Stags’ never-say-die spirit earns vital win

LANCS AMATEUR PREMIER LEAGUE LITTLE LEVER .............. 3 ROSSENDALE................ 4 ROSSENDALE got back to winning ways in a massive game at the top of the table on Saturday.

With the abysmal weather taking out most games across the North West, Little Lever seemed very eager to get this tie played – they switched the fixture to a 4G pitch, confident having won their last two matches against last season’s champions and fourth placed Old Mancunians FC to lift them above Rossendale into second place – albeit with the Stags having four games in hand on them.

Changes were made to the Rossendale starting lineup from the defeat at Prestwich FC last time out, with Carl Lomax coming back into the side. Michael Robinson kept his place with Luke Simpson dropping to the bench for the first time this season.

The Stags started the game quite slowly, something they seem to have been doing quite regularly at the moment, but not really looking like they were under much pressure.

Lever had a really tall lad up front and their tactic seemed to be to knock the ball up high to him and get on the knock downs, but centre halves Adam McInnes and Matthew Kirkbright were more than up for the physical and aerial battle as they have been for quite some time now as a pairing.

Whenever the ball was in midfield Rossendale looked to get on it and were quite comfortable in possession, Stephen Claxon putting his stamp on the game early.

Little Lever did undeservedly take the lead though, when a shot from about 25 yards deflected off McInnes and looped over the helpless Richmond and into the net, much to the delight of the bumper crowd that had gathered.

Rossendale needed to up the tempo, the front three were holding the ball well when it came to them, but the midfield, while defensively sound, needed to push forward more in support to start winning the second balls and link the play more in the final third.

On 27 minutes the Stags equalised when a great cross into the box by Craig Watts was headed home by Paul Hooper who came flying in at the back post and rose higher than all the defenders.

Minutes later Rossendale were forced into making a change when the injury prone Michael Robinson yet again picked up an injury and had to come off for Luke Simpson who slotted straight in down the right side of the front three.

Into the second half and Rossendale started the better side, they always looked a threat with Carl Lomax increasingly looking dangerous and the midfield also looking to now push forward to support. Will Foster who had had a really quiet first half and was told in no uncertain terms to pick it up at the break looked as though he had taken the criticism on board. Within minutes of the restart he found himself on the edge of the opponents area and played a delightful pass that took out two defenders and sent through Luke Simpson who was one on one with the keeper in acres of space, you can only imagine what was going through his head at this point after missing chances in the last game, dropped to the bench this week, but there was no messing about as he ruthlessly dispatched the ball into the bottom corner to give the Stags the lead.

Little lever looked deflated, Rossendale had their tails up and you thought that they would now turn the screw, but on 55 minutes Rossendale found themselves down to 10 men when Jonathan Heap was sent off for a second yellow card following a late challenge.

To compound that two minutes later a free kick that was thrown into the Rossendale box was somehow deemed to be a handball by Craig Watts when the ball hit him, didn’t even touch his hand and the referee awarded a penalty. Up stepped the Lever front man who scored but not before the ball hit both posts and went in.

The home side now had all the momentum, but the Stags weren’t for giving up and took the lead when Paul Hooper in a typical dogged display broke down the left hand side, shrugged off the right back turned back onto his right foot and whipped a peach of a ball into the box where it was met perfectly by Carl Lomax who placed his header into the top corner leaving the keeper rooted to the spot.

Things got better as well for the away side as Simpson then broke down the right, whipped a ball in and there was that man again Carl Lomax to turn the ball into the net for his second of the game and seemingly put the game to bed.

That wasn’t to be the case though as with 10 minutes to got Lever pulled a goal back when a cross come shot looped over Matty Richmond and into the net to make it 4-3 and setup a nervy last 10 minutes. Little lever through everything they could at the Stags, but Richmond made some fantastic saves, the referee somehow also managed to find five minutes added on time from somewhere and you thought he wanted Lever to find the equaliser but Rossendale stood firm and took what could be a vital three points and move back into second place.

Steven Mainwaring said: “I’m really proud of the players today, it was a match full of drama and was very testing on the emotions on the sidelines.

“I do feel we could have won the game comfortably had we not been let down by one of our more senior players who should know better and luckily for him his teammates have rallied together and dug in to get the three points away to a side that have been in good form.”

This week the Stags are home to Failsworth Dynamos FC 2pm KO.

The Reserve team have appointed Kevin Jelley as manager.