Red card but Linnets hold out for the win

BURSCOUGH registered their fifth away win of the season on Tuesday and had to do it the hard way, playing for an hour with ten men after having Danny Green sent off for a poor tackle in the 34th minute.

Burscough couldn’t have asked for a better start.

Chad Whyte received the ball to feet just inside the Ashton half, with a defender at his back he put the ball down the channel behind him to an on the run Yves Zama, the powerful striker set off towards goal and as goalkeeper Martin Pearson came to him he fired the ball past him into the net with less than two minutes gone.

The Linnets were relying on the counterattack but they were doing it well and although Povey was the busier of the two keepers, Pearson still had things to do at the other end.

Burscough’s hand wasn’t helped when Zama went down near the corner flag and required lengthy treatment, he returned but after striking the ball in the 25th minute it was obvious to all that his night was over.

In the 34th minute Burscough were reduced to ten men, manager’s son Danny Green slid into a tackle from behind and his opponent went down, there was a pause and then referee Anthony Parkinson brandished a red card.

Povey was to make one really top class save on 43 minutes, Gilchrist unleashed a goal bound drive from 18 yards but Danny Brady bravely got in the way of it, the ball looped up and was going in, Povey didn’t just save it he held it with a posse of home forwards set to pounce.

Before Ashton could reapply the pressure, Burscough acquired a crucial cushion with a second goal.

The goal was a classic example of a perfectly carried out counterattack. Brady took possession deep in the Burscough half on the right side, he set off at pace, brushing aside a couple of players on his 60 yard run.

As he got level with the Ashton 18 yard line he perfectly played the ball into the box, it bounced once and Whyte volleyed it past keeper Pearson. It was 2-0 and only eighty seconds of the second period had elapsed.

More significantly it laid down a gauntlet to Ashton, which in fairness they grasped, Gilchrist blasting home five minutes later to make it 2-1.

The next 20 minutes saw Ashton pile on the pressure but Burscough held out. Yes Ashton missed some chances and Povey had what was arguably his best game in a Linnets shirt, but Burscough looked far more organised and confidence grew.

By the last quarter-hour Burscough were looking as likely to score as Ashton.

With two minutes left on the official clock Ashton won a free-kick for a foul on Nicholson, Josh Peet’s attempt hit the defensive wall and went wide.

It all left Burscough to endure a full five and a half minutes of added time.

Manager Terry Green should be pleased, he is finding his feet in the job and has retained the team spirit and brought in a couple of good signings.