United promoted back to NPL West
SKELMERSDALE United have won promotion back to the Northern Premier League West. After a gap of three seasons they return having won Saturday’s Inter Step play off at the picturesque Gloucestershire town of Cinderford, for which around 200 supporters made the trip down the M5.
United made their intentions clear from the off and dominated the opening ten minutes, Mikey Howard made inroads in the very first minute with a shot that went just wide of the upright. Howard was in action again moments later, providing a cross that Elliott Morris couldn’t quite get on the end of, all followed up by Morris having two shots saved by the busy home goalkeeper Nick Jones.
Cinderford did make some attacking progress up the other end but their best efforts were thwarted by accomplished Skem defenders Mike Grogan, Joe Herbert and Callum Lees.
Skelmersdale were much the better side and it was no surprise when Howard struck their opener after 33 minutes. Good work from Alex Griffiths, Morris and Danny Mitchley saw Howard crash home from short range.
Some of the travelling Skem fans who had made the 150 mile journey enjoyed the home side’s half time hospitality a bit too much, leading to many of them missing Howard’s second for Paul McNally’s team just a minute into the second half.
Once it was 2-0 Skelmersdale took over. Sam Sheen and Kenny Strickland were pulling the strings in midfield and Skem played with a swagger not seen in recent weeks. Wingers Morris and Howard were tormenting their markers at every opportunity and the pair combined to set up Baba Conteh to tap in after 65 minutes to put the game out of reach of their higher placed opponents.
United skipper Ben Barnes, making his 100th appearance in goal for the club, was a mere spectator but there was nothing he could do as Cinderford produced their best football of the afternoon, a flowing move on 79 minutes found Zac Drew in a crowded goalmouth and with aplomb he placed the ball in the far corner from a tight angle.
Instead of the onslaught expected from the Southern League side it was Skelmersdale who stepped it up another gear – Mitchley was upended in the box and Howard fired home to complete his hat-trick on 88 minutes making it 4-1.
Instead of celebrating in the sun Skelmersdale continued on the offensive and there was still time for more chances as Mitchley, Tom Croughan and Mini Adegbenro all fired over as the clock ticked down .
Howard made no mistake right on full time, unmarked at the edge of the box he swept home past a stranded keeper for his fourth and United’s fifth to prompt an hourlong pitch celebration from players and supporters alike.
A delighted McNally said: “We finished second in our league and should have rightfully been promoted. We had to come here and prove a point, we have played some top class stuff out there today and no disrespect to Cinderford, who have been great hosts, not a lot of teams would have lived with us after that performance.”
McNally went on the praise the Skem fans: “The support we had down here was amazing and I would like to thank the fans for their backing, not just today but throughout the season, they have been exceptional.
“We start building now and we appeal to the public and businesses around the town to come and back us, we here in Skem have a team to be proud of.”
It was great day to be a Skelmersdale United supporter; they have maintained second position in the North West Counties Premier Division table for almost all the season and briefly took top spot. Next season will see them back in the Northern Premier League, a division they thoroughly deserve to be in.
However the remarkable weekend wasn’t finished yet, they still had a cup quarter-final to deal with on the ground of the one team that had finished above them this season, the ultimate target was achieved promotion, but it meant a lot to Skelmersdale United on Monday afternoon in Cheshire.
Jones N., McIntosh, Haswell, Bremner, Molyneux ©, Bamford, Drew, Freeman, Brooks, Taylor, Emmett Subs Holland, Emery, Jones D., Morfold, Hoy
Barnes, Lees, Griffiths, Herbert, Grogan, Strickland, Morris, Sheen, Mitchley, Conteh, Howard - Subs Adegbenro, Preston, Croughan Simpson, Salkeld
N. Pratt
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