Desperate Skem suffer a Collieries closedown
SKELMERSDALE United crashed to a nightmare defeat at the Kensite Stadium on Saturday – but it all began so differently.
Deservedly taking the lead in the sixth minute they arguably should have increased it before the hosts levelled in the 24th minute and Skem still looked competitive until just before half-time.
Then came a second half collapse that was sheer agony to watch for those that travelled over from West Lancashire. It all made for 66 minutes that left them dumbfounded.
It looked promising for Skelmersdale as home goalkeeper Morgan Bacon making a fine point blank save from Sean Yeldrem and another from Alex Griffiths before Skem opened the scoring.
A corner was played to outside the 18-yard box to Tom Molyneux who cleverly found Paul Ennis with a low ball into the goalmouth.
The Skem midfielder played a first time side foot shot across Bacon into the corner of the net to give Skem the lead.
In the next 15 minutes Bacon made saves from Yeldrem, Griffiths and Kevin Edgar as Skem pushed forwards and sought out a second goal.
Gradually Atherton came more into the game and equalised in the 24th minute.
A poor clearance at the far post sent the ball skyward and when it dropped Ben Hardcastle had the space to control it and place it inside Skem goalkeeper Terry Smith’s right-hand post from 10 yards.
Four minutes later a corner from the left saw Ian Rowlands run in at the far post, rise above the defence and head firmly into the net to make it 2-1.
In the 38th minute Ben Conway, after a move down the left, played a ball to the feet of striker Jordan Cover, who dummied his marker and sent the ball low into the Skelmersdale net to make it 3-1.
Skelmersdale were still posing a fair threat to Atherton though, but that all ended on the stroke of half-time when a disastrous long distance back pass from Molyneux went straight to Cover who was in acres of space. He had a simple task of rounding keeper Smith and rolling the ball into an empty net.
Goals on 54 and 64 minutes made it 6-1 to Atherton.
The first saw former Skelmersdale player Gareth Peet loft the ball to the far post from the left, and it dropped to a completely unmarked Rowlands who was able to stroke the ball into the far corner.
Then Hardcastle had a shot blocked and the rebound fell perfectly to Cover, who completed his hat-trick by blasting through a group of players.
The last six minutes of the game were an absolute horror show from a Skelmersdale perspective.
First keeper Smith inexplicably dropped what was a simple pick-up and in the effort to grab the ball felled Cover.
The referee rather cruelly red carded the keeper and substitute Jack Fleming, who is a full-back by trade, went into goal. Hardcastle put the resultant penalty in via a post.
Hardcastle went on the score a personal third and fourth goal, first blasting a shot high into the Skelmersdale goal then getting another from the penalty spot.