Burscough Richmond made to pay as three minute lapse kills chances

Feb 7 2013 by Our Correspondent, Ormskirk Advertiser

BURSCOUGH RICHMOND travelled to Holgate Park, home of Wyre Villa for the second game of the new year, the weather deciding to be kind after the blizzards of the previous weeks.

Richmond kicked off and won a corner in the first minute but couldn’t take advantage and the home team cleared.

The most notable move in the first half was a superb diagonal long ball from Richmond captain Lee McNabb who found striker MIke Mason in space, a goal looking a certainty but the ball only glanced off his head and went wide.

Richmond to their credit where commanding the game in the first half with a great deal of possession playing some credible football, but with no end product. Villa soaked up the pressure and on 40 minutes showed the Richmond forwards how it was done.

Two goals in the space of three minutes virtually killed Richmond off. They might have come against the run of play, but it’s goals that win football matches not possession, Matt Slandless tucking the ball under Jimmy Moore for Villa’s first goal and Micky Evans firing a great free kick into the top corner of the Richmond net, leaving Moore stationary, for their second.

In the second half Richmond lost their shape as the home defence deprived their forwards of any room to manoeuvre, and the anxiety on the home side’s bench and the vitriolic comments subsided because they knew their side had done enough.

Richmond to their credit didn’t concede again, although they had their work cut out to keep the score at 2-0.

Lee Morton was having a mature game at the rear of defence and Villa goalkeeper Brown only had one save to make, but the strange thing about the Richmond performance was that although Villa are second in the league there is not that much distance between the two sides.

The Richmond management can be proud of the first half performance. There was some good football played and manager Clandon will take stock and look to improve where its needed.