A new low – the heaviest home defeat on record
SKELMERSDALE United were founded in 1882 and nowhere in their results records does it show a bigger home league defeat, with Tuesday night’s humiliation dwarfing the 8-0 defeat at home to Newcastle Town in 1995/96 and a 7-0 loss at home to Irlam in 1983/84.
Skelmersdale had a defensive nightmare and a rampant Ashton looked likely to score every time they attacked.
The terrible night started in the fifth minute. A defensive clearance was charged down and Matt Chadwick slipped the ball along the inside- left channel to Josh Stachini, who hit the ball wide of goalkeeper Joe Hilton and into the net from around 12 yards.
The second goal came in the 16th minute after a Skelmersdale attack broke down. Cavell Coo cleared long and Skem defenders Jason Jefferies and Callum Grogan went for the same ball, the result was a poor header that put Chadwick on a run at the Skem goal and he slammed the ball into the far corner.
In the 19th minute it was effectively all over. Chadwick took the ball to the Skem goal-line and pulled it back across the face of goal to Charlie Duke, giving the number seven a simple tapin. For the next few minutes Skelmersdale attacked, but Chadwick headed home to make it 4-0 and in the 38th minute it was five, as Chadwick crossed from the right and Stephen Mason nipped in sharply to head home.
There was no let-up in the second half. On 56 minutes Hilton lost the ball outside his area and Chadwick pounced to complete his hat-trick.
In the 58th minute another wayward Skem pass in the centre of the pitch put Ashton in possession, Chadwick put Jack Dyche in and the Scunthorpe loanee finished clinically to make it 7-0.
So what do you do when you are 7-0 up? You fetch on one of the top goalscorers in Northern Premier League history for his debut, Jody Banim. Inside 15 minutes it was 9-0, two goals courtesy of Banim, who turns 39 next week.
One good thing Skelmersdale did do was score what was arguably the best goal of the game on 82 minutes. A nice passing move gave Howarth the opportunity to cross from the left, his low ball into the box being directed home well by Nathan Randell.
The goal seemed to motivate Ashton to make it 10 and they did two minutes from time, that man Chadwick pushing his way into a one on one position with Hilton, the striker netting his fourth with a fine finish into the far corner.
Skelmersdale must tighten up – their record league goals conceded in a season is 156 in 1906/07, the next is 121 in 1995/96. Skelmersdale have conceded 101 in 39 matches, and they still have seven to play.
They have got to avoid conceding an average of three per game to not be named the Skem team with the worst defensive record for 110 years.