The odds seemed stacked against the visitors going into this game on a ground where the home side had only previously lost one game all season, in addition to this Congleton won the toss to kick their preferred way down the slope and to makje matters worse they had a strong wind running in their favour, despite this credit must go to Bacup for the way the entire team put in a solid work man like performance to secure three vital points.

It took Congleton just six minutes to show the visitors that they meant business when they got in behind inderjeet Aujila down the Bacup right before cutting inside, despite the keepers angles being right the ball was knocked accross Potts in the Borough goal but thankfully for Borough it struck the far post before being scrambled to safety, this then set the tone for a pulsating game with Borough coming back at their hosts with Davey Luker working the ball well before delivering a deep left hand side cross which Tony Carroll headed what seemed a certain goal but the Congleton Keeper got a vital hand to tip the ball round the post for a corner from which the keeper dealt with, it was that Davey Luker Tony Carroll combination again which had the keeper again saving well from Carroll.

Congleton at every opportunity knocked the ball long using the slope to their advantage, it was this situation which did create a good opportunity for them to score, the ball bounced kindly for the Congleton player who's shot was well saved by Potts, in Contrast to Congleton Bacup were playing good controlled football, it was a footrballing move which won Bacup a Free kick which could easilly have been a penalty such was how close it was to being in the box, Lee stott had made a good run up the left hand side of the pitch, he cut inside to go for goal but was brought down, Tony Carroll took the resulting free kick but yet again the home side keeper was equal to the shot.

Half Time 0-0

The second half with the home side loosing the advantage of the slope and with Bacup working extreemely hard making Congleton look very ordinary which did start to frustrate the home faithfull and the Congleton team as all the play was being made by Borough, first of all John Borg fired a shot just over the bar, Tony Carroll had an effort blocked and then on 55 minutes Bacup won a corner, Carrolls delivery to the near post was helped accross goal by Luker and advancing in at the far post was debutant loan signing Danny Whealan from Curzon Ashton to head past the helpless keeper, this goal was nothing short of what Bacup Borough deserved, the goal put more spring into an already fluent Bacup side who started to impress the home faithfull with some quality keep ball moves which gradulay tested the patience of the home side when on two seperate occasions two deliberate attempts to stop Bacup gaining advantage by cynically bringing down players who were making runs into an advanced position left the official with little option but to deliver two red cards resulting in Congleton finishing the game with nine men, however deep in stoppage time the bears almost crushed the visitors when a stroke of luck in how the ball deflected away from defender Chadwick leaving the lad through on goal but thankfully Potts was equal to the shot and ensuring the deserved three points were in the bag.

Brent Peters Managers Comments" Congleton are a big physical side that are difficult to play against, anything around the box, throwings, corners, free kicks are delivered with quality and meaning but credit to my defenders and my keeper, whilst it may have been a mis match in height, my lads were different class with top drawer defending, having this confidence allowed my midfield and front lads to push on in numbers, which we did and whilst in the early part of our game our passing was sloppy this was vastly improved in the second half to the point that we played football that the home side could just not get near to us, the football we played was acknowledged by the home faithfull who clapped the entire Bacup Team off something I must thank them for in defeat, going into this game we had lost the services of influential player Lee Anderson through suspension, not having the biggest of squads my mate Gary Lowe from Curzon Ashton helped me out with Danny Whealan who came up trumps on the day to score what turned out to be the winning goal. "

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