck well over the Bacup cross bar, then at the opposite end Martin Cosgrave did get himself in between two defenders, with the ball having been played in the air from Josh Lynch Cosgrave manage an attempted lob which was only inches over the cross bar, this effort apart Bacup had started the half with a laid back attitude from which on sixty eight minutes this did cost them when defender Gareth Wager did progress from his defensive position up field before his attempted pass to Daniel Cocks was cut out the ball was played into the space Wager had left for appeals of offside, on the shout the entire defenders completely stopped, the assistant failed to raise the flag and Bacup were caught whilst Nostel gladly took their opportunity to put them right back into this tie.

Seconds later Bacup Borough’s Lance Ogunyode missed a glorious opportunity to fire his side back into the lead.

Both sides made changes, Bacup introduced Lee Oldham replacing Chris Ogunyode and Daniel Hartley was introduced replacing Martin Cosgrave, both players were soon involved in the action, Daniel Hartley was brutally upended at the edge of the Nostel penalty area, a free kick was awarded which was cleverly executed by being played short to Josh Lynch who played the ball into space producing a tap in from Lee Oldham but the Assistant flagged for offside and the effort was ruled out, Bacup Borough made their last change when Luke Hargreaves was introduced replacing Daniel Cocks, with ninety minutes then up on the clock another thirty minutes of extra time had to be played.

Bacup started the first period of extra time in the same vein as they had started the game by taking the game to their opponents, this resulted in a free kick at the edge of the box on almost the first attack, Luke Hargreaves stepped up to take but struck the wall, then Bacup mounted another attack when Aidrian Bellamy found Danny Hartley who produced an excellent deep cross from which Luke Hargreaves was coming in onto but his first time effort was well over the bar, the another positive attacking move that involved Luke Hargreaves, Josh Lynch and Lee Oldham who crossed the ball across the face of the goal into the path of Lance Ogunyode who had he not have taken a touch would have most definitely have scored but once again another good opportunity spurned, then Luke Hargreaves got on the end of a Danny Hartley cross with an header which their keeper well saved, was it to be Bacup Borough’s day? It turned out to be on 112 minutes when Bacup won a free kick some twenty five yards out, Luke Hargreaves drilled the ball in with pace on the ball from which the Nostel defender could do nothing with other than guide the ball past his own keeper into the net.Bacup Borough made it 3-1 in the closing minutes of extra time when yet again Nostel finding the movement of Bacup too much resulting in yet another free kick going the home sides way, Luke Hargreaves stepped up to deliver a quality shot direct into the net.

Following one hundred and twenty minutes of football, whilst the players were conducting their cool down, I spoke to Manager Brent Peters who had this to say;

"With an important FA Cup tie coming up next Saturday with a mid week home league fixture nestled in between we certainly could have done without that extra thirty minutes,

Peters added “ we started the game bright, positive and at a good pace, we got our noses in front and created enough chances to have put the game to bed in the first period, we all know that one goal is not enough and it most certainly is not when we get one of our defenders Gareth Wager loosing a slight bit of discipline by going into area’s he should not be going into and then gives the ball away between Gareth and his team mate, we then get caught by appealing and stopping for offside which was not given, two weeks running we have got caught by not playing to the Referee’s whistle hopefully having been punished twice this will not happen again,

Peters added “ by gifting the opposition a lifeline they had a go at us in the second half, it lifted their spirits to compete a lot more than they were able to do in the first half, although they did not hurt us in the final third of the pitch we certainly were not having it all of our own way,

Peters continued “ I had Luke Hargreaves on the bench just back from injury who was itching to get involved in the action, with only one substitute left in my hand to play it was important with extra time looming that I did not make this substitution too soon just in case of injuries, once Luke was introduced his quality had a major contribution on the outcome of this game but with the chances we had over the ninety minutes this tie could and should have been over long before,

Peters finished by saying having played three games in two major FA competitions we still live the dream, credit to my lads for this we still keep believing “

Team: Jon Paul Lewis, Adrian Bellamy, Gareth Wager, John Luker, Josh Greenhalgh, Daniel Cocks (Luke Hargreaves), Josh Lynch, Davey Luker, Chris Ogunyode (Daniel Hartley), Lance Ogunyode, Martin Cosgrave (Lee Oldham)

Subs Not Used: Robert Fox, Steve Dryden (GK)

Goals: Cosgrave 19, Own Goal 94, Hargreaves 119

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