Bacup Borough produced a stunning second half display against a resilient Squires Gate team.

Following Saturday’s Marc Taylor sending off in the final minutes of that game, Taylor in the first five minutes of this game was given a yellow card from a situation when Adrian Bellamy had the ball played in behind him, Taylor came across to avert the danger but the challenge was deemed to be serious enough to get an early card and a free kick award to the Fylde Coast side.

At the opposite end Tommy Turner did well on the left before delivering a quality pass that Matthew Hampson should really have shot his side in front, then defender Gareth Wager dispossessed a Squires Gate player before putting the ball through for Tommy Turner in a slightly wide of the eighteen yard box, Turner knocked the ball across goal but to advanced for Haydn Paul to get on the end of, Squires Gate on several occasions broke very quickly on Bacup getting runners advanced from midfield despite this Bacup Goal Keeper Paul Horridge was not brought into the action, although following a Squires Gate free kick it could have been different when Marc Taylor gifted his marker with a free header which he could not direct on target.

Bacup won a throw in which was played to Hampson who opened his body before playing in Daniel Cocks who had now taken a central position from which he did produce a good strike at goal, Bacup won a free kick for a foul on Turner from which the ball did land into the net but was ruled out for offside.

At the opposite end Goal Keeper Paul Horridge tweaked his hamstring when taking a routine kick, before Bacup could get their substitute Goalkeeper Matthew Wrigley on Paul Horridge had to make a good save following a Squires Gate free kick, this was to be the last part of the action for Horridge as he was replaced by Wrigley with the score line also remaining at nil taking both sides into the half time break.

The second half was in total contrast to the first forty five minutes, Bacup stepped up their overhaul team performance to produce some excellent football which produced good finishes.

Bacup had got themselves in front as early as the forty sixth minute, this came when Kingsley Williams had been fouled and a free kick awarded , the deliver was good and from this Captain Davey Luker headed into the corner of the net, this goal set the home side on their way and how the team in its entirety looked like they were enjoying every bit of the game, Tommy Turner got himself one v one with the last defender before ghosting past him before pulling the ball across the keeper, had his strike partner have gambled he would have tapped the ball over the line, then Bacup won a corner from which Davey Luker connected with the ball but could not get it on target.

On sixty one minutes it was two but what a good goal this was, Lee Pugh did very well switching play from left to right finding Daniel Cocks who himself did well before finding Tommy Turner who produced a quality strike to score his first goal on his return to the club.

Bacup were unlucky not to add to this when Daniel Cocks had got himself inside and on the end of a Matthew Hampson header, Cocks made a run into the box, with the Squires Gate keeper now coming to close Cocks down cleverly Cocks shot across the keeper but his outstretched foot got enough on the ball to divert away from goal.

Then Tommy Turner took the ball well before passing to Cocks who then put Matthew Hampson in who again should have done better in that situation.

Then Tommy Turner struck the Squires Gate post, this before Bacup got their third on eighty minutes when Captain Davey Luker got Tommy Turner in onto goal but with his way cut off he unselfishly played the ball square for Martin Cosgrave to finish well with almost his first touch after replacing Matthew Hampson .

Lance Ogunyode who had replaced Haydn Paul struck a dipping ball goal bound first time but his effort was over, then in the final minutes the Squires Gate keeper Neil Beesley produced an excellent finger tip save from Tommy Turner, this following good work from Martin Cosgrave.

Following the game the Bacup Borough Manager had this to say “The first half for some reason three out of the four defenders for us did seem a little bit edgy on their responsibilities, something they had no need to be because their responsibilities had not changed from previous games, for some reason due to their mindset it did affect us as a unit to the point that we were being rash in every thing we were doing, this rather than being calm, cool and collected, once we all settled down we then started to master the game none more than in the second half when we looked a formidable side throughout, the defensive unit were holding the line well, pushing out correctly and dropping at the right time, I thought Lee Pugh’s recovery runs were excellent and so was his vision to switch play leading to our second goal from which when Daniel Cocks received the ball he did well before finding Tommy Turner to produce an excellent finish, Tommy contributed well and proved that strikers are not all for themselves when he squared the ball for Martin Cosgrave to finish well, it would have been easy for Tommy to have had a go himself but recognising Marin Cosgrave was in a good position he unselfishly played him the ball to score.

Peters concluded by saying “ when we produce the football we did in the second half, score the quality of goals we did, when we are disciplined within or team shape as we were tonight, then myself and Andy Hill feel a good sense of achievement and by this it is a privilege to Manage them, now It is important they correctly do their recovery before preparing correctly for our next game, if they do, then there is no reason why we cant replicate our second half performance tonight into our overhaul performance come Saturday “

Team: Paul Horridge (Matthew Wrigley), Adrian Bellamy, Gareth Wager, Marc Taylor, Lee Pugh, Daniel Cocks, Kingsley Williams, Davey Luker, Matthew Hampson (Martin Cosgrave), Haydn Paul (Lance Ogunyode), Tommy Turner.

Subs Not Used: Lee Oldham, Arran Spencer

Goals: Luker 46, Turner 61, Cosgrave 80

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