Experience on way as Skem show fight
TWO weeks can be a very long time in football and It was a much changed Skelmersdale United side that took the field at Whitby’s Turnbull Ground on Saturday - new manager Alan Rogers only able to field four players that started the clubs previous league game at Warrington Town.
Even though the Skelmersdale side is very much a work in progress, a couple of things that were instantly evident is that although generally very young, they are a talented and determined group that will make themselves very difficult to beat.
They made third in the table Whitby work very hard for the three points and at the end it could be said that the men from Captain Cook Country were grateful to hear the final whistle.
Whitby went on the attack in the early stages and soon Skelmersdale goalkeeper Chris Cheetham saved from a Matty Tymon header, that was a relatively simple save but on six minutes Cheetham made a better one at Dave McTiernan’s feet after Tymon had set him up.
Skelmersdale had a turn on the offensive in the 11th minute, a neat exchange of passes between Dean Shacklock and Mamudo Dabo put Nathan Randell free on the left of the box, but the striker who is on loan from Wigan Athletic saw his shot go over the crossbar.
The game was taking shape, Whitby on the attack, Skelmersdale defending well and hitting the hosts on the break.
But Skelmersdale were also making it very difficult for Whitby to get a real rhythm going.
Whitby left-back Danny McWilliams caused Skem a few problems during the afternoon, especially with his propensity to get forward quickly, one of his crosses on the half-hour resulted in Phil Mooney twice clearing off the Skelmersdale goal-line in the space of about three seconds.
Twice on 35 and 38 minutes Skelmersdale did have to rely on luck as Whitby hit the post on both occasions.
The first a stroll forward by defender Luke Blythway resulted in a low effort from 25 yards hitting Cheetham’s right hand upright, the latter a glaring miss by Tymon after Steve Snaith gave him a near tap-in.
The blank scoresheet at the interval was partly down to Whitby’s poor finishing, but it was also down some real tenacity from the Skelmersdale youngsters.
Soon after half-time Cheetham made a good near-post save from Dave Carson, before in the 54th minute Whitby broke the deadlock.
Tymon cleverly stroked the ball down the inside-left channel and Carson cut in from the left before side-footing a precise effort low into the Skelmersdale net.
Skem continued to scrap hard and 12 minutes from the end they made hearts miss a beat in the home dug-out.
Jack Watts lifted a free-kick into the penalty area, the ball was headed back, Randell connected with a volley that home goalkeeper Shane Bland was glad to parry away.
Twice late on Cheetham made saves from Snaith, but if either effort had gone into the net it would have been cruel.
Against the odds Skelmersdale had just been edged out by the play-off chasers, it was anything but the thumping many pundits expected them to get.
Alan Rogers has another week to get his side together before Skem play hosts to Halesowen Town next Saturday and reportedly he is hoping to have a couple of experienced players ready to sign.
They are needed but he has built a firm foundation.