Into the East

Another new ground today, a trip into the east of Lancashire were the six fingered ones live, Dingleland. A journey which should have taken about 60 minutes took 90 minutes due to the inability of drivers on the M6 to keep a safe distance from each other, add in a couple of wrong turns by yours truly it was almost a pleasure to actually find Victoria Park home of Nelson FC a North West counties side based a couple of miles from Burnley. 
Visitors today were runaway league leaders Runcorn Linnets. Surprise No 1 the ground was fantastic, set next to a river, tree lined, with a row of terrace houses over looking the ground, a decent playing surface. Surprise No 2 I knew the home sides first team coach, went to his 21 st birthday about 15 years ago, top bloke he is as well.
Both sides have had a recent chequered histories, Nelson folded about four years ago due to general apathy in the area, reformed two seasons ago and instantly won promotion to Division 1 of the NWCL. Runcorn were formed by supporters of the old Runcorn FC who at one time were a considerable non league force having won the FA Trophy and also destroyed a few league clubs in the FA Cup at the old ramshackle Canal Street ground.
Runcorn started impressively and hit the post twice in the first 10 minutes, they played passing football , they were playing the home side off the park and looked as though they were going to win handsomely, but a few rustic tackles later Nelson started to get a toe hold in the game and after 25 minutes took the lead.
The goal was slightly controversial as the home side were given a throw in when the ball didn't look to have gone out. A long ball up field caused panic at the back for Linnets and ex league player Joe O'Neil never looked like missing. (1-0) This prompted a discussion between the defenders it appeared that Richard Head was at fault.
A huge advantage was given to the Linnets minutes later when an off the ball incident resulted in home forward Wright being sent off, as he wandered to the tunnel Wright complained that the officials were both clucking hit houses or something like that. Runcorn bemoaned their luck for the third time as the woodwork was struck again. On the stroke of half time the Linnets lost the ball on the half way line and surprisingly were outnumbered, on strolled Morrison, his shot took a deflection and in she went. (2-0)
Both managers berated the referee on the way to the tunnel, must have disagreed with some decision probably.
Nelson got their tactics spot on in the second half, defended in numbers and broke when they could, Linnets lacked the width and the intelligence to break them down and the only way they looked like scoring was from a dead ball and sure enough the hapless official gave a penalty, White scored it game on. (2-1)
White's interest in the game became a watching brief as he also got a red card for handbags at a corner, ten a side but still the Linnets piled forward but still looked short of ideas when it got to the penalty area. The Linnets fans were less than impressed with the home sides time wasting tactics but you couldn't blame them they had worked their socks off to warrant a desrved victory.

Nelson 2 Runcorn Linnets 1 Att 190

FA Vase

Had the choice of three games today at Lancaster, Darwen or my final choice of Atherton Colliries. Darwen's game fell foul of the weather, didn't fancy watching now cash rich Salford at Lancaster on the grounds that teams with extremely wealthy backers tend to ruin lower leagues so it was off to Greater Manchester. 
Collieries had not lost a game all season only going out of the FA Cup on penalties against Radcliffe. Visitors Seaham Red Star were also on a hot vein of form and had been scoring goals for fun in their league.
Games against non league opponents from the North East are always competitive as this proved no exception. Collieries dominated the majority of the first half and the only surprise was they were not four down by half time, as early as the third minutes Red Star missed a glaring chance when Andrews failed to hit the target from close range. Colls played some gpood football but were ;let down by the final ball, whereas when Red Star went forward they looked dangerous every time. Colls playing down the slope in the first half looked to have some very useful players Battersby up front looked to have tons of skill. Red Star forced Taberner into two good saves before taking the lead from a penalty on 28 minutes, a thoroughly decent hacking down of a visitor brought a spot kick and Andrews scored. Before half time they worked another really good opening but missed that at well.
Colls started well in the second half as the manager obviously had a few words to say at the break and finally brought a save from Seaham keeper Newbrook, but the early onslaught soon fizzled out as Red Star's more experienced team started to pose more of a threat. A long ball down field caused chaos in the home defence and Palmer's classy finish made it two.
Within four minutes it was game on as substitute Cover squeezed the ball home from close range. Newbrook pulled off a cracking save under the bar to keep the visitors in front. It was the closest Colls got as Red Star kept the ball down in and and around the home penalty area in the final 10 minutes to earn them progress through to the next round.

Atherton Colliries 1 Seaham Red Star 2 Att 230

http://youtu.be/d18jsEq9Q3A


http://youtu.be/Y8S97-Qvs4s

No complaints

It's no coincidence that North End's current run of poor league form is down to one factor the yellow ball. Rochdale, Swindon and now Bradford City have deposited the yellow peril into the net more than we have or it may be down to the fact that we seem to have lost a bit of form.
You know what you get when you play the Bantams, they are direct, work their socks off and don't give you a minutes peace on the ball. You have to be at full tilt when you play them, today North End were for the main were distinctly off the pace. 
City started on the front foot and apart from a Gallagher shot just before half time did not threaten Pickford's goal. City won corner after corner, had free kicks in dangerous positions which they wasted. But as day follows night you knew they would be successful with a dead ball kick and sure enough a corner from the right duly arrived at the back post for McArdle to head home off the unguarded post. By half time City should have been out of sight but weren't.
North End started the second period brightly with Pickford making a double save from Garner and Humphrys as the home side threatened to get on top. The pressure didn't last long as Bradford started to win thousands of corners at the other end, North End had their luck poor finishing and some good defending kept them out.
Five minutes from the end the home side leveled, neat work by Robinson skipped around a couple of defenders to pass to Garner who slid the ball in. Looked like they gained a point but no within 30 seconds Yeates had curled in the winner from 20 yards.
Pickford performed heroics keeping King's shot out and Robinson and Garner should have hit the target with very good chances, but it's three defeats in the league and next up are league leaders Bristol City. Suspect a tough week on the training ground lies ahead.

Preston North End 1 Bradford City 2 Att 10300

Decent win

On a perfect night for football Lancaster City delivered probably their best display of the season by beating Burscough 4-1 in front of 145 fans at the Giant Axe last night., was not the fact they won it was the style of play. Bailey's goal after 10 minutes summed up the match, Bailey slotting home at the back post after a passage of play in which the ball did not go out of play for fully five minutes. City added a second although this time the goal had a bit of fortune to it as Burscough keeper miserably failed to deal with a tame Bailey shot. It looked as though City were on the way to a large win but credit to the visitors they tightened up at the back and started to look dangerous going forward although their final ball was often wasteful.
Within 10 minutes of the restart Winder made it three for City firing through a forest of legs past the unsighted keeper. Within five minutes a penalty gave the visitors a way back into the game Beesley expertly put away the kick. The penlty gave Burscough fresh hope but wasteful finishing stopped them from getting closer.
It was left to the much improved Taylor to fire City's fourth off the underside of the bar after a swift counter attack to seal the win.


Lancaster City 4 Burscough 1 Att 145

On the road to Wembley, wll maybe

In the late 19th century Darwen had a football league side, they did not achieve much as a league side apart from the fact that for the best part of 100 years they held a league record of 18 successive defeats, this record was cruelly snatched from them when Sunderland had the temerity to lose 20 on the bounce in 2005/6 a run which ended when they arrived at Deepdale and won 2-0.
Due to a drastically bad run of results Darwen are now in the North West Counties League div 2 a full nine divisions below where they were.
Today was my first ever visit to the Anchor ground to see one a FA Vase match against Maine Road who as the name suggests are from Manchester.
Road are one division above Darwen and on paper favourites for the match. Although Road are 8th in the top division they are a full 22 points behind leaders Runcorn Linnets who have 50 points.
Given it was November the pitch was in good nick although the grass did seem a shade long, there is a well appointed club house which seemed homely and warm and is the lifeblood of clubs like this. 
As for the game Darwen dominated from beginning to end although they looked decidedly alehouse in the opening half when playing with a deceptively stiff breeze at their backs. They had plenty of chances to take the lead but spurned them all and it was noticeable that as the half wore on Maine Road were slowly getting into the game. Darwen had a glorious chance to take the lead before half time however the home player went for power and blasted over from 6 yards. 
One unusual aspect of the first half was the sight of a Darwen player bringing cups of tea out for the management and the substitutes certainly would not happen at the Etihad or Anfield.
Road started better in the second half but did not trouble the home keeper. Soon it was one way traffic towards the Road goal, the home side wasted yet another chance when the winger took far too long to make up his mind about trying a shot, didn't matter though 21minutes from the end the home side took a deserved lead, Coote weaved his way past a couple of defenders before easily beating the keeper. Within 8 minutes it was two when Turner gently lobbed the ball into the net from the edge of the box. Darwen could have had others but did not matter as they strode ever closer to a Wembley appearence. They won't get there but they can dream.

AFC Darwen 2 Maine Road 0 Att 123