Skem furious as ref rules out ‘winner’
SKELMERSDALE United manager Tommy Lawson celebrated a good performance but lamented the loss of two points on Saturday after a 90th minute goal was wiped out by referee John Oldham at the South Kesteven Stadium.
Post match video evidence leaves you at a loss to see why the goal was disallowed.
Tommy Lawson speaking afterwards, said: “Let’s be brutal about it, in my opinion we were denied a very good goal at the end of the game, the referee saw it differently, both managers said it was a goal, Grantham’s manager agreed he didn’t see anything wrong with the goal. He (the referee) was wrong, he made a mistake”
Skelmersdale had taken the lead in the 56th minute after a strong secondhalf opening via a Chad Whyte header, but conceded an equaliser in the 82nd minute with another header.
However, Skem fought back powerfully only to have Michael Grogan’s far post headed goal disallowed bang on 90 minutes.
Grantham started the match on the back of a 3-0 and a 2-0 victory, the latter at Whitby inflicting the North Yorkshire side’s first home defeat of the season, so as you would expect they started confidently.
In the early stages, Grantham had more of the possession but Skelmersdale defended well and there wasn’t a real chance until the 20th minute when Lee Shaw fired into the side-netting.
Skelmersdale gradually came into the game as an attacking force and Luke Wall saw his shot parried away by home goalkeeper Kieran Preston after he held off a challenge from Luther Wildin on 24 minutes.
Skelmersdale probably had their best opportunity of the half on 37 minutes, Jason Jeffries slipped the ball to Chad Whyte but his shot went wide of the far post.
It was not the last action of the half though, in the 42nd minute Whyte had a shot blocked and the ball ran to Max Hazeldine, but his shot was tipped around the post by keeper Preston.
Skelmersdale struck 11 minutes after the restart.
Kenny Strickland hoisted a free-kick into the penalty area, Grogan got up and headed it into an area on the edge of the six yard box, Whyte bravely chased, got there first and lifted a header over advancing goalkeeper Preston.
The Grantham response was instant, the impressive Harry Clifton thundering in a low shot from 25 yards that Martin Fearon did well to tip around his post with a full length dive.
Soon afterwards, Chris Almond had a shot saved then Grogan headed wide before a crucial moment as Hazeldine got wide on the right and crossed, Almond got on the end of it, but somehow Tom Batchelor cleared off the line in the 68th minute to stop the Skem bid for a 2-0 lead.
When things are not going well for you confidence is not at its best and as the latter stages arrived Skelmersdale tended to fall back to hang onto their lead, it was the wrong move as they had penned Grantham back in their own half for much of the second period.
Home substitute Andy Wright drove one over the Skem crossbar on 70 minutes, and then Batchelor put a header wide on 77 minutes.
In the 82nd minute Grantham levelled.
The ball was not cleared properly after a challenge by the left side corner flag, Wright was given time to put in a quality cross and Batchelor evaded the Skem defence then smacked a powerful header into the Skem net.
Skem went on the offensive again, Hazeldine was thwarted by Preston and Grantham put in a couple of threatening efforts from distance when they counterattacked, then came the 90th minute talking point.
Tom Ince swung a free-kick into the goalmouth from the right side, no one got a touch until Grogan fired a close range header past Preston.
The referee’s whistle only went after the ball entered the net and he pointed for a free-kick, after an elongated conversation between him and Grogan play restarted with a free-kick.
Continuing his interview after the game Tommy Lawson said: “I thought it was a smashing performance, I am really pleased with the commitment the players showed.
“Would we have accepted a draw before the game?
“Probably we would have done but we were denied a very good goal.”