[themaclad]

Garstang win 2-1 Bacup miss 96th minute penalty Garstang stay up thanks to penalty save

[themaclad]

Squires Gate 0 Pilkington 2

Not required to be dressed in white and chase a red ball around an early season bit of non league murkiness, had the choice of games but Garstang will get the mid week visit, a decent ish weather day although Global boiling was distincly missing. OAP £4 to get in, decent programme although a sign of the times in regard to cost, it was a double programme including the home game on next Tuesday.
Pitch wise not bad although not the pristine surface you get further up the league chain.
Visitors Pilkington freshly promoted would be an interesting test for the home side

FIRST HALF

The first 15 minutes saw Squires hit the post in the first half whilst Pilks missed a sitter, a couple of other decent efforts by the home side and the ball disppeared out of the ground at least five times. Have to say some of the Gate's early football was good pass and move at pace with Hughes hitting the post with a curling effort past the keeper
The game settled down to a bit more of a midfield battle chances were hard to come goal scoring chances very much minimal, a few meaty challenges as early season rustiness started to kick in.

At half time nipped the gate to watch a bit of the Wren Rovers game saw a goal scored by a Sunny Bradley(Luton) look a like playing for a side in white whose numbers on the back of the shirts reminded me of the numbering of many an Eastern European side from the Mid 60's excessively large. The pitch looked like it had not been cut for a while either a tad long.

SECOND HALF



Bright start again by Gate, well marshalled defence kept them out, first goal would be pivotal and so it proved went to the visitors, Gate never really cleared a corner, ball fizzed in from the left well finished on the volley
Instantly three substitutes for the home side, possibly should have had a penalty not given this led to an exchange of views between the players(see picture)

At these times being stood between both teams boxes is quite entertaing, pleasantries before issued to a from the management teams.
The second Pilkington goal duly arrived a couple of minutes later after missing a very good chance they seemed to have managed to miss another great chance but worked the ball out to the right of the area were the shot came in possiblt deflected into the back of the net, a killer goal.
Gate didn't give up forced several chances couldn't beat the decent visitors keeper. Probably the right result Pilkington could do well this season although expect Bury will be the ones to beat.
Will add goalscorers later when the league website has un crashed

[themaclad]

Prescott and Kelly bagged the goal attendance 94

[themaclad]

Longridge Town 4 Hewitt 3 Irbar Chadderton 4 Abbott, Dale Knight 2

Att 153

A first visit to the The Rycycling Lives Ground in Longridge which is just North East of Preston to see a North West Counties Premier League ground.
Three covered stands which will be needed up there, three sided ground as there is a steep drop into the field next to the ground however you get some great views of Bowland and Longridge Fells
Longridge had had an impressive start tolife in the North West Counties however seem to have stalled after the initial burst of success, under ex North Ender Lee Ashcroft they have a very young side and seem to be rebuilding for the future
After 13 minutes the home side were 2 down both goals similar both looked offside neither given balls down either flank caused problems ball into centre and both Abbott and Dale fired home off the keeper

An early tacticle substitution saw the introduction of Hewitt, by accident or design the lad looked 12 years old changed the course of the game although not immediately.
Chadderton will still getting immense joy with balls behind either wing back, but half way through the half, deficit reduced, bll over the top Hewitt hogging the right wing collected the ball and easily scored past Chaddie's keeper. No further goals until half time however this is where thngs started to take a strange turn of events,
At half timeChadderton's reserve keeper started to warm up, thought nothing about it as he took his place behind the sticks for the second half within 10 minutes scores level Hewitt at the back post simple tap in and this is where it gets strange Chaddie player sin bined and they are now down to 9 and it dawns on me that keeper hasn't been substituted he's been sent off, apparently the wonderfully named Morgan Bacon had said something rash(er) to the ref at the break and had been sent off.
Hewitt duly completed his hat trick after a game of pinball in the six yard box.
Chaddie now back to 10 equaliswd ball over the top Knight took the ball on ad chipped the keeper 3 all. He should have put Chaddie ahead a minute later similar move this time tried to take the ball around the keeper failed however. Miss proved costly Irbar tapped home from close range to put Longridge 4-3 up.
Deep into injury time and there was plenty of that Knight scored the goal of the game controlled the ball and fired home from 25 yards 4 all, in the afermath Chaddie captain hammered the ball into the adjoining field received his second yellow card and Chaddie were back to 9 again.
Still plenty of time for the hoe side to hit the post but it ended all square.

[themaclad]

A bank holiday murky non league day outfairly local just the five mile trip to see Garstang, a fairly nippy day for late August, had the pleasure of meeting old mate Malcolm and his friend Derek who I had note seen since before Covid. Trivial bit of information Derk is married to the sister of Gordon Milne ex footballer and manager.

Ashton started the brighter with Nicholson almost latching onto a through ball but lac k of contro let him down, probably the highlight of the half for them because after 32 inutes they were three down to a Josh Hall hat trick, the third being the pick of the bunch, ball from corner allowed to bounce he volleyed in, in truth Ashton were lucky not to be five down at the brek bailed out by keeper Aspinall who had made two decent sprawling saves, given the home sides low position in the league this was a fair performance against newly relegated Atheletic



Three substitutions for Athletic instant improvement in performance managed to pull a goal back, bundled home by Smith after a shot/cross had hit the bar, comeback was shortlived though some dozy defending between the keeper and defender let Craig basically walk the ball in for 4-1
With 16 minutes left Clark made it 5-1 after pinball in the box which also involved the ball hitting the woodwork.
However the last two goals were something else Hill reduced the arears in the 90th minute putting a free kick in from the half way line hit the ball well, keeper watched as ball siled over his head into the net, but he was out done by Darley controlled a cross and fired past the keeper in one fluid movement.
A stroll by the Riverside for the home side.

[themaclad]

After a massive gap the murkiness is returning with a possibiity of a double header this week, bet you can't wait

[themaclad]

It was almost as hot and sticky last night in Garstang as Huw Edwards what's app group, the result was fair Holkier played the better football and always looked more like scoring than the home side.
Early season pitch dry given the lack of rain, a rarity these days, as both sides played their second game of the season, the home side had won their first, Holker had drawn.
The only other side with Old Boys in their name is Newell's from Argentina, doubt somehow the two will ever meet as the Argentian's will probably want to go to the north of Barrow mind you who does.
88 of us saw the entertainemnt unfold, ealy stages were all one way at it was to no ones surprise when Holker opened the scoring, a ball from the left eluded the reach of the keeper, ball headed back across goal the experienced Jason Walker didn't miss with a close range header

They should have extended the lead but were surprisingly pegged back by a simple long ball down the pitch centre half let it bounce forward nipped in and was brought down by the keeper. Squires duly scored althouth the keeper Bailey did get a hand to it



Open game now, Holker still prominant went back in front on the half hour says Ballantyre got it but to me it looked like an own goal. The game lost of bit of pace due to the heat and probably both teams welcomed the half time break

Second half started well the home sides half time team talk seemed to have worked and they were more on the front foot then they had been in the first half, missed a glorious chance from 10 yards ball was skied over the clubhouse and as luck would have it Holker got a third Walker blocked a clearence by Sargeant the keep and into the net it went, his parents stood next to me were finding it hard to contain their merriment, to be fair to him though he had a decent second half and saved the home side from a bigger defeat.
Decent game new ground on Staurday althugh I know it

[themaclad]

Full line ups can be found here

https://www.nwcfl.com/lineups.php?id=18430

About 20 years ago lived in Heys St, Thornton, at the time TCFC were called Thornton ICI they played on Gamble Road before moving to a new site at the entrance to the old ICI site, they have gone full circle and returned to Gamble Road although not on the same pitch.
The area has changed the old ICI power station is no more, now the site of traditionally bland new build housing which has gone up, Gamble Road itself hasn't changed managed to see a rat run down one of the back alleys. In old days you could watch the game and go for a jar in the Burn Naze, a pub which was very local to say the least, sadly the Naze has also gone and the site is now hiding behind boards safely out of site.
The ground backs onto the impressive training ground of Fleetwood Town with it's futuristic indoor training pitches.

When I rocked up had a sinking feeling it would be an artificial pitch but grass it was. Like most of the newer grounds it has a cage around it as is with non league people rather pay than watch it for free as the attendance showed.
Decent club house beer £4.80 a pint and it was a decent brew.
Visitors Route One Rovers a mainly Asian side had a decent season last year although this season like the home side were on zero points
The first thirty minutes to say the least , differing styles ROR passing to feet they looked a decent side and when they took the lead after neat work down the left wing finished well by Zahoor at the back post, it was what they deserved. TCFC had offered little until they were given a penalty after a fould by the right back.
Took a while for the penalty to be taken due to bits of gamesmanship before Duffield's kick was easily saved by Khan.

Half time fair scoreline.
Second half similar scenario little happened the visitors good in possession again neither side created anything until TCFC made substitutions and then BOOM. Four goals in 10 minutes all similar all through the centre of ROR's defence, pace was the difference as Greaves twice, Beavers and Hulme completely changed the game, the visitors it is safe to say fell apart after being comfortable for 70 minutes.