This was Bacup Borough’s final home game of the 2010/11 football season that will overall have left the Bacup faithful reason to be cheerful, this young Bacup Borough side have played a total of twenty seven League and Cup Games at their Brian Boys West View Stadium having only lost on seven occasions winning twelve games and drawing eight.

Despite being decimated with long term injuries for the past month Bacup started this final home fixture well on a playing surface that would be reminiscent of all pitches at the start of a football season, not at the end, no signs of any bear patches, a perfect coverage of grass, a nice sunny day ideal for good passing football from which both sides did not disappoint.

Bacup started with a real positive attitude and at a good tempo, Kingsley Williams combined well with Adrian Bellamy before finding Tommy Turner who shot but whilst the net rippled it was the side netting, minutes later the Bacup striker who is still feeling the effects of an injury sustained weeks ago did latch onto a dropping ball from Williams, he took his shot first time but his effort was inches over the Congleton cross bar.

Bacup won a corner from which Matthew Hampson produced a good delivery but sadly the quality on the delivery was not capitalised upon.

Congleton were very much having to defend for the opening twenty five minutes but the visitors did create a problem with a straight ball that both Gareth Wager and Johnny Luker sandwiched the congleton striker resulting in a free kick at the edge of the Bacup eighteen yard box, the free kick was saved by Paul Horridge, at the opposite end Kingsley Williams struck the side netting, then Lee Oldham worked hard to disposes the Congleton player before playing in Daniel Cocks who ran into the Congleton penalty area showing good feet but sadly failed to pick a team mate out that was well placed to strike for goal, Cocks attempted shot struck a defender to be put out for a corner kick , from this delivery the ball was struck first time by Turner but over for a goal kick.

Congleton almost caught Bacup with a stunning long range effort that Paul Horridge could not have expected but saved well, the final chance of the half went to the Bacup striker Tommy Turner who was put through onto goal 1v1 with the Congleton keeper who sprinted off his line, Turner picked his spot but Matthew Conkie somehow managed to prevent an half time opening goal by diverting the ball way with his feet.

The second half got underway much the same as the first half with Bacup very much on the ascendancy but with nothing to show for their chances created it was time for the Bacup Management to make a change, on seventy minutes Daniel Cocks was replaced with the player of the month Haydn Paul and the shape of the team was changed, whilst this change was supposed to have worked the opening goal for Bacup it was surprisingly Congleton that got their break through on seventy two minutes, this came when the Congleton right sided player was easily aloud to go past the Bacup left full back before delivering a cross which had keeper Horridge have come for the danger would have been elevated, he did not, with Bacup Borough’s Martin Cosgrave admiring Congletons build up play, his marker the Congleton left back ghosted in front of the Bacup player for a simple header at the back post, this Bacup did not deserve but if individuals are not switched onto their responsibilities the inevitable is bound to happen.

On eighty five minutes young Haydn Paul showed why he deserved his recently acclaimed player of the month award when he took advantage of a mistake from the Congleton defence, he ran across defenders with pace and power before finishing with the accuracy of a top striker that he is destined to be, this was a fitting goal to a fitting end to football for another season at West View which as seen this young Bacup Borough side beat last season points tally with still three games of the season remaining.

The Bacup Borough Manager Brent Peters Had This To Say “At the start of the season we set our marker down to these players to finish the season with more points than we did have the previous season, this they have achieved, whilst they must not now think that their job is done, they have a chance to finish off with a far greater points tally, this they must strive to achieve, I am well pleased with their effort this honest bunch of players have shown this season particular in the last month when for the first time in a nine month season we have struck a dreadful injury situation which as seen the loss of influential players, none more so than our Captain Davey Luker, however these remaining fit lads have picked up the baton and ran with it, by this they have done their best in what as been a trying and difficult month, one must remember these players are relatively young and in experienced in a very tough Vodkat Premier League but in adversity of our injuries they have shown tough mental courage to come through this to help us achieve our improved points tally on last year, this I cant give them enough credit for,

Peters added “Bacup Borough is very much a development club, we are developing players in order for them to strive to make a career out of the game, it is inevitable mistakes are going to be made, it is also inevitable that mistakes made could prove costly as was the case when Congleton opened the scoring, however we hope that these young players learn from their mistakes in order to improve which will inevitably help them progress their careers, the most important thing for these lads now in order to achieve their goals is to stay together, with the help of myself Andy Hill and Jimmy Pretruzzi through the summer months taking us into next season will make these lads a whole lot knowledgeable, stronger, fitter and will improve their mental strength in how to sustain that winning mentality,

Peters concluded “ there is no doubt if these lads afford the opportunity of allowing us to continue with their development, some of them could fulfil their ambition of football league status “

Team: Paul Horridge, Adrian Bellamy, Gareth Wager, Johnny Luker, Josh Greenhalgh, Daniel Cocks (Haydn Paul), Kingsley Williams, Lee Oldham, Martin Cosgrave, Matthew Hampson, Tommy Turner

Subs Not Used: Karl Stanley, Thomas Massey

Goals: Haydn Paul 85

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