LAST MINUTE WONDER FOR SKEM

LAST MINUTE WONDER FOR SKEM
Skelmersdale United 3-2 Congleton Town

In a script straight out of “Roy of the Rovers” Skelmersdale United beat Congleton 3-2 at the JMO Sports Park. League Leaders Macclesfield were just 10 miles away at Charnock Richard, with all the “Boys own stuff” occurred in the final minute at both games

With Macc leading 1-0 and United level 2-2 with Congleton, the gap at the top was four points in favour of the men from Cheshire, as news filtered through that Charnock had levelled thanks to Jordan Darr, of all the ironies, a former Skem player, meant that the gap was now down to 2, it was the inspiration United needed and a flowing move ending with a Elliott Morris cross finding the feet of Danny Mitchley who fired home from close range to send the ground into pandemonium for the players and supporters alike. United had gone top on goal average with the very last kick of the game.

It could have been so different for the blues, 2-0 up thanks to a first half strike from Mitchley and a 64th minute thunderbolt from 25 yards struck by United’s Man of the Match Joe Nicholson and all was going sailing for Skem.

But Congleton are a team full of experience and an innocuous free kick conceded on the edge of the United box just a minutes later ended with Kyle Diskin firing a low shot past the wall and out of keeper Ben Barnes reach to bring it back to 2-1, it shouldn’t have worried Skem to much as they were by far the team in the ascendency with Howard and Elliott causing problems to the visitor’s defence throughout the afternoon.

The goal spurred on the visitors and they piled on the pressure looking for the equaliser and it came with a scrappy effort converted by Aaron Bott, United were now hanging on and could have gone behind as Tom Pope’s effort sailed just over the bar.

But Paul McNally urged on his troops as news came through from Charnock, resulting in the last-minute winner, Mitchley was mobbed by all his team mates, including keeper Barnes who made a dash the length of the field to join in the celebrations with the youngsters behind the goal also getting in on the joyous scenes.

United had gone top and next week travel to face the deposed leaders at the Moss Rose, Paul McNally said after the game, “We should have been out of sight at the interval and when Joe popped up with the second, I was already thinking ahead to next week but Congleton came back and made us work very hard, we got the rub of the green at the end and yes I was delighted”
United team Barnes, Lees, Holden, Grogan, Griffiths, Strickland, Morris, Nicholson, Mitchley, Croughan, Howard Subs Ellams, Adegbenro, Salkeld, unused Preston,