Young Saints star in victory

WEST LANCS LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION HAS ST MARY’S .......... 4 COPPULL UNITED....... 0 STEVE BAYES WITH several first team regulars missing through injuries and holidays, Haslingden St Mary’s youth came to the fore scoring three of the four goals in their 4-0 home win over Coppull United.

A steady start from both sides in the first 15 minutes with few chances, but St Mary’s steadily got the upper hand, five minutes later a real chance for Mary’s just about cleared away with a last ditch tackle.

But on 30 minutes Mary’s pressure told with a super goal as Lewis Hanley on the left, he cut inside then crossed a brilliant pass to Mickey Saunders on the right, Saunders controlled the ball and crossed into the area where Nial Latham met it with a close range header past the keeper.

Coppull came back at Mary’s but the defence stood firm and the home side went in with a one-goal advantage at the break.

Twenty minutes into the second period and Mary’s doubled their lead with another good goal when the ball was threaded out to substitute Riley Armstrong on the right side of the area, and the young winger lobbed the ball first time over the advancing keeper into the empty net.

Five minutes later it was 3-0 when the Coppull keeper fluffed a clearance and Henry Hindle fired under the keeper into the net.

From the kick off Coppull went up the other end but a brilliant finger tip save from Ben Nutter in the Mary’s goal kept the three-goal lead intact.

With 10 minutes left the final goal of the game came when a quick one two in the area found substitute Scott Wylie who evaded a challenge to fire the ball home.

A great team performance got St Mary’s season up and running with their first points of the season.