Wylie’s four goals fire up 2021 finale
ROSSENDALE ............... 5 FRECKLETON .............. 3
STEVE BAYES
THE last game of 2021 saw Freckleton FC visit Marl Pits, the visitors being the team to end the Stags 13 match winning start to the season with a 1-1 draw five weeks previously.
After a very even 1st half Rossendale came out strongly in the second half and ran out 5-3 winners in a hard fought victory.
Rossendale started strongly when Scott Wylie brought a good low down save from the Freckleton keeper tipping the ball round the post, and the Stags opened the scoring when Jordan Hilton put in a cross from the right and Wylie with an outstretched leg at the back post guided the ball home.
The expected Rossendale pressure didn’t materialise and Freckleton played their way back into the game and deservedly equalised on 36 minutes when Rossendale failed to clear a long throw in and the ball was forced home. Rossendale were more pleased than their visitors to hear the half time whistle as the teams went in level at the break.
The half time team talk had the desired effect as four minutes into the second period a ball into the Freckleton box was cleared the ball landing at the feet of Wylie on the edge of the box, he looked up and curled a brilliant shot round the keeper into the top corner of the net to give the Stags a 2-1 lead.
Freckleton wouldn’t go away and equalised for a second time when a miss timed tackle from defender Ollie Williams in the area brought a penalty for the visitors on 63 minutes. The resulting spot kick sent keeper McLaughlin the wrong way.
But Rossendale weren’t to be denied as they pressed forward in an attempt to regain the lead, and they were rewarded on 71
minutes when Wylie in space in the area fired across the keeper, his shot hit the left hand upright, the ball rebounding to Tom Hulme who fired home.
On 79 minutes some breathing space at last as the ball was played square to Wylie his shot took a deflection the ball looping over the keeper into the net to complete the striker’s hat-trick.
Four minutes from time a bad tackle from Freckleton brought Rossendale a free kick 30 yards from goal, with Wylie stood two paces from the ball and everyone expecting a chipped ball into the area, he unleashed an unstoppable shot into the top left hand corner past the stranded Freckleton keeper who didn’t move a muscle has the ball hit the back of the net.
Two minutes into injury time Freckleton got a third but the game was well out of their reach. Soon after the goal the referee blew for full time to leave the Stags unbeaten after 16 games on 46 points going into the Christmas break.
Burnley United who took over second place after their 4-0 home win over Walney Island are eight points behind the Stags, but they have played three games more.
Carnforth Rangers dropped to third place after their match at Storeys was postponed Rossendale are 11 points clear of them having played the same number of games.
Rossendale are next in action on Saturday 8th January 2022 when they are due to travel to Garstang Reserves with a 2pm kick off.