UNITED ARE GOING UP

Cinderford Town 1-5 Skelmersdale United
UNITED GOING UP

Skelmersdale United are promoted to the Northern Premier League West, after a gap of 3 seasons they return having won Saturday's Inter Step play off at the picturesque Gloucestershire Town of Cinderford.

United made their intentions clear from the off as Mikey Howard made inroads in the very first minute with a shot that went just wide of the upright, Howard again provided a cross that Elliott Morris couldnt quite get on the end of and Morris having two shots saved by the busy Nick Jones in the Town goal, all this in the first 10 minutes.
Cinderford did make progress but were thwarted by the efforts of the accomplished Grogan, Herbert and Lees.

United were much the better side and it was no surprise when Mikey Howard struck Skems opener after 33 minutes, good work from Griffiths, Morris and Danny Mitchley saw Howard crash home from short range.

The 100 or so United fans who had made the 150 mile journey enjoyed the home sides half time hospitality leading to many of them missing Howards second from Skem just 1 minute into the second half.

From then on it was all United ,Sam Sheen & Kenny Strickland were pulling the strings in midfield and Skem played with a swagger not seen in recent weeks, wingers Morris and Howard were tormenting their markers at every opportunity and the pair combined to set up Baba Conteh to tap in after 65 minutes to put the game out of reach of their higher placed opponents.

United skipper Ben Barnes making his 100th appearance for the club was a mere spectator but there was nothing he could do as Cinderford produced their best football of the afternoon, a flowing move on 79 minutes found Zac Drew in a crowded goal mouth and with aplomb placed the ball in the far corner from a tight angle.

Instead of the onslaught expected from the Southern League side it was United who stepped it up another gear Mitchley was upended in the box and Howard fired home to completed his hat trick on 88 minutes.

There was still time for more goals as Mitchley, Croughan & Adegbenro all fired over as the clock ticked down but "Man of the Match" Michael Howard made no mistake right on full time, unmarked at the edge of the box he swept home past a stranded keeper for his 4th and United's 5th to start of a hour long pitch celebration from players and supporters alike.

A delighted Paul McNally said "we finished second in our league and should have rightfully been promoted, we had to come here and prove a point, we have played some top class stuff out there today and no disrespect to Cinderford who have been great hosts not a lot of teams would have lived with us after that performance"
"the support we had down here today was amazing and I would like to thank the fans for their backing, not just today but throughout the season they have been exceptional"

McNally went on to say" We start building now and we appeal to the public and business around the town to come and back us, we here in Skem have a team to be proud of"

United line up Barnes, Lees, Griffiths, Herbert, Grogan, Strickland, Morris, Sheen, Mitchley, Conteh, Howard - Subs Adegbenro, Preston, Croughan not used Simpson, Salkeld.