Bacup Borough collected their first point of the season thanks to a fifty third minute penalty, once again with more clinical finishing that their approach play deserved this would have been three points in the bag.

Bacup started really brightly dictated by the pace of Martin Cosgrave who found Daniel Cocks who’s quick feet were too much for Padiham and a free kick was conceded, Davey Luker struck the ball but the Padiham keeper was equal to it.

Good play from the home side saw Luke Hargreaves dig out an effort which went into the keepers hands, at the opposite end Padiham got themselves a free kick some twenty five yards out but nothing came from it, Padiham did have quite a bit of the ball in deep positions but failed to find any way through the well organised Bacup side.

Following the half time break Lee Oldham was brought into the action in place of Luke Hargreaves who was still suffering from the nasty knock he did receive on Saturday, in addition Manager Brent Peters made two positional changes with Martin Cosgrave taking a strikers position and Daniel Cocks reverting to his natural left side position, at the start of the half Padiham forced a corner this mainly due to a lack of communication within the Bacup defence, the corner was defended from which Bacup built an attack, Martin Cosgrave with his pace before finding Ogunyode’s head from which Lee Oldham struck the post, it was Bacup Borough’s pace and power that were causing Padiham endless problems but missing was the finishing. Danny Hartley did well taking on his opponent before finding Martin Cosgrave who drove into the box and was blatantly brought down, the Linesman in this instance had no hesitation with the flag across his chest and the penalty was awarded and converted by skipper Davey Luker on fifty three minutes, at this stage Bacup were dominating proceedings from which it only looked a matter of time before further goals would fall bacup boroughs way, however on Fifty seven minutes the Bacup keeper collected the ball well but then attempted a quick throw which fell short of its destined player to be cut out by a Padiham player who knocked the ball deep and long, the ball then came diagonal back across the box and their was ridehalgh to fire in the equaliser.

Bacup Borough’s Danny Hartley produced a good shot which was saved but only as far as martin Cosgrave who did follow up but his effort went well over the bar, then the Padiham keeper was well out of his goal following a punch but once again a glorious opportunity came but despite there being an open goal the ball somehow failed to land in the net, at the opposite end Padiham won a free kick for handball right at the edge of the Bacup penalty area, the kick was well struck to come back off the Bacup post.

Then Bacup thought they had scored what looked like a perfectly good goal but was ruled out by the assistant linesman , it came from a long kick up field from which the ball did get deflected off a Padiham players head from which Martin Cosgrave was on the end of and finished well only for the Assistant’s flag to be raised and goal ruled off side, it was the same player again Martin Cosgrave too whom did make a positive run driving into the box but failed to pull the ball back which would have left his team mate with a simple tap in.

At the conclusion of the game the Bacup Manager had this to say,

“Although we started the game well we were defending too deep as a unit which, had the defenders have pushed higher up the pitch, this would have condensed the space thus then allowing the midfield to be closer to the strikers and the defenders closer to the midfield, once we addressed this at half time and did move some of my players positions, then for long periods of the second half we were a constant threat with our pace and power, it is a pity we miss the chances we do any natural finisher would thrive off the endless chances we do create,

Peters added “I could take a lot of positives from our performance we just need to improve on our decision making at both ends of the pitch, The Padiham equaliser did come as a result of the wrong decision from keeper John Paul to throw the ball where he did which fell short leading to a goal and at the opposite end if Martin Cosgrave does pull the ball back following such a good run we win the game, that is how thin a dividing line it is.

Padiham to their credit all though second best for long periods of the second half they never gave up and worked hard to earn themselves one point and four points in total from their opening two fixtures.”

Team: John Paul Lewis, Gareth Wager, John Luker, Robert Fox, Daniiel Cocks, Johnny Lomas (James Greenhalgh), Danny Hartley, Luke Hargreaves (Lee Oldham), Lance Ogunyode (Kerin Allen), Martin Cosgrave, Davey Luker

Subs Not Used: Chris Ogunyode, Adrian Bellamy

Goals: Davey Luker 53 pen

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