RUSHALL OLYMPIC 0 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0

A MATCH OF CLOSE MARGINS

RUSHALL OLYMPIC 0 SKELMERSDALE UNITED 0

By Neil Leatherbarrow

I think it was former Match of the Day sage Alan Hanson who coined the phrase “close margins decide matches” in relation to football; he would certainly have used the saying to describe this game at Dales Lane. Somehow the scoresheet remained blank, with both teams going close to scoring plenty of times, Skelmersdale actually being denied what would surely have been a winner by a mere two inches in a storming second-half show from Tommy Lawson’s men.

After Skelmersdale forward Isaac Kusaloka shot over the home crossbar from an Alan Burton set up in the fifth minute it is fair to say that Rushall were the stronger outfit in the first-half, although, Skelmersdale were far from under constant pressure.

Skelmersdale goalkeeper Martin Fearon pushed a Malachi Farquharson shot around the near post in the ninth minute, then to add some symmetry saved from Alex Reid at the far post in the 22nd minute. In between though Chris Almond saw a goal ruled out because of an offside flag.

Around the half-hour mark Skelmersdale had their best period of the half, Dan Mitchley firing just off target from an impossibly tight angle, followed by a Kenny Strickland free-kick that went wide from 35 yards.

In the ten minutes prior to the break Rushall threatened again. Fearon made his best save of the match to thwart a Jack Duggan header, Kris Taylor cut in and fired the wrong side of the post, and then finally Farquharson missed after Taylor created him an opening.

In contrast to the first, the second-half saw Skelmersdale dominant, their pass and run football leaving Rushall flat-footed on numerous occasions.

A minute into the half, Kusaloka squared the ball and Mitchley put his shot wide, in the 50th minute Rushall captain Gavin Caines was surprisingly not booked despite clearly pulling Kusaloka back, then on 51 minutes Almond switched the ball across the area to Tom Ince, whose immediate ball back into the goalmouth didn’t get a telling finish.

On the hour Almond had a goalbound shot blocked, followed a minute later by a Louis Corrigan free-kick that was just off the target.

On 63 minutes Ince hit the crossbar with a free-kick then on 64 minutes an excellent passing movement left the home defence completely in disarray, Mitchley seemingly stroking the ball into an empty net, so certain was Mitchley that he turned to celebrate, but the ball was hacked clear literally one spherical turn from a goal.

Rushall made changes and it did make a difference. They were now in the main under pressure instead of being mesmerized.

In the 77th minute Mitchley headed over the bar from a good position, however down the other end the impressive former Lancaster City pivot Duggan headed over the Skelmersdale bar.

Late on Mitchley held off a defender and went close. It had been that sort of day; both teams had had lots of opportunities. This in mind the record of the two teams in three meetings over three seasons at Dales Lane comes into account, in 270 minutes of football one goal has been scored and that was a penalty. Makes you think?

RUSHALL OLYMPIC: Coleman, Christophorou, Martin, Tolley (Palmer. 82), Duggan, Caines ©, Heath (Wright, 72), Wilkinson (Edmunds, 64), Farquharson, Taylor, Reid Subs (not used) Fitzpatrick, Roberts

SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Mooney (Strickland, 25), Corrigan, McIntosh ©, Rendell, Burton, Almond (Donaldson, 82), Staunton-Turner (Kinsella, 74), Kusaloka, Ince Subs (not used) Hardwick, Owen

Referee: N. Radford

Attendance: 209