Boro beaten by elements in away loss

NW COUNTIES DIVISION ONE SILSDEN ........................ 2 BACUP............................ 1 SHELDAN KEAY BACUP Borough came up short on Boxing Day after they suffered a narrow league defeat at Silsden.

The visitors took the lead in the match through Ryan Humphries, but Silsden hit back and scored two second half goals to condemn Bacup to defeat.

Manager Brent Peters was disappointed with the loss, but felt that the conditions played a major part in the outcome.

“I would like to pay tribute to all the players and the match officials in enduring one hour and a half in gale force wind conditions. Those overhead conditions were the worst I have known in any football match I have been involved in,” he said.

“I can’t begin to analyse the game in its entirety because it was nothing more than a lottery in farcical conditions.

“I spoke to the referee’s assessor and said this game should not carry on. I also felt for the football supporters and followers of football in general that braved the elements to take this game in.

“In all honesty there was nothing to warm any of us up, Silsden were happy to drag the half out by walking to retrieve balls which went out of play.

“Their goalkeeper was slowing everything down in taking his kicks, but in fairness I did not blame them as we would have done exactly the same because the official was letting them get away with it.

“It was up to us to ensure we got a good advantage to take us into the second half knowing we were going to face 45 minutes of being pinned in and around our eighteen yard box due to the wind.

“The fact we only scored one goal in the first 45 minutes was never going to be enough. We had good opportunities to score three goals, but if we fail to take our chances, then we have to accept the outcome at the end.

“We went on to concede two goals from set-pieces in the second half, but despite that, I must credit the boys for forcing Silsden back.

“As difficult as the conditions were, we did have chances to get ourselves back onto level terms, none more than when terrific play between Anthony Hall and Ryan Humphries brought a chance to score, but it was a really bad miss.

“Credit to both sets of players and well done Silsden, nothing can be taken away from them when we fail to deal with set pieces and miss glorious opportunities at the top end of the pitch, so it is little wonder we have come away with nothing other than earache from the ridiculous elements.”

Bacup had chances in the first half of the match and they took the lead when Humphries found the net in his first match for the club since re-joining.

He managed to find space for himself after breaking clear of a defender, before chipping the goalkeeper and making it 1-0.

Bacup had opportunities to add to their lead in the first half but couldn’t take them, and Silsden made them pay after the interval.

Peters’ men failed to clear a set-piece, allowing Silsden to get back on level terms, before déjà vu struck as the hosts scored from another set-piece later in the half.

The loss leaves Bacup in 18th place in the North West Counties First Division table, having taken 22 points from their 23 matches this season. Up next is a trip to face Charnock Richard on New Year’s Eve.

It is set to be a difficult task for Bacup, as Charnock Richard currently sit in second place in the division.