Skelmersdale United 4
Nantwich Town 0
League (NW Counties League Div 1)

Match Report

SKELMERSDALE UNITED 4 NANTWICH TOWN 0
NWCFL Div 1 – 21 Sept 2004

Skelmersdale celebrated their first game at their new stadium with a convincing win over Nantwich. Reduced to 10 men just before the hour mark, the Dabbers failed to match their hosts who christened the ‘Westgate Interactive Stadium’ with four well-taken goals.
Steve Dee showed Skem’s intent early on with a low drive that Nantwich stopper Matty Higgins got down well to and then Carl Osman’s shot from just outside the box was deflected wide. Nantwich responded with Andy Parkinson picking up a loose ball but he delayed getting in a shot and then Danny Griggs fired a long range effort wide before Skem took the lead on the half-hour.
Higgins put Richard Pullar under pressure when he rolled the ball out to him and the Nantwich keeper was lucky to stay on the field when he resorted to charging out of his area and hacking down Osman with the Skem striker clear on goal. The hosts got their reward, though, when Michael Cole slammed the free-kick past the Nantwich wall with Higgins rooted to the spot. The hard-working Paul Rutter came close to slipping home an equaliser then, on the stroke of half-time, Higgins redeemed himself with a great block from Osman who had picked up a misjudged pass from Steve Jardine.
Nantwich had the strong wind behind them for the second half but hopes of getting back on level terms were dashed when Jardine was red-carded following an altercation with Drew Hyland.
Even so, Griggs was unlucky to see his free-kick deflected wide and Paul Santus had a shot blocked before Skem doubled their lead on 72 minutes. A free-flowing move down the left saw Hyland play in Lee Thompson and his deep cross was met with Gareth Birchall’s thunderous header at the back post.
With Skem having their tails up, the Dabbers lost their shape and the pattern and rhythm to their play which had been evident in the first half all but disappeared. Cole rattled the Nantwich crossbar and Griggs fired over for the visitors before Skem wrapped up the game with two carbon copy goals in the last ten minutes. Osman made it 3-0, carving through the Nantwich midfield and with the defence backing off he unleashed a 20 yarder that gave Higgins no chance. Five minutes later, it was Dee’s turn to cut through the visitors’ ranks like knife through butter and Higgins was unable to get a hand to his screamer from the same distance.
Skem look a decent outfit. They are unbeaten in 19 league and cup games since the tail end of last season and, buoyed up by their new ground and an attendance of 350, they were in party mood. Sadly, the Dabbers were unable to be party poopers and having notched but one meagre goal in their last 5 games, will need to find their shooting boots in time for the trip to Atherton Collieries on Saturday.
Skelmersdale: Holcroft, Price, Brownrigg (Hussey,62), Standley, Rimmer, Dee, Cole, Birchall, Thompson (O’Callaghan,82), Hyland, Osman.
Nantwich: Higgins, Pullar, Beattie, Davis, Jardine, Owen, Griggs, Santus, Lawton, Rutter, Parkinson. Sent Off: Jardine (57mins)

Match report written by Michael Chatwin