Bacup Borough with three players making their debuts dominated this game from start to finish, coming into the side was former FC United Goal keeper Phil Melville, Utility Player Dean Repullo and eighteen year old striker John Stephenson, it was a Stephenson's Rocket on fifty minutes which broke the deadlock and providing Borough with what as been missing in previous games, scoring, yes it could easily have been an old familiar story of sheer dominance with no reward but John Stephenson an eleventh hour signing from Darwen had other ideas.
It was the visitors that looked the dangerous team through out with a solid looking defence of Melville, Cross, Shepherd and Chadwick that kept the experienced Barry Massey quiet, Bacups midfield of Repullo, Luker, Steve Stott and Lee Stott constantly provided plenty of opportunities for Cryer, Carroll and Stephenson in attack, it was Tony Carrolls cross which gave Sean Cryer a shot at goal which was inches wide, then quality play followed with Stephenson, Repullo and Luker linking up well before Lukers effort just went wide of the upright, then right on the stroke of half time Steve Stott made a strong challenge before playing a good through ball to Cryer whos clever flick over the keeper went agonizingly wide of the far post.
During the first forty five minutes and for the vastly majority of the second half debut ant keeper Phil Melville was a mere spectator but on forty seven minutes with Bacup still in the changing rooms Melville was called into action to save well from a shot only four yards out, this was the first and last save that Melville had to make as his team mates got a full grip on the game, from this their reward came on fifty minutes when a quality foot balling move brought equally a well struck finish, it started when Repullo found Luker who found Steve Stott who played the ball to Carroll who cleverly played the ball into space for the advancing Stephenson to strike across Bates in the Atherton Goal.
The one goal proved to be enough to secure three points and move Bacup off the bottom of the league.
Brent Peters Managers Comments " Atherton Collieries is a very difficult place to go, the pitch does not allow for quality football although remarkably we played some excellent football at times on a difficult surface, it is always a battle there and players must stand big and be physically strong enough to compete in the battle, well my boys did not just compete, every man stood strong to go on and win their personal battles, at full time Matthew Cross and Stuart Shepherd looked like they had just done ten rounds with Ricky Hatton but that was the measure of all my lads who were willing to fight to the bitter end for the cause. How pleasing and re assuring it was to have a keeper of Phil Melville's presence in goal, he may not have had very much to do but his talking and awareness to nullify any threat was a major factor, the contribution of Steve Stott and Davey Luker in the centre of the park and Stuart Shepherd, Crossy and Craig Chadwick in defence, along with the energetic Lee Stott and Dean Repullo with the experience of Tony Carroll and the energy of Sean Cryer and young John Stephenson, did give me plenty of heart to realise if we can battle and play when we were allowed to play in this game Bacup Borough will be back to a team I can be proud of.
Back
|
