FIREWORKS FOR UNITED

FIREWORKS FOR UNITED

On Saturday Skelmersdale United overcame a spirited Padiham side, atrocious weather conditions and some diabolical refereeing decisions to gain all 3 points and close the gap to league leaders Macclesfield to 5 as the sides shape up for a top two meeting next week at the JMO

United took the lead as early as the second minute, a free kick swung in to the near post by Kenny Strickland found the head of defender Callum Lees, who unmarked planted his header firmly in the back of the net.
The referee came into his own on 15 minutes, a lunge from Padiham skipper Dan Morton on Strickland went unpunished, with Morton in a verbal battle with the official, a sin bin should have been the least of the referee’s options, the resulting free kick went inexplicably against Skem, which set the tone for the man in the middle’s afternoon.

United looked to extend their lead on 30 minutes with a triple effort from Tom Croughan, Mikey Howard and Emini Adegbenro, Mathew Hamnett in the home side goal stood firm to thwart the United forward line.

The weather deteriorated after the break, as did the referees control of the game, with United seeing 5 players in the book.

Ben Barnes was alert to thwart and stinging effort from Tom Walker on 65 minutes for the home side’s best chance of the afternoon.
Mikey Howard went on a surging run after 70 minutes his cross evaded the red shirts in the box, 2 minutes later and Howard was again on the charge, this time his cross was met by Conteh, who could only see his stab at goal go wide,

As the game entered the final minute it was Howard again was set free, beating the offside trap from a pinpoint pass from United’s star man Kenny Strickland, Howard squared the ball to Danny Mitchley who casually stroked home from 8 yards to seal the points for United, the goal lead to remonstrations from the Padiham players, claiming offside, leading to two of the Padiham players rightly sent to the sin bin.

It was a great result for United, who defended well, with new boy Sam Sheen particularly impressive and put plenty of pressure on the opposition goal. Manager Paul McNally was delighted with the points “it was a potential banana skin out there, the weather made it a real leveller, thankfully we came out on top”

United line up Barnes, Lees, Griffiths, Herbert, Grogan, Strickland, Servuts, Sheen, Adegbenro, Croughan, Howard Subs Towey, Mitchley, Conteh, unused Hilditch, Djalo