Burscough 0 vs Rylands 0

Burscough took to the field at Victoria Park on Tuesday night as outsiders, their visitors from Warrington in only their second season in the North-West Counties League had been promoted last season and had won all their games so far this season, they were on a roll.
However new manager Nick Matthews has instilled some steel into the spine of his team and instead of lying down and being rolled over, they held out and gradually built up their confidence and for the last twenty minutes they were the better team, they put the brakes on Rylands and by the end could consider themselves a little unlucky not to have won.

Rylands announced their arrival inside a minute, a slip by a home defender put the ball to lively centre-forward Jamie White whose vicious shot from 25 yards was tipped over the home crossbar by goalkeeper Dave Jones.

Burscough responded via the impressive Jordan Coates, himself pouncing on a poor touch by Rylands Callum Lees but seeing his shot go just wide.
On 24 minutes Rylands went very close thanks to some tidy play by Adam Jones, on the edge of the 18 box he beat two men with a nifty turn but now clean in put his shot wide of the far post.

As the game went on though Burscough were gaining confidence and taking the game to their strongly fancied visitors, Rylands chances became fewer and the best they could generate before the interval was a Stephen Wolhuter free-kick that was saved by Jones.

The rain came down after the interval but it didn’t dampen Burscough, although they had to see off some early pressure they counterattacked on 48 minutes Coates leading the charge, he put the ball across the penalty area to Aron McGrath but Rylands goalkeeper Graeme McCall saved with his feet and fell on the rebound.

At the Crabtree Lane End Dave Jones made another save from Wolhuter and then had a big panic when White charges down a clearance, but the balance of the game was changing, Rylands were getting less chances and Burscough were getting more.

In the 64th minute Burscough went very close, Ben Lightfoot put Jack Gibney away down the right, the nippy winger hoisted the ball into the goalmouth and with a flicked header Deklan Hill put the ball inches wide.

On 79 minutes White headed over the home crossbar off a cross from the right, but Burscough were finishing the stronger looking outfit.
Seven minutes from the end Coates was desperately unlucky to see McCall pull off a tremendous save after Will Doherty crossed from the left and two minutes later Burscough just missed the target from a Gibney cross.

It may have been a goalless draw but the game still sent you home with the tingle of having seen a good game. A super performance from Burscough, Rylands will be one of the leading teams, but after a tentative start the Linnets showed that they could match them and the highflying visitors could have had no complaints had Burscough won. Maybe it might not be that much of a shock if they win at Trafford in the FA Cup on Saturday, Burscough are definitely a team on the up.

BURSCOUGH: Jones, Lightfoot, Partington, Presho, Smith, Hamid © (Doherty, 80), McGrath (Gibney, 58), Hayes, Hill (Adekoya, 69), Houghton, Coates Subs (not used) Bott, Wright

RYLANDS: McCall, Lees, Molyneux, Kenny © (Potter, 45), Polland (McNamara 64), Jones, Wolhuter (Gerrard, 73), White, Lomax, Scarisbrick Subs (not used) Davies, Freeman

Referee: Chris Porter

Attendance: 91