Wyre Villa v AFC Blackpool

WYRE VILLA 0 AFC BLACKPOOL 4 Robinson, Duffield, Buchan, Wilson

VENUE HALLGATE PARK, STALMINE

ATT 70 ISH

No programme never is at Wyre

 Although there was a big game on the box the thought of actually watching a game on a decent summer night although it turned colder later on was too good to miss.

The home side have new management team have brought in experienced players from AFC Fylde, however were no match for a AFC Blackpool side who looked a decent outfit.
Three of the four goals could probably have been prevented, first deflected, second woeful back pass and third keeper and defenders collided, the fourth was a decnt goal.
AFC could have had more goals hit the bar and got space down either flank, the home side improved after the break with a more experienced side but the errors did cost them.
Hopefully another nine months of football to come but these days you never know

Be back at Hallgate on Saturday as the home side take on Lancaster City

Walk 2/1/21

 A view of the Bowland fell with a touch of snow on it

Today's wander was just a short one due to tricky conditions underfoot, down the road to the bridge over the drainage ditch and back through the woods next to the estate were I live

Until fairly recently the pond was basically hidden from view however the local concil have removed many trees to give a better view of if, will have to wait and see what the plans are for this area

1/1/2021

2021 started one hour earlier for me last night as the EU shackles were removed, never see the Old Year out it's an age thing, know when it is as people to think it's a second Bonfire Night.

In Tier 4 so any chance of enjoying yourself is banned.

A frosty morning gave way to a mildish afternoon, got my required number of steps in 5000, what will the year entail hopefully better than the last.

Happy New Year all of you who never look at this blog😁😁😂

Crilly Park Atherton North West Counties League 1 North Artherton Laburnam Rovers 0 Golcar United 3 att 160

 Atherton Laburnum Rovers 0 Golcar United 3 Burnett, Bradshaw, Stor Att 160

The club were established as an under-14 team by Joe Riley in 1956,[2] and were originally named Laburnum Rovers, named after Laburnum Playing Fields where they first played.[3] They joined the Briarcroft Junior League in December that year despite the season already having started, as there was an odd number of teams due to other clubs dropping out;[3][4] their first competitive fixture was a league cup game against Marsh Players A, which they lost 10–0.[4]

As the players exceeded the league's age limit, the club applied to join the Farnworth under-17s League. However it folded before the season started, and club applied to join the Leigh & District League instead, a full age competition. In 1961 they joined the Bolton Combination.[4] They won the Division Two and the Division Two Trophy in 1965–66, and after moving into a new ground in the summer of 1966, were promoted to Division One for the 1966–67 season.[2]

In 1980 the club joined Division Two of the Cheshire County League,[5] but had to change their name as league rules required the name of the town to be included; as a result they became Atherton Laburnum Rovers.[3] Two seasons later the league merged with the Lancashire Combination to form the North West Counties League, with Atherton placed in Division Two.[5] In the 1984–85 season they won the Bolton Hospital Cup, beating Scotts Park United 3–1 in the final.

Despite finishing second-from-bottom of Division Two in 1986–87 the club were promoted to Division One as part of league reorganisation and due to the quality of the facilities at Crilly Park.[4] In 1992–93 the club won the Division One title, and after retaining it the following season, were promoted to Division One of the Northern Premier League.[5] The 1993–94 season also saw them reach the semi-finals of the FA Vase, in which they lost 2–1 to Diss Town in a replay at VS Rugby after the two legs finished 3–3 on aggregate;[5] the quarter final match against Aldershot saw the setting of the club's record attendance of 1,856.[1]

The club spent three seasons in the Northern Premier League, before finishing bottom of the division in 1996–97, resulting in relegation back to Division One of the North West Counties League. In 1998–99 they won the Goldline Trophy, beating Atherton Town 3–0 in the final Hilton Park in Leigh. In 1999–2000 the club were relegated again, this time to Division Two, after finishing bottom of Division One. However, a third-place finish in Division Two the following season saw them promoted back to Division One at the first attempt.[5] They also won the Bolton Hospital Cup for a second time, beating Ramsbottom United 2–1 in the final.

The 2003–04 season saw Atherton win two trophies; the Goldline Trophy was won when Blackrod Town were beaten 4–1 at the Reebok Stadium, whilst the Bolton Hospital Cup was won with a 3–1 win over Eagley at the same venue. They remained in the division (which was renamed the Premier Division in 2008)[5] until finishing bottom of the table in 2011–12, after which they were relegated to Division One.[5]

Just a smidgen over 7 months since I actually paid to get into a game, Crilly Park, Atherton was the venue for the home sides game against Golcar United who come from the people's reublic of Yorkshire and are based in Huddersfield.
This was the visitors third game of the seasonwhilst it was the home sides first having had one game postponed due to a soggy Crilly Park and the other down to the Vid in the Liverpool area.

Decent drive to the ground only a yoof who didn't look were he was going on his mountain bike got s tream of abuse which is unusual when behind the wheel
Got me test and track app to work at the gate paid a fiver could have paid concession but an extra £2 is not a problem useful to clubs at this level.
Masked up for a visit to the tea room as you do these days.

Second time I've been here the last time was to see Lancaster play Leigh Genesis on a Tuesday night a while ago. The odd thing about that night was behind the goal at the bottom of the slope is a railway line and to this day I still think a saw a car being driven down it, can be a bit odd around there.

Last saw LR years ago at Bamber Bridge when they were in Division one of the Evo Stick or whatever it was called in those days, since those heady days they have slipped down the league but with a loyal fan base have struggled on whilst being over taken by cross town rivals Collieriers.
It's a decent ground, main stand covered arears behind on goal and down one side, with a row of houses behind the goal at the top end.
There was a bit of support for the visitors with legaue fans from Huddersfield, Rotherham and Bolton also attending
THE GAME
The first half the visitors dominated a great early stop froman early shot by Torrance saved LR bing one down although not for long from a corner Burnett scored from close range after Forbes from the home side was flattened in the original aerial challenge for the ball


Forbes on the deck
Couldhave been two shortly afterwards but offside saved the home side although didn't look offside to me. There was a peiod were it got a bit fiesty three quick bookings and one of those 50/50 challenges were the ball is the victim.
Rovers rallieed for a while before Comber had the home sides first effort at goal, it went wide.
Getting towards half time Golcar upped the pressure and on the stroke of half time Bradshaw beat some ineffective challenges before burying home the second bottom left corner.
Impressive were Golcar using the left flank well were there was plenty of space, Stocker and Lawrence exploited the space excellently.

Rovers substituted their captain at half time put on a winger made them look better balanced, early Golcar dominance couldn't beat Torrance though as the game opened up Rovers finally tested Lawlor he pulled off some great saves to stop experienced Battersby from bagging a couple. The next goal would be crucial sadly for the home support Golcar got it.
Penalty, Torrance saved the kick but couldn't stop Stor from scoring. Game over with about 25 to go. Rovers battled away more decent saves by Lawlor and a header from a corner was cleared from the line by a United defender. In the end it was the right result although Rovers should take heart from the second half performance and the fact they made several good chances.


For anoraks only

The attendence was 160 which was probably better than the norm given Bolton were at home five miles away but can't get into league games.

Almost but not quite

 The car park at Charnock Richard Football Club, just after I got there to find out the game had been called off due to Storm Alex, so close and yet so far from getting into a ground for the first time since March.

Undeterred will try again possibly during the week.

CHARNOCK RICHARD v NORTHWICH VICTORIA 

POSTPONED

Missed me Of course you haven't

 After a lengthy absence from the blogging business its time to lob my worldly views towards this site again.

This Covid malarkey has cause chaos with ever day normal rational behaviour, we now seem to have reached peak insanity with what we cannot and can do.

So it's back to blogging sporting activites I can actually get into without fear of being arrested by the Covid police.

Semi pro football marches on a some levels of the game fans are allowed in, will be finding somewhere this Saturday. Mask and NHS app in hand I am out and about.

Match Report Rotherham United 2 Preston North End 1

Rotherham United 2 Vaulks, Smith Preston North End 1 Nmecha

Rotherham United line-up: Rodak, Mattock, Vaulks, Ajayi, Wood (c), Palmer (Forde, 46), Taylor (Newell, 46), Williams, Smith, Wiles, Raggatt. Subs not used: Price, Yates, Hinds, Southern-Cooper.

 

PNE line-up: Rudd, Clarke (c), Hughes (Woods, 67), Ledson, Storey, Huntington, Barkhuizen, Johnson, Nmecha, Burke, Gallagher. Subs not used: Crowe, Fisher, Woods, Simpson, Baxter, O’Reilly, Walker.

 

Attendance: 9,077 (1,141 PNE fans)

 

Referee: Mr L Probert

This was a game we should have won by half time however missing a shed load of chances in the first half, we conceed on half time, the home side mahe two changes at the break bag a second and hang on for grim death after we reduced the arrears.

Arriving at the ground a full two hours before the start had a wander around the town, lots of closed down shops gave the impression of grimness, although the Town Hall looked a decent old fashioned building.

North End unchanged started well and looked like they had Rotherham for the taking, Barkhuizen twice through missed one and was brought down cynically by Palmer on the edge of the box, Burke mnissed two, too slow on the first occasion and Johnson also got into acres of space but his poor final ball wasted the opportunity. The Millers started to get into the game and Rudd had too make one smart save from Wiles tipping over a goal bound save, but it only seemed a matter of time until a goal arrived sadly for us on the stroke of half time it was the Millers that got it.

Tree kick just outside the penalty area, Rudd lined his wall up, Vaulks blasted the ball past it and Rudd into the net. Rudd should have done better but it went in at such a rate with a bit of late swerve. One down and this season we have not come from behind to win.

Two substitutes from the home side at the break helped them, they closed us down and did not allow us to play, played far better than they did in the first half and generally looked the side more likely to win it. 

They doubled the lead when Johnson gave the ball away on the halfway line, Clarke left exposed the home winger bombed down the wing put in a great cross which just said head me in, Smith did just that. Within a couple on minutes we were back in the game as Nmecha pulled a goal back from about five yards.

Then it was a seige on the home goal Nmecha had one cleared off the line and there was nearly a comedy own goal but the home side survived and took the spoils. Disappointing but we were just not clinical enough in front of goal.

Rotherham assistant manager Richie Barker: "It was a vital three points and after looking at other results it was even more important.

"The togetherness was excellent, the organisation was okay in a patched-up team. We had a few square pegs in round holes so we are obviously delighted to get the three points but we are well aware we need to improve things.

"The performance wasn't great but they don't know that they're beat. They dig in when things are not going so well. The character is excellent.

"Our game-management towards the end was not entertaining, but year or so ago we might have lost that game."

Preston manager Alex Neil: "I was extremely frustrated but I couldn't tell my players they hadn't played well because it wasn't true. There was real frustration and disappointment because we spurned opportunities.

"Normally Rotherham are hard to create chances against but we created six by half-time. As a coach you know when your team has played well.

"Their goalkeeper getting man of the match tells you the story of the game. The simple fact is we didn't take the opportunities that we created. They went in knowing that they had not played well. They knew they had something to hang on to."