Bacup Borough welcomed back Striker Tommy Turner who missed Saturdays game but he did not make the starting line up as Manager Brent Peters kept faith with the team that won at Congleton.

Prior to the game both teams observed a minutes silence as this was the first official League game following the death of Kenneth Peters the club Vice President and also in memory of Sophie Lancaster the young girl who was brutally murdered in a Bacup Park four years ago.

The game got underway, despite the torrential rain all day the pitch was in excellent condition, the game ebbed and flowed from end to end but it was Maine Road that had the best of the scoring opportunities, all coming their way through reckless play by the home side , their first chance came when the right full back made a good run unopposed before finding his striker who shot just wide of the upright, another opportunity did come their way when Captain Davey Luker let the ball go behind him what seemed like he believed a Bacup team mate was behind him when in fact it was a Maine Road player who took full advantage before getting a shot off and then Bacup Borough’s Stuart Nixon played an inside ball direct to his opponent who really should have scored but agonisingly watched the ball come back off the cross bar.

Bacup Boroughs chances came from two free kicks earned by Daniel Cocks and Kingsley Williams respectively, Stuart Nixon fired into the Maine Road keepers hands whilst Daniel Cocks effort did strike a player before being cleared, right on the stroke of half time Daniel Cocks did very well before finding Cosgrave who really should have shot his side into the lead but did allow himself to be challenged all most on the goal line.

With the score’s level at the break Manager Brent Peters made a double substitution at the start of the second half, both Tommy Turner and Lee Oldham were introduced with Matthew Hampson and Steven Maden both making way.

Maine Road were somewhat unlucky not to have taken the lead at the start of the half when the ball was played in behind Stuart Nixon who was then given a problem with the lads pace and cutting inside from the bye line before pulling back for his team mate to bring a good save from Wrigley.

On sixty five minutes and only twenty minutes into the game for Tommy Turner he did prove why it is important to have a natural finisher in ones camp, with the home side attacking down the right Turner was right on the defenders shoulders when the ball was played across, Turner got just enough on the ball to stab Borough into the lead, two minutes later it was two and what good control and finish coming from Tommy Turner, this following a very good pass from skipper Davey Luker, how Turner did not get his hat trick only himself does know when on at least another couple of occasions he was in front of goal only for his efforts to be cleared from the line, then we saw Martin Cosgrave make a good deep run from midfield before receiving the ball but for some reason the defence opened up inviting a shot but he opted to square the ball instead which ended with a very good opportunity being spurned.

Maine Road had a break which did result in their front man getting in between Bacup Borough’s two centre backs from which once again Wrigley had to produce a good save.

Bacup made their last substitution with Cosgrave being replaced by Morrison, more opportunities came the home sides way through Tommy Turner and a Lee Oldham shot well saved, then Daniel Cocks was fouled and yet another free kick awarded to Bacup, this time Wayne Morrison stepped up to take striking the ball well which the Maine Road keeper pushed out for a corner which was eventually defended.

After the game the Bacup Manager had this to say “ We played some good football at times but only in fits and starts, in the first half almost every member of the team were guilty of being sloppy with their passing or making wrong decisions much to the point that had Maine Road have had a natural finisher in their side we could very easily have found ourselves chasing the game, Peters added “ it was inevitable that changes were going to have to be made at the break and to be fair whilst it was Matthew Hampson and Steve Maden making way it could easily have been any two players from the other players left so much so that all players had let their standards drop either in passing or receiving the ball, I must congratulate Tommy on his brace but the second goal was quality, the pass from Davey Luker, the take and then the finish was something else, Matthew Wrigley made some excellent stops to keep us in the game, his defence also did well, Peters concluded by saying “ In adversity there must be a positive , this we got, although we know we can do better in terms of passing, receiving and decision making, never the less we secured another win to give us a one hundred percent start, we created several openings and whilst scoring two goals we also created several more openings that could easily have been finished, and when we looked in any trouble which was created by our own down fall, the defending of Nixon, Bellamy, Turner, Walters and Wrigley was very good when we needed them.”

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

Subs Not Used: Mark Taylor Josh Lynch

Goals: Adrain Bellamy 67 pen, Lee Oldham 72

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