Burscough’s best just not good enough in Cup exit
BURSCOUGH returned home from a wet Cantilever Park on Saturday night able to say that they did their best and performed at their best – on another day things might have gone differently but none the less they could have pride in their efforts.
The FA Cup draw at Warrington was about as tough a one as they could have been dealt. The Wire sit third in the Evo-Stik Premier Division table some three divisions above Burscough in the pyramid and hadn’t conceded a goal in the their previous four games.
Coupled with the statistics, Burscough were without the dependable Alex Parkes and centre-forward Chad Whyte whose knee was still not fit enough to allow him to play.
Burscough started with Terry Cummings and new signing from Essexbased East Thurrock Calvin Ekpiteta up front.
There was barely 20 seconds gone when the move almost paid dividends, Cummings cutting in from the right and going face to face with former Linnets goalkeeper Tony McMillan, the veteran goalkeeper pulling off a superb save to deny him.
In the 10th minute Burscough went close again, McMillan making a save from a Gary Grier shot.
The Linnets were making a good start.
On the quarter-hour Warrington started to get going and their first opportunity came via a swift and incisive move down the left. Adam Hughes played the ball up to big Josh Amis, the number 10 headed the ball to Dylan Vassallo on the left, he crossed from the goal-line and Amis was inches away from connecting with his cross.
There was an interesting situation on 20 minutes. Keeper McMillan left his 18-yard box and was caught out by Cummings close to the touchline, and although he still had plenty to do Cummings could have scored. McMillan had no choice other than to foul Cummings and although the yellow card the keeper got was the right decision, he had denied Burscough a great chance.
There was another former Burscough element about Warrington’s opening goal on 27 minutes – there was also a touch of controversy too. A corner was driven into the near-post area and Burscough goalkeeper Max Povey went to punch it – but because of some Warrington players wasn’t able to reach it. The ball was partially cleared but fell to Ben Garrity who played it back into the box where former Burscough striker Tony Gray headed home to make it 1-0.
Povey chased referee Mr Gittins down the pitch to let him know his opinion on his call to give a goal.
It was now Burscough’s turn to show their mettle as Warrington sought to finish them off. Gray hit the post on 34 minutes and then the hosts put one over the crossbar with the best they muster. Otherwise, Burscough defended well.
A minute before half-time Burscough almost levelled, McMillan making another good save after Peter Henerty got his head to a Danny Brady free-kick.
On 47 minutes Burscough thought they had equalised when Grier put in a vicious dipping shot from 25 yards that had keeper McMillan well beaten. From one angle it required a second look to convince yourself it had actually missed the target.
Garrity put a header wide of the Burscough goal on 51 minutes, then Povey saved from Amis but on 57 minutes Warrington got there second goal and a quality one it was. Robbie Evans got away down the right before curling the ball behind the Burscough backline. On the run, Gray finished like a man who was in no mood to do his old club any favours.
The game settled for a period, but then Burscough came very close to halving the margin on 70 minutes. Left-back Jamie Clark played a text book one two with Cummings and found himself one on one with McMillan, however the keeper thwarted Burscough again.
In the 73rd minute it was game to Warrington. Former Grimsby, Tranmere and Wrexham man Jack Mackreth won the ball on the right and set off for goal. He then sent the ball across Povey into the far corner for an excellent finish.
Burscough kept going and went close with a Brady diving header that sent McMillan scurrying to his right to keep it out but in added time Warrington made it four, former Crawley Town striker Richard Brodie converting from close range after good work on the left by Bohan Dixon.
Warrington were not surprisingly the better team but Burscough gave them a proper game and competed all the way. They could have settled for defeat at 2-0 down and carried out a damage limitation exercise, but they continued to attack and that arguably cost them the third and fourth goals.