Tommy forced to find new faces

BELEAGUERED Skelmersdale United boss Tommy Lawson has refused to give up on the biggest challenge of his long managerial career.

The long-serving manager saw his struggling squad ripped apart days before Christmas with the announcement that the club would be reverting to amateur status.

Several players immediately left the club and Lawson had to find six new faces to fulfill the Boxing Day fixture at neighbours Marine.

Using his experience and vast range of contacts he did just that.

And one of those new faces, young striker Jack Watts, celebrated a hat-trick on his Evo-Stik Premier League debut as Skem came from behind to snatch a praiseworthy draw.

“It’s been difficult to say the least,” said Lawson “but I haven’t given up on this. Some people might have, but I don’t see this as an impossibility.

“It’s going to be difficult, very difficult. But I don’t think it’s finished yet.”

Skem are second from bottom of the EvoStik Premier Division table and had the bizarre situation of half-a-dozen new faces introducing themselves in the dressing room before kick-off on Boxing Day.

“We used the contacts we have in the game to get a team together for Boxing Day, but it was a strange atmosphere in the dressing room beforehand,” admitted Lawson.

“We had two 16-year-olds from Accrington, a centre-forward, Harry Blackburn, and centre-midfield Luke Moran, a new goalkeeper, a young lad from Bolton and Jack Watts from Burscough.

“It was Jack’s Premier League debut, he was keen to impress and he certainly did that. He scored a hat-trick, was made up and rightly so. He’s set the bar pretty high for himself now, though!”

Skem entertain Matlock Town on Thursday (7.45pm) and then Ashton United on Monday (3pm).