Title race not over: McNally NWC PREMIER DIVISION
IT was a day of reckoning for the top two teams in the North West Counties Premier Division, with league leaders Skem travelling to “big spending” Macclesfield. A crowd of close on 4,500 the biggest in the North West Counties for a number of years were there to witness it.
Initially it was the visitors who took the game to the hosts with Mikey Howard causing particular damage to the defence.
After just five minutes he made inroads with only a last gasp challenge from Laurent Mendy stopping a certain goal, and Howard again pounced after a mistake at the back, this brought out a fine save by keeper Danny Wallis.
The form the Skem winger has been in you would have bet your bottom dollar that he would have converted at least one of the chances.
Howard was through on goal again after 15 minutes, this time his shot beat the keeper all ends up, unfortunately it also beat the outside of the post.
Skelmersdale goalkeeper Ben Barnes was called into action on the half hour, when Andy Owens’ header crashed against the bar then fell kindly to Pinto Maicao whose drilled shot was punched away by the Skem keeper. It set up a counter attack that saw Elliott Morris outpace his marker, advance into the opposition half and strike a thunderbolt from all of 25 yards that left keeper Wallis clutching at thin air, it was a wonderful goal and no more than Paul McNally’s team deserved.
However, during added time at the end of the first half Macc struck the all important equaliser, a cross from the right found James Berry-McNally who side footed past the United defence and into the goal.
The last-gasp equaliser arriving so close to the interval was the impetus the home side needed, as Neil Danns and Mark Duffy, who have made over 1,000 Football League appearances between them began to dominate the middle of the park and it was Danns who added the second for Macc on 67 minutes with a fine finish from the edge of the box.
Skem responded brilliantly with a double effort from Danny Mitchley and Howard, again it was good defending and then a top save from
Wallis that kept the home side in front.
Skelmersdale’s hearts were broken with just two minutes to go. McNally had sent his players forward to look for the leveller, a mistake at the back left them shorthanded for cover and Berry set up Brandon Lonsdale to add the killer third goal.
It was tough on United who had dominated the first period, on another day they could easily have been 3-1 up.
Paul McNally was not too disappointed when he spoke after the game, saying: “All the onus was on them to win today, it was their Cup Final so to speak, to us it was just three points, there is still a long way to go and there will be more twists and turns before the season ends, the league has not been won today or lost, with eleven league games remaining.”
Wallis, Hanson, Grimshaw, Mendy ©, Fensome, Pinto Maieco, Danns, Owens, Duffy,
Berry – McNally Subs Adams, Ashton, Lonsdale, Djalo, Freedman
Barnes, Lees, Simpson, Griffiths, Grogan, Strickland, Morris, Nicholson, Mitchley, Croughan, Howard, Subs Adegbenro, Ellams, Preston Unused, Salkeld, Holden
Justin Walton
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