Taken from tonight’s programme for the visit of Ashton Athletic. Available on the gate for £2.

Good evening everyone and welcome to Brookburn Road for this evenings Lancashire Cup tie against Ashton Athletic.

 

We hope everyone connected with Ashton enjoys our hospitality and following this evening we wish you well for the rest of the season.

 

It may seem a little strange that we are entered into a county cup outside of our closest geographic county FA but we are grateful of the game whatever the circumstances. It represents another opportunity for us to try and turn things around.

 

Tonight’s game will see us look at some of the members of our squad who have been desperate to show us what they can do. 

 

We were left bemoaning our luck once again following Saturday’s game at Barnoldswick. In the first half I felt we were the better team for long spells, I felt we should have had a penalty when Ryan was fouled but the referee adjudged it to have taken place on the edge rather than just inside. A host of free kicks and corners flashed agonisingly across goal and with just moments to go before half time we were caught and punished. A routine clearance hits an attacker, it breaks for their forward who finished clinically.

We stressed the importance at halftime of starting the second half positively only to lose the ball again in midfield in the opening moments of the second half. Again, one ball caught us out and the forward replicated what he’d done just before the break. We then made some attacking changes to try and get back into the game and it became a little more open, Ben Woods and Danny Mc creating and missing good chances before we got one back directly from a corner. In the final moments we pushed for an equaliser but not for the first time this season the woodwork thwarted us late in the game.

 

We will continue to work hard to try and turn things around as we get players back from injury and try to come up with a winning formula. 

 

It’s also important to say farewell to striker Saul Henderson as he has decided to move to Congleton. Saul worked hard for us during his second spell and we wish him well in his new opportunity.

 

As always, enjoy the game and thanks for your support

Setts