DEFEAT IN SLYNE!

After a rainy Friday and Saturday afternoon, both teams knew it wasn't the perfect conditions for a game of football as the pitch was heavy and terrible in some areas. Ruairi McDaid once again started between the sticks, Lewis Saunders was switched over to right-back and James Clegg made his first start since his return to the club after 4 years. Kevin Cox partnered Daryll Grant in centre-back and he was given the skippers role in the absence of Tony Sergeant who didn't recover from an illness. Vice-captain was also ruled out due to an illness and he was replaced by Adrian Rosada in the centre. Sheego Abubakar partnered David Hogg in strike. Daryll Grant and half-fit Mohammed Lulat made the bench.

It was Slyne who opened the scoring on 5 minutes as a point perfect cross was met by a Slyne striker who wasn't marked at the back post and he made no mistake in nodding the ball past McDaid. Before Hesketh Bank even had a shot on target, Slyne doubled their lead on 9 minutes as another striker wasn't marked at the back post and he side volleyed the ball past McDaid, who in reality should of done better as the ball squirmed under his body.

David Hogg was then denied brilliantly by a double save from the Slyne goalkeeper, firstly blocking Hoggs volley to then get back up and parry Hoggs rebound for a corner. David Hogg however did pull one back just after the half hour mark as he met a perfect through ball from Rosada to then chip the oncoming goalkeeper, the ball did then nearly stop on the line however due to a puddle right on the goal-line. Abubakar then thought he had equalised as he was played a through ball from Rosada to then ping the ball past the goalkeeper but to his despair the goal was wrongly ruled for offside by the young linesman. An absolute terrible decision from the youngster as Sheego Abubakar perhaps put his team back into the game.

Not much changed in the second half except that Rosada put a curling free-kick just wide of the left hand post with 10 minutes to go. Ruari McDaid made some saves to keep the score at 2-1 while Hogg and Abubakar could not find a way past the in-form Slyne goalkeeper.

TEAM: McDaid, Saunders, Cox, Grant(c), Clegg(Lulat 71'), Mabhena, Toth, Rosada, Threlkeld, Hogg, Abubakar(Jackson 83').

GOAL: Hogg 32'

Man of The Match: David Hogg
Supporters Man of The Match: Kevin Cox

Next weeks game is at HOME to 3rd placed Longridge Town FC with a 2pm kick-off.