Conor cracks home 14 minute hat-trick as Linnets rampant

A fourteen minute Conor Finlayson hat-trick saw Burscough to an excellent 5-0 home victory against higher placed Barnoldswick Town on Saturday.

But it was a success that came at a cost, centre-forward Chad Whyte and midfielder Dimitri Nkusu-Wasaulua both limping off the Victoria Park pitch injured, the former holding his hip, the latter with a hamstring pull that is expected to keep him out for a fortnight.

Burscough had started the game like a whirlwind, inside a minute, Terry Cummings held the ball up and played it to Finlayson who gave it him back before the right-winger saw his shot saved by Barnoldswick goalkeeper Ryan Livesey with his legs.

Less than two minutes had gone when Will Doherty was fouled and Danny Brady’s free-kick only bounced to safety after it hit the visitor’s defensive wall.

In the fifth minute Burscough had something tangible to show for their enterprise, Cummings intercepted a loose pass inside the Barnoldswick half and ran on, when he entered the penalty area he held off a defender and created an angle before stroking the ball into the net under an advancing Livesey.

It took Barnoldswick until the 12th minute to construct a viable attack, but after a foul on Zach Dale, James Crorken’s free-kick was safely held by Burscough goalkeeper Ben Fletcher.

The half became pretty closely contested from the quarter-hour and Town right-winger Dale crossed into a forest of legs in the Linnets goalmouth on 17 minutes but eventually the ball was hacked clear.

Burscough doubled their lead on 24 minutes and Cummings who was having an outstanding game was very much involved.

The Burscough number seven drove a cross into the box from the right, Crorken who was being led a merry dance by Cummings put his hands up to protect his face and a penalty was given for handball.

Chad Whyte stepped up and did what he does best slamming the ball into the net to make it 2-0.

Barnoldswick are a good side and they went onto the attack, they got the ball into the Linnets net on 29 minutes but centre-forward and scorer Jack Coop was given offside.

Seconds before half-time Fletcher saved Burscough, Dale cut in from the right and put a powerful shot in from six yards, however Fletcher put up his arms and diverted the point blank effort over the crossbar.

It could have been 2-1 and a close game but less than a minute after the interval it was 3-0.

Cummings cut inside again and put in a shot, Livesey saved it but the rebound went to Finlayson who finished clinically.

In the 57th minute Finlayson bagged his second of the afternoon, a Cummings ball across the pitch was missed by a Barnoldswick defender and the Linnets number ten pounced, Livesey saved his initial effort but Finlayson made no mistake with the rebound.

On the hour Finlayson completed his hat-trick and killed all hope from a Barnoldswick perspective, Whyte flicked the ball over the backline and between two defenders Finlayson netted to make it 5-0.

Four minutes later Whyte limped off and was replaced by Donald Eumessi, it could be said that he probably started the game with a hip injury and after the game was won it was sensible to rest him.

But Burscough were not as effective up front without him.

Barnoldswick could probably say that they were unlucky not to score on the day and but for a great tackle by Danny Penswick late on and another good interception by Luke Gibson they could have done, but Burscough were the better team and won with plenty in hand. BURSCOUGH: Fletcher, Grier (Parkes, 63), Doherty, Brady ©, Gibson, Nkusu-Wasaulua (Penswick, 44), Cummings, Ekpolo, Whyte (Eumessi, 64), Finlayson, Lorde Subs (not used) White, Duke BARNOLDSWICK TOWN: Livesey, Vincent, Crorken ©, Thompson, Hill J., Grundy, Dale (Skocki, 69), Hill A., Coop, Morgan (Amos, 56), Cookson Subs (not used) Barnes, Foster Referee: Daniel Bruce Attendance: 102