Away-day draw earns reply against high-flying Boston

Nov 29 2012 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

SKELMERSDALE UNITED earned another go at Boston United after their trip to South-East Lincolnshire on Saturday.

This despite playing a quarter of the game with ten men after referee Sarah Garratt made what is best described as a hasty and harsh decision to dismiss midfielder Antony Hickey for a raised boot and having grabbed the lead in the 51st minute when they were well on top of their opponents from two divisions above them.

Whether Skelmersdale manager Tommy Lawson’s opening ruse of sending his team out with his defenders wearing forward numbers and forwards wearing defensive numbers made much difference is debatable but after around 20 minutes his team started to pose a real threat to the hosts and they were unlucky not to go ahead through a Rob McIntosh header.

Gary Burnett and Kenny Strickland also went close before Strickland a chip from inside his own half, against the wind, an audacious effort which showed Skelmersdale’s confidence.

The second-half started with Skelmersdale strongly on the offensive and the big opportunity arrived in the 51st minute.

After a move down the right Jackson had a shot scrambled off the line, the ball was hooked clear to Skelmersdale’s left, Paul Woolcott played it to Strickland and “Crafty Kenny” saw the ‘keeper slightly off his line again and this time he dropped the ball over Haystead into the far side of the goal.

Skelmersdale were doing okay under the expected reaction from Boston, but then Woolcott was pushed off a loose ball by James Reed, who slotted it through for substitute Spencer Weir-Daley to blast past an exposed Ashton for the equaliser

After Hickey was sent off in the 67th minute, Lawson was forced to change things, and he brought on Adam Morning and Aaron Turner leaving Burnett up front on his own.

It worked well and didn’t overly blunt his team’s attacking intentions.

In the 74th minute, Weir-Daley had the best chance of the game but was thwarted as Ashton got a touch to his chip sending the ball over the bar.

Skelmersdale had one more throw of the dice and they were unlucky again, as Morning clipped a nicely weighted ball into the box from midfield, where McIntosh got his head to it and hit the crossbar.

BOSTON UNITED: Haystead, Marshall, Jellyman (c), Milnes, Ward, Stainfield, Reed, Ross, Jones (Weir-Daley, 57), Newsham, Fairclough (Stokes, 57) Subs (not used) Silk, Smith, Drury

SKELMERSDALE UNITED: Ashton, Field, Corrigan, McIntosh, Hardwick (c),Strickland, Hickey, Woolcott, Jackson (Turner, 70), Burnett, Bellew (Morning, 70) Subs (not used) Houghton, Saleh, Phenix

Referee: Sarah Garratt (Halesowen)

Attendance: 710