Game 23 Leaders take the points

A trip to league leaders Mossley saw Lancaster City go down by 2-0 on a sunny but chilly day on the Cheshire/Lancashire border.
This was a decent Lancaster performance however a couple of goal keeping lapses split the side.
Mossley started well, they were almost ahead in the opening seconds as City were caught cold, a header flashed narrowly past the post.
City struggles continued and they were lucky not to go a goal down when a Hind shot rattled the City crossbar, City were pinned back hardly getting within the Mossley half, until a Branco mazy run caused chaos in the Mossley ranks, he beat three players although his shot hit a Mossley backside. This spurred the visitors on and they began to look dangerous Swarbrick going agonisingly close to putting them ahead. Wilson in the City midfield having a super game. Half time came at the right time for the league leaders who were under the cosh.
Within four minutes of the re start Mossley were ahead a shot from Coppin seemed to be deflected but McDonald in the City goal appeared to dive over the ball as it dribbled into the net. (1-0)
Mossley were in control and a Coppin shot hit the post and another effort only just missed.
As with the first half City suddenly got on top, forcing the home side back although the not getting close enough to score thanks to the well organised home defence.
Against the run of play the home side scored the second, a free kick was spilled by McDonald and Madeley didn’t miss from the rebound (2-0)
City battled back bravely and an Elderton header only just cleared the bar but it was a pointless day for the Dollies.

Mossley 2 Lancaster City 0 Att 202

Game 22 At the death

On a mild Lancastrian night, those goliaths of world football Lancaster City and Radcliffe Borough shared the points in a mildly entertaining game of football.
144 attended giving the thumbs down to the Champions league rubbish which clogged up the TV airways last night. Lancaster took the lead in the 12th minute when a glorious cross field pass found McKenna on the right hand side, his cross found Kilfin inside the area and he finished with aplomb. (1-0)
City should have gone further ahead when Wilson was played in, sadly he dawdled on the ball and the chance was lost. It was to prove costly when City keeper McDonald dropped the ball onto the head of Radcliffe’s Karembo and rather by chance the ball dropped into the net. (1-1)
From then until half time the game was dominated by the referee, who blew for everything, he also like to lecture players at length and completely ruined the flow of the game.
Second half started poorly for Lancaster scorer Kilfin limped off injured followed by Marshall whose mistimed tackle brought a second yellow card quickly followed by a red.
As expected Radcliffe were in control though every credit to the 10 City players who worked their socks off keeping the visitors away from the City goal. Borough started to run out of steam although substitute Connor missed a glorious chance to put them into the lead firing over the top from close range.
City were in the ascendancy McKenna wasting a chance, it seemed the 10 men might be on the verge of sneaking a victory but with five minutes to go, Borough broke away following a save by the City keeper Connor slotted home the rebound. (1-2)
City battled on and were rewarded in the 94th minute when some shambolic Radcliffe defending allowed Swarbrick to sneak the ball into the net. (2-2)
There was little time for any more action as the final whistle blew. City deserved their point.

Lancaster City 2 Radcliffe Borough 2 Att 144

Game 21 Zero points

The day began well personally, annual two year trip to the optician brought unexpected result, eyes have not got worse, keep those glasses for another two years. From then on the day went downwards faster than a Serbian award for fair play.
Drove to the game and thought something was missing, it was, it was my sodding season ticket, luckily got a replacement ticket, next time I forget it I'll have to pay.
Onto the match Sheffield United scored the only goal just before half time to sneak the points 0-1.
The 11500 saw a turgid first half in which United passed the ball along the back line before hoofing the ball down field for the forwards to chase. North End played like Ray Wilkins in his prime virtually every pass went sidewards.
Personally think that Westley's tactics are to bore everybody into submission before hitting the killer punch when everybody has dropped off to sleep.
Maguire should have given United an early lead however his header when in acres of space found the crowd instead of the net.
North End pressed forwards but apart from a Beardsley header which should have been better directed also found the crowd.
The only other action of note in the first 44 minutes was a Welsh effort for the home side which only just went wide. On the stroke of half time the Blades took the lead. The pass, pass, hoof routine worked as a long ball from the back found Kitson in space, the ball bounced kindly for the tall striker as he lobbed the 6ft 5 keeper Stuckmann to give them the lead. (0-1)
The second half was better although goal scoring chances were as rare as hen's teeth.
North End dominated the early stages but it was the Blades who nearly when North End defender Huntington hammered the ball against his own post, whilst at the other end Beardsley was unlucky with a first time volley which went narrowly wide.
As the game drifted on North End were finding it hard to break down the well organised Blades defence although Monakana was posing a threat down the right hand side.
As North End pressed forward gaps were being left at the back and United should have sewn the game up with a when a speedy break found Williams in space, he screwed his shot horribly wide. United nearly paid for that miss when in the 94th a towering Huntington header was superbly saved by 17yr old keeper Long.
So another disappointing result for the home side, there is every possiblility the Blades when go up this season however they are not a brilliant team.

Preston North End 0 Sheffield United 1 Att 11500

Game 20 Fair result

In the end it was a fair result as Preston and MK Dons drew 0-0 at a chilly Deepdale in front of 8200, MK dominated the first half with their neat passing style they were quicker out of the blocks than the home side who looked lethargic through the first half.
Although the Dons had the majority of players chances were few and far betwee although a neat Beavon back flick nearly surprised Dons keeper Martin.
Experienced players Smith and Chadwick posed the main danger to the home side and it was Smith who was denied after 25 minutes, a fine defence slitting pass put Smith in the clear and only the extremely long leg of Stuckmann prevented the Dons from taking the lead. And that was that for the first half, the Sky highlights programmed at half time showed the chance and an offside nothing else featured.
North End started on the front foot in the second half, a determined run by Keane which led to Beavon going agonisingly close with a flicked chance. There was a huge shout for hand ball after a Dons defender possibly handled a Monakana shot, this was waved away by the referee. For once North End looked good at the back repelling what little the Dons tyhrew at them in the second half.North End looked the more likely to score with a Laird shot being saved at the foot of the post by Martin.
The game looked destined to be scoreless when the Dons maybe should have had a penalty when Stuckmann possibly brought down a on rushing forward, looking through my Arsene Wenger eyes thought the Dons player dived(TV replays suggested it was a blatant penalty)
A bit of handbags on the touchline following the non award between the two managers and that was basically that.

Preston North End 0 MK Dons 0 ATT 8257

GAME 19 Snatched at the death

For the second time in just over a month Wakefield arrived at Lancaster's Giant Axe ground to sneak away with a win, they contributed little to the game except for one thing they scored and City didn't.
 The visitors arrived minus six of their better players so this looked like an odds on City win but it was not to be.
 A first half offered little in the way of goalmouth entertainment although it was extremely competitive.
 City had the edge and for the first twenty minutes or so were virtually camped in the Wakefield half although created absolutely nothing in goal scoring attempts.
 Gradually Wakefield began to get a toe hold in the game and it was the visitors who went close with a shot from 20 yards just going over the bar, within a minute Clark went close for City chasing a long ball narrowly put his shot

Game 18 a win in the JPT

At the fifth attempt Preston finally won a game in the Johnstone's Paint Trophy after four penalty shoot outs on the trot. the 4-2 win over local rivals Morecambe propels the Whites ever closer to Wembley.
Classic game of two halves the first about as entertaining as being stuck for an hour in Lancaster's infamous one way system.
The early stages were fairly tetchy as Haining the home centre back was less than pleased by a challenge Proctor which cut the home players mouth, he needed an escort from the pitch to get his mouth fixed threatening to disembowel the Preston midfielder, also Cummings the Preston forward was stamped on by a Morecambe dfender.
When football did break out the home side were close to scoring following a run by Brodie by the finish by Reid was powder puff, at the other end Cummings was inches away from getting his head to the ball.
The home side took the lead half way through the half after a bit of shambolic Preston defence, Keane and Huntington managed to make a horlicks of routine passes and the ball was scrambled home by Mustoe. (1-0)
Little of interest happened in the rest of the half apart from the linesman with the yellow flag managing to get most offside decisions incorrect.
The second half however was all action, both teams gave scant regard to any defending and the goals flew in at a rate of knots.
Morecambe should have increased the lead but both Brodie and Bowden missed good chances.
North End leveled the score just before the hour mark when Cummings flicked the ball home from a free kick (1-1) North End started to get on top and Proctor fired narrowly over the top from 20 yards.
Preston took the lead when Sodje lashed home a pass from Robertson from 10 yards. (1-2) The lead didn't last long when Robertson played his part at the other end by giving away a penalty, Brodie scored with ease. (2-2)
Almost immediately Huntington headed home from a corner to put Preston back in the lead. (2-3) End to end stuff, only some determined defending by North End kept the home side out and when a header went over the bar from a Morecambe corner, victory was almost at hand and victory was sealed when a scuffed clearance from home keeper Arestidou found it's way to Sodje who rolled the ball into the unguarded net from 20 yards.

Morecambe 2 Preston North End 4 Att 2577E

Game 17 Poor

This was a shocker, North End produced a performance of such stunning ineptitude as Oldham cruised to a 3-1 win. As usual the trip to Boundary Park also corresponds with the arrival of a localish ice age,.
Twenty years ago this ground stated Premiership football however the years since then have certainly taken it's toll on Boundary Park.
The old Texaco stand has been demolished, the main stand has areas where the seats have been taken out for sfaety reasons, the phrase past it's best springs to mind.
Luckily there wasn't the usual gale force wind rattling around the old ground but the temperature was distinctly chilly.
North End dominated the early stages and nearly took the lead when a massive throw from keeper Stuckmann found Amoo in space after an Oldham dfender had tripped on a worm cast.
Amoo advanced on goal and has rasping effort was pushed past the post by keeper Bouzanis. To be honest the football was pretty drab, as both sides cancelled each other out and the ball tended to be fired skywards on too many occasions.
Latics took the lead after 27 minutes, King gave away a needless free kick and Baxter duly curled the ball into the net past the outstretched hands of Stuckmann. (1-0)
Neither side threatened in the minutes up to half time although one shot from Beavon was well saved by the home keeper.
The game ambled along for 10 minutes until a fine move down the left hand side of the pitch led to Montano sliding the ball past Stuckmann into the net to double the lead for the home side. (2-0)
From then on in North End disappeared, pass went astray with regularity as Oldham threatened to rack up a few more, Stuckmann had already pulled off one brilliant save early in the second half, when he also did well to block a Derbyshire shot to the near post.
The third goal wasn't long in arriving, gifted by Byrom whose past back to the keeper only found Furman who was able to advance on goal and beat Stuckmann with ease. (3-0)
At this point many of the large away following made for the exits, those that left missed the sending off of Cansdell-Sherriff, seemed a harsh red card, although from my vantage point it was hard to say whether he was last man or not.
Sodje got a consolation for the away side with the last kick of the game but by then noboby really seemed to care. Pitiful

Oldham Athletic 3 Preston North End 1 Att 5496