Skelmersdale United 1-2 Stourbridge

SKELMERSDALE UNITED 1 STOURBRIDGE 2

By Neil Leatherbarrow

It was a mixed Bank Holiday weekend for Skelmersdale United, but one that has left them still up with the early pacesetters in the Evo-Stik Premier Division. Saturday saw them lose out 2-1 at home to Stourbridge, and then playing some excellent football they were full value for a point at College Road against Marine in the local derby encounter, that was highly entertaining.

Saturday’s game was a tight close game against a physically stronger team, with both the Stourbridge goals coming from set piece situations.

Dan Mitchley went close early on, and then goalkeeper Martin Fearon saved with his feet as play switched from end to end in the opening stages.

Louis Corrigan was thwarted by Stourbridge goalkeeper Lewis Solley in the 18th minute seeing his free-kick helped over the crossbar.

In the 20th minute the game changed completely. Chris Lait swung a free-kick into the Skelmersdale area from the left; Leon Broadhurst used his strength to create space then flicked the ball into the Skelmersdale net with a back header from around eight yards out.

The momentum of the game slowed. Stourbridge became more cautious as the game went on and fell deeper and deeper too. Skelmersdale struggled to open them up and the visitors looked dangerous on the counterattack.

Before half-time, Solley saved from Mitchley, then on the hour mark the inform striker went desperately close to scoring after a fine build-up involving Alan Burton and Ged Kinsella, earning Kinsella the West Recycling Man of the Match Award.

The job became a lot harder for Skem on 70 minutes when Stourbridge won a free-kick about 22 yards from goal in a central position. The ball was slammed into the net by Broadhurst to make it a personal haul of two on the day.

Skelmersdale did put themselves back in the game inside four minutes. Mitchley was put in on goal by Chris Almond, but went down under Chris Knight’s rather clumsy challenge. Knight saw a red card, Mitchley got up off the floor to fire home from the penalty spot.

Stourbridge maintained their defensive wall in the latter stages and held on for three points.

SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Rendell (Staunton-Turner, 59), Holden, Hardwick, McIntosh ©, Burton, Kinsella, Strickland, Mitchley, Almond, Corrigan (Donnelly, 63) Subs (not used) Woolcott, Hickey, Donaldson

STOURBRIDGE: Sulley, Green Scarr, Tonks, Knight, Pierpoint ©, Dodd, Broadhurst, Hawley (Smikle, 86), Chilton, Lait (Canavan, 64) Subs (not used) Harris, Wedderburn

Referee: James Wilson (Salford) Attendance 215

Read more: http://skemunitedforum.proboards.com/thread/2353/skelmersdale-united-1-stourbridge-2#ixzz3kbsMnugU