Burscough need Darwen theory
BURSCOUGH defeated bottom of the table Barnton 2-1 on Saturday afternoon despite Terry Cummings being dismissed after 40 minutes with the scores level.
Adam Gilchrist opened the scoring for Burscough after just two minutes before Christopher Smith equalised.
Cummings then picked up his second yellow of the afternoon just before the interval, leaving the bottom club hopeful of picking up just their second victory of the league season.
It wasn’t to be, however, as Chad Whyte continued his impressive start to life at the club with a late winner, nudging the Linnets ahead with just over ten minutes remaining.
Burscough managed to see the game out and netted themselves a vital three points in their battle for survival.
But where has it all gone wrong for Burscough this year?
After suffering relegation last season, not many people at the club would have been looking over their shoulder in anticipation of a double relegation.
But after just three wins in their opening 19 games, another season of hardship looms for the Green Army.
The statistics make grim reading for any club at any level.
Burscough have conceded 48 goals, which, to be fair, is only the fifth worst record in the division and belies their third-bottom status.
But only AFC Darwen, their opponents this weekend, have scored less than the paltry 25 strikes the club have managed this season.
And Darwen haven’t registered a win since early September.
Burscough have also failed to win two consecutive games this season across any competition, and with Darwen struggling, this weekend’s fixture is the perfect opportunity for the club to begin securing the consistency that is so desperately needed if they are to avoid the ignominy of successive relegations.
With the club last winning consecutive games two seasons ago, in April 2016- and then registering just six league victories on the way to eventual relegation last year, it is clear that a losing mentality has gripped Victoria Park.
With three wins in the last five and some markedly improved performances, Darwen is certainly the biggest test of Burscough’s survival credentials.