Skelmersdale United and manager Tommy Lawson knew they faced a tough game at Marine on Easter Monday, not because of any bad feeling between the two sides, but because Marine in their perilous position in the Evo-Stik Premier Division relegation zone simply had to win if they were to stand any chance of avoiding relegation for the first time in the clubs history. So the chips were down and Skem would have been the most unpopular team in town if the Crosby based outfit did anything but win.
Marine started strongly and within five minutes hit the crossbar via the very impressive Jamie Menagh, the number ten cutting in from the left and unleashing a right-foot rocket.
This was soon followed up by a header from Lloyd Ellams that went wide of the target when maybe he should have done better.
By the quarter-hour mark Skelmersdale gradually settled and the rest of the half saw play switching from end to end, with the respective defences in control.
Dan Mitchley went close on two occasions for Skelmersdale before the break, having a header superbly saved by home goalkeeper Matt Cooper and seeing a goalbound shot blocked for a corner. For Marine Skelmersdale’s Steve James saved well from Menagh and then made an excellent parry to keep out Andy Owens after the former Southport forward beat the United offside trap.
Skelmersdale started the second-half well, Ben Tollitt put a shot wide and then on 51 minutes Alan Burton was arguably very unlucky, meeting a bouncing ball around the eighteen yard line he hit a fading left-foot shot that beat keeper Cooper all ends up, unfortunately it beat the post by about an inch.
Just after the hour mark Marine pressed. Menagh had another shot saved by James, then the keeper did the same to thwart Andy Owens, however, the ball ran to a wide position on the left, it was driven back into the box and Ellams was able to steer the ball home from close range.
Marine had their lifeline and were determined not to let it slip. James saved from a Liam Willis free-kick, then Rob McIntosh bravely blocked from Menagh.
Down the other end Valtar Fernandes fired high and wide from a good position as Marine were now defending in numbers. On one counterattack it was almost 2-0, but a fine goal-line clearance by Kenny Strickland kept the game alive and the host’s nerves jangling. The final whistle brought an audible sigh of relief from the home supporters, for Skelmersdale a number of players including captain McIntosh deserve credit, but it was Marine’s day. From their perspective it absolutely had to be.

MARINE: Cooper, Wainwright, Short, Willis, Foley, Nicholas ©, Ellams, Clair, Owens A., Menagh, Owens T. (Codling, 71) Subs (not used) Fearnehough, Whyte, Peers, Welsby

SKELMERSDALE UNITED: James, Fernandes, Bodie, McIntosh ©, Burton, Kirkbride, Tollitt, Strickland, Bakkor (Whittington, 22), Woolcott (Mooney, 73), Mitchley Subs (not used) Wright, Bellew, Rendell

Referee: Paul Hodskinson (Bamber Bridge)

Attendance: 457