Early promise leads to familiar story of woe

THE visit of the fellow strugglers from the West Midlands represented an opportunity for Skelmersdale United to pick up some points and they started well scoring after just four minutes.

However, Skem quickly conceded an equaliser and were second best after the interval, as they failed to ignite their passing game and posed little threat up front in a lacklustre performance.

Skelmersdale started well and soon Jack Watts had a shot saved by Sutton Coldfield goalkeeper James Wren. A couple of minutes more and it was 1-0 to Skem, Watts spread the ball out onto the left-wing from where Remy Howarth hoisted the ball high to the far post, Glennon Cameron was on the run, he jumped high above the visitors’ defence dropping a looping header inside the far post.

Skelmersdale’s joy lasted around a minute. A long clearance by Wren was helped on to Josh Venney down the inside-left channel and he shot early, sending the ball inside Skem’s right-hand post.

In the 64th minute only a superb tackle by Callum Grogan prevented another cross from Wright creating a goal, but a goal was coming and it did on 69 minutes. Venney and Birch exchanged running passes down the left that opened Skem up sufficiently to allow substitute David Howarth to side-foot home from eight yards.

The visitors ended the agony on 88 minutes. A long throw-in was headed down and Birch who had been the best man on the pitch got his personal reward with a goal from 10 yards out.