Skem generous with handing out the gifts
AFTER the postponement of their Boxing Day game at Bamber Bridge, Skelmersdale United were looking forward to a couple of games over the New Year weekend.
However, sadly they didn’t go to plan and in the end Dave Powell’s team suffered their biggest losses since he took over the managerial seat at Skelmersdale in September.
On Saturday hopes were high at Glossop’s Surrey Street ground, in three previous recent encounters with the Hillmen Skelmersdale had won two and drawn one, plus because Dave Powell’s team had not played since before Christmas you could say that they entered the game relatively fresh, whereas Glossop had had a tough Boxing Day encounter.
Skem’s hopes got a severe jolt after only three minutes.
A right-wing corner was headed on at the near-post by Brad Roscoe, the ball going beyond the far-post.
It was then played back low across the area to Zeph Thomas who had time to steer the ball into the net from about three yards out to give Glossop the lead.
Skelmersdale could count themselves unlucky in the ninth minute when Andy Owens latched onto the ball and put a stunning left-foot shot in from 20 yards, only to see home goalkeeper Elliot Wynne fling himself to his right and claw the shot away.
The game then settled down into a midfield battle for a while, with rather strangely Glossop making a series of attempts to lob Skem goalkeeper Lee Callum Roberts from distance, but the young Preston North End loanee dealt with them very competently.
As the half progressed Glossop were beginning to have the edge in terms of possession though Skelmersdale still posed a threat on the breakaway.
Glossop number 11 Ryan White drove a shot over the Skem crossbar, before Glossop midfielder Chris Baguley who was arguably the best player on the pitch was thwarted by Roberts three times over a quarterhour period.
In the 44th minute Glossop netted their second goal and Baguley was the instigator, lifting a free-kick from by the corner flag high to the far post, centre-forward Ben Deegan lifted himself up and headed the ball downward inside the post despite a despairing dive from Roberts.
It could have been a different story as Skelmersdale went close twice after the interval.
First Nathan Randell fired wide at the far-post after another good cross from left-back Jack Fleming.
Then on 50 minutes Fleming’s diagonal ball found Owens on the run and behind the home defence, keeper Wynne came out to meet him and both players missed the ball.
Owens ran on alongside Wynne and both fell into a heap on the 18 yard line, the ball going out of play. Owens made strong appeals for a penalty but his protests were waved away by referee Mr Dutton.
The game was effectively all over in the 56th minute.
Baguley played winger White in down the left channel, as Roberts came out White stroked the ball tidily underneath him to make it 3-0.
Owens had another penalty appeal turned down on 58 minutes - Wynne saving at his feet, though six minutes later Glossop were awarded a spotkick.
Callum Chippendale battled his way into the Skem area from the left and was felled, Baguley’s penalty kick audiably rattled the post, Deegan reacted first and smacked in the rebound for his second to make it 4-0.
Baguley got if you were a neutral his just reward on 74 minutes when he made it 5-0 via the post from 20 yards.
In the latter stages to their credit Skelmersdale pressed and came close to grabbing a consolation, the best shot from Joe Downey was greeted by another good save from Wynne, but really Skelmersdale just hadn’t the strength required. SKELMERSDALE were hoping to bounce back as they entertained highflying Prescot Cables at Prescot’s Volair Park in a derby.
It was a difficult task as a number of the Prescot team are former Skelmersdale players and Cables started the day in second place in the Evo-Stik North table.
Another blow to Skelmersdale emerged when the respective teams were published as Skem’s centre-forward Andy Owens who has scored eleven league goals this season was absent from the United line-up.
From a Skelmersdale perspective it couldn’t have got off to a worse start. Cables were 4-0 up inside 29 minutes with all four goals coming from former Skelmersdale United star Chris Almond.
The latter driven in from 12 yards after a free-kick from the left wasn’t cleared properly.
Skelmersdale had struggled to get going in the wind and rain on the day and a confident Prescot team held the upper-hand throughout the first-half.
The fifth goal on 56 minutes was a far post header from Lloyd Dean; the sixth was a close range effort from Dan Burns after a free-kick had hit the Skelmersdale crossbar.
Significantly, Almond, Dean and Burns are all former Skelmersdale United players.
Jack Fleming pulled back a goal for Skelmersdale on 87 minutes.