SKELMERSDALE UNITED 2 BLYTH SPARTANS 1

SKEM SEND SPARTANS HOME DEFEATED

SKELMERSDALE UNITED 2 BLYTH SPARTANS 1

By Neil Leatherbarrow

Tommy Lawson’s Skelmersdale United repelled the challenge from league leaders Blyth Spartans at Stormy Corner on Saturday. After suffering the blow of going a goal down inside nine minutes, Skem fought back playing some excellent flowing football and turned the score into a 2-1 advantage by the 34th minute. In the second-half despite trying hard The Spartans couldn’t make a serious assault on the Skelmersdale goal and by the final whistle Skelmersdale thoroughly deserved their victory.
The game started with a flurry of action as both teams set out on the front foot. Blyth’s marksman Dan Maguire had a shot saved by Martin Fearon early on he was to pick up the Railway Hotel Parbold Man of the Match award, but it was to be Maguire’s only real threat all afternoon.
However, by the time The Spartans bagged the opening goal with a slick move down the right, Skelmersdale had done enough to inform the Spartans that were not going to have a comfortable afternoon. For the goal, Andy Cartwright was put away at pace down the wing but instead of taking the ball to the line he sent an early curving ball low behind the home back four, Michael Richardson got to it first and directed a shot past Fearon into the net from some eight yards out.
Skelmersdale didn’t sit back stunned they went the offensive and in the 21st minute Blackburn Rovers loanee Luke Wall had a good effort deflected for a corner.
Three minutes later when Ged Kinsella saw his skimming shot pushed around the far post by Blyth’s German goalkeeper Fabian Otte for a corner the pressure was beginning to tell. The first corner was put back out for a repeat, but from Kenny Strickland’s next flag kick, Tony Rendell got above everyone to head home from the edge of the six yard box.
Skelmersdale swarmed at Blyth for a while and Kinsella went close on 32 minutes after Phil Mooney and Sam Staunton-Turner combined to create an opening.
The way Kinsella was tormenting Blyth he deserved something to show for his efforts and on 34 minutes it arrived via a wonderful finish. Rendell intercepted a loose pass and found Staunton-Turner who was having a good game in the centre of the park, he fed the ball to Kinsella, who created himself an angle and lifted a looping ball over Otte and into the clubhouse end net behind him from twenty yards.
The energetic Chris Almond almost made it three on 37 minutes, then Blyth applied pressure again, but all they could muster was a free-kick that went over the crossbar by Matthew Wade and a Robert Dale effort that was snubbed out by Rob McIntosh. Just before the interval it was Otte that saved Blyth by fisting away a powerful shot from Shaun Holden.
It didn’t need a psychic to predict what would happen after the break and duly Blyth went onto the attack, but not until after Skelmersdale came within fractions of a third goal when Kinsella stretched all he could but agonisingly couldn’t get a crucial touch to a Tom Ince ball across the face of goal on 50 minutes.
Matthew Wade put a shot over the Skelmersdale crossbar just before the hour, after latching onto a rebound, then down the other end Otte fumbled an Ossie Abadaki ball but recovered just before Ince could punish him.
Blyth pressed hard, but Skelmersdale looked solid at the back and sharp on the breakaway. Blyth introduced three substitutes the better of whom was Sean Reid, he went on to put one good effort wide of the goal and another brought a decent save out of Fearon, but Skelmersdale were mainly limiting Blyth to attempts from outside the penalty area.
Eventually Blyth seemed to run out of new ideas to breach the Skelmersdale defence and after Fearon saved from Maguire in the latter stages, it looked inevitable that the points would stay in West Lancashire.
It was a great performance from Skelmersdale, Blyth did more than enough to show why they are co-favourites with Salford City to win the league and they played some excellent football. One moan would be the attendance, 248, Blyth fetched plenty of support with them, so it could be concluded that the Skelmersdale public stayed at home again, even when top of the table opposition were coming to town. Those fickle people missed out on a game that was a pleasure to watch and sent you home with the warm buzz that a good football match gives you.
After the match Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson was very pleased he said; “We beat a good team today and there was no fluke about it, we played well and produced some lovely football. We had spirit when we needed it and inventiveness when that was needed, it was impossible to single out one player as the best on the day, they all played well. After a performance like that I am really looking forward to the Chorley match next week”
SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Fearon, Mooney, Holden, McIntosh ©, Rendell, Staunton-Turner (Woolcott, 56), Kinsella, Strickland, Almond (Kusaloka, 83), Wall (Abadaki, 43), Ince Subs (not used) Corrigan, Fernandes

BLYTH SPARTANS: Otte, Cartwright, Watson, Morse, Hutchinson, Turnbull, Nicholson (Reid, 73), Richardson, Maguire, Wade (Mullen, 71), Dale (Wearmouth, 54) Subs (not used) Parker, Robinson

Referee: Martin Woods (Westhoughton)

Attendance: 248