Six-hitting Stags quick to recover
ROSSENDALE FC ............ 6 FURNESS ROVERS .......... 1
AFTER the disappointing draw the previous week when the 100 per cent start to the season went, Rossendale returned to Marl Pits for a home match against Barrow in Furness side Furness Rovers.
And last week’s match was soon a distant memory as Rossendale returned to winning ways with a brilliant 6-1 victory over the one-time promotion hopefuls.
Rossendale made a fast start with Scott Wylie forcing the keeper to tip his first minute effort round
the post. It was end to end to end in the first few minutes with Furness getting forward at every opportunity, but the deadlock was broken on eight minutes when Luke Simpson went past two defenders on the
left his cross was headed back into the path of Scott Wylie who fired into the corner to give the Stags the lead. Rossendale continued to push forward but had to be alert when Furness broke forward, on 24 minutes a good move found Simpson in space his shot was brilliantly saved by the Furness keeper. On 28 minutes Furness did have the ball in the net but were denied an equalizer by an off side flag.
The Stags eventually did double their lead on 31 minutes with a superb move down the right, the ball was played inside to Tom Hulme who deceived the defence when he feigned to shoot but laid the ball square to Wylie who squared the ball to the on rushing Will Foster who hit the ball first time high to the keepers left from 15 yards.
Furness were always a danger and reduced the arrears on 39 minutes when a left wing corner was punched clear by keeper McLaughlin but the ball landed at the feet of a Furness player who fired home, but three minutes later Rossendale regained their two-goal advantage when great play on the right by Wylie who got the ball to Tom Hulme who controlled the ball and thumped it home to give the Stags a 3-1 half time lead.
Rossendale made a rapid start to the second half and made it 4-1 on 48 minutes when the ball broke to Luke Simpson who hit the ball into the corner.
Four minutes later a chance for 5-1 when Wylie was chopped down in the area, the striker picked himself up but dragged his spot kick wide of the left hand post.
Rossendale continued to dominate the play and eventually got a fifth on 72 minutes when Foster crossed from the right the ball was met at the back post with a great diving header from substitute Jack Cassidy, and in the closing stages it was 6-1 when a cross from the right was met by Hulme sliding in for his second of the game.
The result sees Rossendale sit proudly on the top of the table with 40 points from 14 games and the Stags win was made even sweeter when 4 of the chasing pack all drew.
The Stags are home again on Saturday when Walney Island return to Marl Pits looking to avenge their recent 6-1 Challenge Cup defeat at the hands of the Stags, the match kicks off at 2pm.