Burscough 2
Nantwich Town 1
League (NPL Premier Division)

Match Report

BURSCOUGH 2 NANTWICH TOWN 1
Evo-Stik NPL Premier Division – Wednesday 23rd November 2011
It was clearly the night that wasn’t meant to be. Burscough with one draw and nine defeats in 10 games at their adopted Skelmersdale home. Nantwich, having already lost 4-3 at home to Burscough back in September – one of just two League wins registered by the basement Burscough boys before the game.
And so it proved with the Lancastrians notching an unlikely double over the Dabbers. A Michael Lennon ‘goal’ controversially disallowed for offside, a missed penalty and a masterclass in clinical finishing from two-goal Mark Beesley all added up to a miserable evening in West Lancashire for Jimmy Quinn’s men.
But it had all started so differently, with the Dabbers in comfortable control and carving out chances at ease. On the quarter hour, a superb through ball from Dave MacPherson set up Sean Cooke who deftly lobbed Burscough keeper Connor Roberts to put Nantwich ahead. Lennon was denied by successive blocks to thwart two close range efforts and then appeared to nod the visitors into a two-goal lead. But as he celebrated with the visiting fans and the Burscough players started to trudge back to the half-way line staring another defeat in the face, the Assistant Referee raised his flag and, much to the dismay of the players, the goal was chalked off.
The decision spurred on Burscough and, within two minutes, they were level when Beesley drilled into the corner of the net after neat link up play between the attacking Linnets.
Ten minutes later, on the stroke of half-time, an uncharacteristic poor clearance from Nantwich ‘keeper Jonny Brain led to Beesley getting a chance to add to his account. The League’s top scorer gleefully accepted the invitation and fired home his 13th goal of the campaign.
In a turgid second half, Nantwich were given a lifeline when the referee spotted handball in the penalty area in the 70th minute but Ben Mills’ penalty kick was pushed away by Roberts to compound the Dabbers’ dismal evening.
Brain made a top drawer save to atone for his earlier error and keep Nantwich in contention and there was a loud cheer when Nantwich thought they had scrambled the ball over the Burscough goalline. The referee, though, saw otherwise and despite coming under concerted late pressure, Burscough held on for their first home win of the season.
Nantwich: Brain, Lowe (Maguire,63), Solovjovs, MacPherson, Bailey, Moss, Cooke, Flynn, Mills (Everall,74), Lennon, Summerskill (Urwin,74). Subs not used: Foster, Mitchell
Attendance: 123

Match report written by Ashley Houghton