Bacup Borough ‘s opening game of this new season was a return to Booth Street the home of Congleton Town, the ground where they played their final game of the last football season. Bacup came away with all three points last season but this time around they faced a Congleton side with a new Manager and two former Bacup players in Christopher Middleton and Laquan Esdaile.

Bacup with four new signings on show made an edgy start with the home side starting the brightest although any slender opportunities for the home side was down to some sloppy passing from Bacup. The one early threat they gave the visitors came when one long straight ball got in behind the Bacup defence but keeper Matthew Wrigley was alert and quick off his line getting a smack in the bargain.

Bacup then started to settle giving the opposition the run around with their slick passing movements and Daniel Cocks was brought down at the edge of the box. The free kick was tapped to the side for Davey Luker to shoot but the ball flew inches over. Daniel Cocks dispossessed a Congleton player before running at the heart of their defence but rather than shoot his attempted square pass trying to find Cosgrave was cut out. Another effort came when Congleton’s Middleton came over the top of Daniel Cocks but with the ball running loose the referee played advantage, Williams got onto the ball before firing across the keeper and had Cosgrave gambled he would have almost certain have scored with even the slender of connections. Bacup were now well into their stride and further situations to break the deadlock occured but despite surmounting pressure from the visitors the game was all square at the break.

The second half got under way in the same vane as the start of the first half with Bacup’s sloppy play giving the opposition a chance. Matthew Hampson was guilty of a bad pass in the Bacup defensive third which set the home side up, although there was some panic defending Congleton failed to capitalise on a gifted opportunity. Then followed some comedy of errors , Steve Maden got the ball stuck under his foot and was dispossessed and conceded a free kick some twenty yards out. Adriano Rigoglioso stepped up to smash the ball against the Bacup bar. Bacup seemed intent in trying to give the opposition every chance to score when keeper Wrigley passed the ball that put his player under pressure and yet again another free kick was gifted but this time his effort was just over. Seconds later yet another free kick was awarded and this time Wrigley got down to save well, and finally yet another stupid free kick was given away which keeper Wrigley did tip onto the cross bar. All these needless free kicks came in a three minute spell put Borough under severe pressure of their own making.

However Bacup did start to move the ball and men forward very quickly with neat intelligent passing which got Daniel Cocks resulting in the Congleton keeper conceding a penalty kick on sixty seven minutes. Up stepped Adrian Bellamy who made no mistake with a well struck kick.

On seventy minutes Bacup made a double substitution bringing on Lee Oldham and Wayne Morrison with Matthew Hampson and Martin Cosgrave being replaced. On seventy two minutes Bacup scored their second but what a well executed weighted pass from Daniel Cocks for Lee Oldham to get in behind but also produce a finish of sheer quality.

With the heavens now opening and Bacup making Congleton chase it seemed like all the opposition wanted was for the official to bring an end to proceedings, this until they were gifted a life line. The ball was played forward towards Wayne Morrison who failed to get his body between ball and defender resulting in Congleton breaking. For some reason the entire Bacup midfield got attracted to the ball leaving a man spare who ran at Adam Turner who committed himself to the tackle but conceded a penalty which was converted leaving Bacup to finish the last ten minutes including injury time with ten men. Despite Congleton throwing men forward it was Bacup that took all three fully deserved points.

The Post Match Comments From Manager Brent Peters when he had this to say

“We had a nervy start to the game for about ten minutes when it looked like players were not showing for the ball and the ones that did show were not happy to stay on it. From here on in once players started to believe in their ability the players started to settle on the ball some of our football was a pleasure to watch. The fact that we started after ten minutes is also an improvement from our pre-season games as it has been in the second half when we have come up to speed so the fact that we have got into our stride some thirty five minutes sooner is a big plus however a bigger plus will be to start well right from the off”

Peters added “In the first half I counted six times we had worked great positions and should have scored, this to their two, one when a long ball got in behind us and one when Davey Luker tried to play a round the corner ball which gifted them the opportunity to have a go at goal but in the main a really pleasing first half that just lacked a goal or two”

Peters added “Once again at the start of the second half we on too many occasions were sloppy with our passing. The first from Matthew Hampson who passed a straight ball to the opposition from this they are in the heart of our penalty area and then we rode our luck following a succession of free kicks being given away through once again players being careless. Once again when we got into our stride the opposition could not get near us, resulting in excellent play for our opening goal although from the penalty spot. The movement and passing was good, our second goal was brilliant, a great ball from Daniel Cocks and a great finish from Lee Oldham”

Team: Matthew Wrigley, Adrian Bellamy, Adam Turner, Arran Walters, Stuart Nixon, Davey Luker, Steve Maden, Kingsly Williams, Matthew Hampson (Lee Oldham), Daniel Cocks, Martin Cosgrave (Wayne Morrison)

Subs Not Used: Mark Taylor, Josh Lynch, Matthew Kemp

Goals: Adrain Bellamy 67 pen, Lee Oldham 72

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