Game 50 Lob it long

A perfect spring day for playing football, no breeze, warmish sunshine, flat but hard pitch, should have produced a good attractive game of football between Lancaster City and New Mills, however both teams were determined to use the aerial route and therefore the game was a bit basic to say the least.
City took and early lead when Swarbrick picked up a loose ball and scuffed a right footed shot into the net. (1-0)
This led to the Millers bombarding the home goal with a stream of centre which were well dealt with by the City defence and keeper McDonald who pulled off a couple of great saves to keep the home side in front.
On the rare occasions City managed to get forward, they did actually look dangerous with the Millers defence only just keeping out another Swarbrick effort.
On 24 minutes the visitors duly equalised, a corner hit the bar and Chadwick was on hand to boot the ball into the net. (1-1)
City were then pinned back by more aerial bombardment and looked to have managed to get to half time but another corner proved their undoing again Chadwick scored. (1-2)
City dominated the 2nd half but without the killer punch which would have got them a point. Again the ball was propelled skywards, as the tempreture dipped tempers began to rise, the game began to get niggly and as a result play became more fragmented.
The Millers had a couple of chances on the break which they failed to convert. City strove manfully to level but could not find a way through the massed ranks of the Millers defence.

Lancaster City 1 New Mills 2 Att 166

Game 49 All square

In the end the 1-1 draw between Preston and Portsmouth was a fair result. The home side dominated possession but some poor final balls and inability to put the ball in the net when well placed almost cost them 3 points until a late Keith Keane leveller.
Portsmouth took an early lead through Wallace although the goal was shrouded in controversy, when North End's Holmes appeared to be fouled in a home attack, the ball ended up with Mousinho, North End's captain whose attempt to find a team mate only led to a superb through ball which let in Pompey's Connelly. In days gone by Connelly would have scored however he was denied by home keeper Rudd who pushed the ball away from the forwards feet, but the ball was never properly cleared and Wallace slotted the ball home to great delight of the noisy travelling contingent. (0-1)
Spurred on by this setback North End powered forward and only the crossbar denied King, minutes later the home side were presented with an even better chance to score from a scuffed Moushino shot the ball fell to Garner 8 yards out, he hit the post, he should have scored.
Pompey thought they had gone two ahead but two visitors were clearly offside.
A bit of dissent from the home fans but North End started on the front foot in the second half, the visitors defence just about keeping them out, but credit to the well organised visitors they looked useful on the break, twice skipper Ertl was denied once by a great save by Rudd and then a block by Keane.
Just as it looked the home side were going to go home pointless they equalised the ball bouncing nicely for Keane to volley past keeper Eastwood. (1-1)
Try as they might the home side pressed for the winner but it was not forthcoming, honours even.

Preston North End 1 Portsmouth 1 Att 9484

Game 48 Cold

On a hypothermic day in Central Lancashire, Preston North End and Leyton Orient drew 0-0, on another day the home side would have won but a lack of composure, the woodwork and the finger tips of Orient's keeper Jamie Jones denied the home side, also the lack of a red card halfway through the first half for Nathan Clarke's elbow on Stuart Beavon, North End should have been playing against 10 men, but the card wasn't shown and he played a major part in saving his side.
North End dominated the first half, although not creating a great many chances, from a free kick following Beavon's injury, Jones pulled off a fine save tipping Wright's powerful shot over the bar.
King then had a powerful shot well blocked by Clarke, who then figured again when North End went even closer when King's shot hit the underside of the bar, the ball bounced down and both Mousinho and Garner both collided when trying to force the rebound home however they were denied by Clarke again.
Orient barely mustered a shot in anger in the first half, however that changed as Batt fired in a 25 yards effort which Rudd gave a good impression of pretending he had it covered.
Otherwise it was the home side pressing, King had a glorious chance to head the home side ahead however his headed looped over instead of under the bar.
By now though both teams had cancelled each other out and chances on goal were few and far between, Rudd dived to save a loose ball at the feet of Lisbie whilst Jones pulled off another fine save to deny Wroe.
The aforementioned Jones then almost blotted his copy book when nearly slicing a punch into his own net, near the end of the game.
The home side will be disappointed they did not win however 3 home games without conceding and 3 home games unbeaten, things are slowly on the up turn.

Preston North End 0 Leyton Orient 0 Att 8500 approx

Game 47 Plenty of space

Wakefield FC play their home games on the Rugby League ground of Wakefield Trinity, the ground holds about 10000, so there was plenty of space for the paltry attendance of 61 that were there to watch Lancaster City.
How clubs at this level survive with hardly any support is a mystery but survive they do.
On the pitch things are not that much better as the home side slumped to a 4-1 defeat against the Lancashire team.
For 20 minutes it was all too easy for Lancaster. Winters had already missed a chance before Swarbrick picked up the ball 35 yards from goal and lobbed it over the keeper into the net, six minutes later he’d doubled the lead from close range after a through ball by Green. (0-2)
The shell shocked home side got slowly back into the game by playing some decent passing football. They went close a couple of times but City held onto the two goal lead at the break.
Within a minute of the re start Turner had powered a header home from a left wing cross and the home side were back in the game. (1-2) Lancaster were barely in the game and only a brilliant save from McDonald and a great defensive block kept them in front.
After the initial flurry Wakefield dominate but did look to have a cutting edge to back up their possession. With 15 minutes to go and slightly against the run of play Gregson headed home a Green free kick to kill the game off. (1-3)
City duly added a fourth when Green turned in the box to scuff the ball home with his right foot. (1-4)
Slightly mis leading score line but a wins a win.

Wakefield 1 Lancaster City 4 Att 61

The Lancaster fans in number behind the goal as the team in yellow attack the home goal

Game 46 Job done

The first home game in the Simon Grayson era got off to a positive start with a 2-0 victory over Stevenage in front of 9000 at Deepdale today. In truth the game was over within 16 minutes by which time the home side were already 2 up.
Preston started on the front foot with Beavon firing narrowly over from 25 yards, the first goal came after 6 minutes some nice skill on the right hand side of the pitch ended with the twinkling feet of Holmes bending home a shot from 20 yards past the static Arnold in the Stevenage goal. (1-0)
Within 10 minutes the lead had doubled, a glorious cross field pass from Wroe found Holmes whose inch perfect cross found Hayhurst at the back post to volley home his third goal in three matches. (2-0)
From that moment on North End were in complete control, apart from a couple of long range shots Stevenage offered little in the way of a threat. In truth the two goals had killed the game.
Half time came and went, the early entertainment was watching a group of pigeons who thought they had found an ideal spot to rest. They were soon disturbed by Beavon's mazy run which led to King firing over from 12 yards when he really should have scored.
Tedium kicked in again although to be fair to the visitors they were having a better period of play. Finally Rudd in the home goal was forced to make a save from an Akins header, whilst at the other end a Hayhurst piledriver forced Arnold to scramble the ball to safety.
Routine win, a hint of promise for next season, job done, three points.

Preston North End 2 Stevenage 0 Att 9000

Game 45

The usual quiet week at Lancaster, both managers resign over budget cuts and the team were also docked 3 points due to falling to register a player who played in a game.
On the pitch the home side took a point in a competitive goalless draw with Mossley at the Giant Axe. Chances were few and far between cannot actually McDonald in the home goal actually having a shot to save.
City nearly took an early lead when Winter's 30 yard shot hit the post and rebounded back into play. Denham had a couple of efforts for the visitors both going wide of the target.
Defences were on top with Gregson and Marshall for the home side and veteran Halford for the visitors outstanding.
The second half continued in similar vein with the game threatening to boil over at times, Winder was unlucky for the home side although possibly thought he should have scored and Gregson had a goal disallowed for offside, apart from a couple of scrambles in the City box, Mossley posed little threat.
A game not for the purist but the 180 who were there got a decent game.

Lancaster City 0 Mossley 0 Att 180