ILKESTON 1 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 3

SKELMERSDALE FIGHTBACK FOR STYLISH SUCCESS

ILKESTON 1 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 3

By Neil Leatherbarrow

Skelmersdale United had to man the barricades against a rampant Ilkeston in the early stages at the New Manor Ground and despite conceding a sixth minute goal, fought back well to return comprehensive and thoroughly deserved winners. Skelmersdale not only won, but they won playing stylish and disciplined football especially when faced with a couple of very provocative situations.

Tommy Lawson picked the same team that had performed so well at home to Airbus UK in Tuesday’s final warm up game, though for ten minutes they had to withstand a barrage, before picking up well as the first-half progressed.

Martin Fearon made a double save to deny Ilkeston in the 2nd minute and Tony Rendell put in a superb last ditch tackle to keep out Dan Udoh a minute later, before the hosts struck in the sixth minute. Marcus Harness held off a challenge before firing across goal into the far corner to make it 1-0.

To be fair though, that was it barring a lob from former West Bromwich Albion striker Lee Hughes that was spectacularly tipped away by Fearon, Ilkeston had possession but posed nothing like the threat of the opening minutes as Skelmersdale gradually asserted their authority.

The signs that Skem were still in the game came in the 16th and 19th minutes. Anthony Hickey put a shot over the crossbar, then Ilkeston’s Brazilian goalkeeper Evandro Rachoni saved at Dan Mitchley’s feet.

The half didn’t see another proper chance generated by either team, but there were two big talking points, both involving the mercurial Lee Hughes. On the half-hour he went up for a ball with Rob McIntosh clearly leading with his elbow, after treatment the Skelmersdale captain was able to continue, Hughes getting a yellow card from referee Mr Bell.

In the 42nd minute Hughes struck again, this time hitting full-back Phil Mooney with a punch that Tommy Lawson later described as “something Klitschko would have been proud of.” Whether the referee and his assistant saw the incident is debateable, but significantly the vociferous home support who must have seen it said virtually nothing in Hughes defence and he walked away scot-free.

The second-half opened with a flurry from Ilkeston, but by the 51st minute Skelmersdale were on the offensive, Louis Corrigan seeing a free-kick scrambled around the post by Rachoni.

In the 54th minute Skelmersdale levelled. Shaun Holden swung the ball into the box from the left; Alan Burton made himself some space and glanced a delicately placed header out of Rachoni’s reach and into the corner of the net.

Two minutes later Skelmersdale took complete charge. Mooney drove a free-kick into the goalmouth from around 35 yards, Mitchley got onto the end of it and headed the ball into the opposite corner from the one Burton had found.

From that point on Skelmersdale just fended off the Ilkeston challenge and looked by far the more likely scorers on the counterattack.

The situation got much worse for Ilkeston in the 72nd minute, when this time referee Mr Bell finally did “see” Hughes strike as he flattened Burton. The yellow was displayed, the red one inevitably following. It could be said that it was a disgraceful performance from a man with so much experience.

Arguably Ilkeston did a little better with ten men, but only marginally and briefly posed a problem with a 20 yard shot from Eli Bako that went wide of the target.

In the 83rd minute Skelmersdale confirmed a marvellous opening day victory. A long ball over the Ilkeston defence put Mitchley away running alongside defender Liam Marshall for the ball, Mitchley won the challenge between the two and rolled the ball squarely into the goalmouth, Burton completing the Coup De Grace with a side foot effort from six yards out.

After the match Tommy Lawson was very happy, he said; “Last season these (Ilkeston) took six points from us, so it is tremendous to come here and win. . . Both teams have played some great football and along with the players I must thank the large Skelmersdale support that has travelled over here, I think we have rewarded them well.”

ILKESTON: Rachoni, Doyle, Luto, Bako, Baker, Marshall ©, Harness, Williams K. (Williams M., 70), Hughes, Udoh, Coulson (Shaw, 69) Subs (not used) Hodgett-Young, Gordon, Hill

SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Mooney, Holden, McIntosh ©, Rendell, Burton, Hickey, Woolcott, Mitchley, Kinsella (Staunton-Turner, 89), Corrigan Subs (not used) Hardwick, Strickland, Astbury, Donaldson

Referee: J. Bell

Attendance: 505

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