Pre-season game offers high quality

FOOTBALL BACUP Borough picked up a hardfought win in preseason after defeating Academy 92 at the Brian Boys West View Stadium.

The game was divided into three 30 minute matches, all of which did not disappoint the watching spectators as all of the players from both sides produced excellent football coupled with channelled aggression which made this an excellent game to watch.

The first game of 30 minutes featured Declan Oliver in goal, along with a back three of Stuart Craig, Joe Carroll and Jordan Rutter, a midfield of Josh Walne, Martin Cosgrave, Thomas Coulson, James Constantine and Ben Rhodes, plus Wayne Morrison and Anthony Hall up front.

The half was very much an even, balanced affair with neither side testing either keeper as both defences were well on top, a trend which lasted for the entire 30 minutes.

In the second 30 minutes, manager Brent Peters introduced the entire U18s, guided by their youth team coach Andrew Walker.

In order to give them some stability at the back, the Bacup Borough captain Adrian Bellamy replaced the injured Jo Carroll with Stuart Craig and Jordan Rutter from the first team squad did continue at the back with the remaining eight players from the youth set up age ranging from 15 to 17.

This was a good test against their full-time rivals.

Academy 92 did take the lead during this 30-minute block, and the goal came when Academy 92s young left-sided player was positive attacking the box.

He took on Bacup defender Stuart Craig before drilling the ball across the face of the Bacup goal. The brave young Bacup goalkeeper dived at the feet of the advancing players, which initially did avert any threat but such was the spin on the ball, it meant he failed to make it stick and once it slipped from his grasp, Academy 92s Burrows was on hand for a simple tap in.

This was the only goal to separate the two sides with an hour on the clock.

In the final 30 minutes Bacup manager Peters brought back the side which opened the game with Bellamy carrying on having replaced Carroll at the back.

Once again Academy 92 were not in any way fazed by their more experienced peers competing well and in possession using the ball well, and equally the same can be said for Bacup with both teams playing some neat football.

Bacup did equalise, making the contest 1-1 after winning a corner.

The goal was all about the quality of delivery from Anthony Hall, with Joshua Walne then producing a bullet header with the ball giving their keeper very little chance.

Walne also had a hand in Bacup Borough’s winning goal when his won his side a free kick following a foul.

Hall put in another quality delivery which Academy 92 headed clear but they were helpless when the ball dropped at the feet of Martin Cosgrave some 20 yards out, with his excellent strike into goal giving the keeper very little chance of saving.

That strike proved to be enough, as Bacup Borough ran out 2-1 winners.

But the real winners on the day was all of the players from both sides for producing the quality of football that was on display and made it an enjoyable game to watch.