Bright start but Skem out of Cup
SKELMERSDALE United’s run in the Macron Cup (League Cup), ended on Friday night at Prescot, after taking a well deserved lead.
Their promotion chasing opponents had taken a 3-1 lead 20 minutes later which was enough to snub out the Skem challenge despite plenty of pressure on the Irlam goal.
Skelmersdale had the best of the first-half and might well have taken the lead after a cross from the right side by Joel Douglas created havoc in the Irlam six yard box as a number of players including Skem centre-forward Richard Brodie partook in almost a game of “After you Claude”, all leaving the ball alone until it hit Irlam’s Danny Eyres in the shins, rebounded onto the foot of the post then luckily for the visitors straight into goalkeeper Lee White’s arms.
Skem were doing well down the right-hand side and it was the source of a few dangerous looking balls into the Irlam goalmouth.
Skelmersdale carved open the Irlam defence on one occasion, Peter Moore showing good control to bring a bouncing ball down before playing a defence splitting pass to an on the run Tom Croughan, however keeper White rescued Irlam by dashing from his line and snatching the ball from Croughan’s feet.
After hitting his own post earlier Eyres brought a superb save out of Skelmersdale goalkeeper Ben Barnes at the other end, his swift break down the middle culminating in a vicious right-foot shot from 20 yards that Barnes acrobatically turned away for a corner.
It wasn’t a bad game at all and briefly for Skelmersdale supporters it got even better with four minutes to go before the interval. Just outside the penalty area Moore was clever enough to turn then toepoke the ball through the Irlam defence, Croughan again got on the end of the ball, after holding off defender Andre Stewart, Croughan sent a right-foot shot into the net via the post, leaving keeper White no chance at all.
The Skem goal inspired the visitors and inside two minutes they equalised. The ball was sent down the right-wing and was soon delivered across the face of the Skelmersdale goal; Irlam number nine Connor Martin was able to slide the ball into the net from about four yards out.
Both teams went close again in the moments remaining before halftime, Skem via Croughan