Lancashire Amateur FA Cup Semi-Final: Rossendale Amateurs 1 Hurst Green 0 (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Lancashire Amateur FA Cup Semi-Final: Rossendale Amateurs 1 Hurst Green 0

11:37pm Tuesday 4th March 2008 in

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ANDY Holt booked Rossendale Amateurs a place in the LFA Shorrock Cup final after beating Hurst Green in a keenly contested East Lancashire derby.

There was a decent turnout at Clitheroe FC's Shawbridge for a semi final that may have been short on quality but was certainly high on drama.

The occasion and the conditions meant that neither side played the football both are capable of in a game played at break-next speed.

But Holt showed an early glimpse of what he could do before eventually scoring the decisive goal midway through the second half.

In Amateur's first serious attack of the game, the pacy striker burst in to the Hurst Green area and a desperate tackle from Phil Walker cannoned off Holt and towards goal before Tony Coupe superbly cleared the ball off the line.

However, Holt made the most of his second clear cut chance after the break when he pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the Hurst Green area and raced clear to cooly slot the ball beyond Steve Young.

His counterpart Danny Walker had no such luck in the Hurst Green attack.

Twice the lively frontman hit the bar and he went close on countless other occasions.

Walker was first denied by the woodwork in the 10th minute when he headed Simon Tipton's in-swinging corner against the bar before Nicky Wilkinson headed the rebound over.

Then in the closing stages, Walker turned his marker inside and out before unleashing a shot the cracked against the underside of the bar, down on to the line but away to safety.

Hurst Green did well to repel Rossendale's early advances before inflicting their own bit of pressure.

After Walker had rattled the bar, Martin Seedall forced a flying save out of John Parrott with a sweetly struck free kick and, from the resulting corner, Alex Young blasted over with a rising shot from the edge of the area.

Walker tested Parrott again before Seedall had a shot deflected wide and Nicky Wilkinson missed the target from close range.

At the other end, Amateurs full back Simon Nangle showed off his dead ball skills, smacking one free kick against the top of the post before drilling in another which was begging to be prodded home.

Danny Crowley's involvement with cut shot when the Amateurs forward was knocked clean out after a clash of heads and left the ground by ambulance.

After the break, Hurst Green had a great chance to break the deadlock but Seedall fired Young's cross straight at the keeper. An unmarked Stuart Malley should have done better but headed Tipton's corner wide of the target.

With the game heading in to the final quarter, it became increasingly likely that one goal would settle the tie. And it was Holt who capitalised on a moment's hesitation in the Hurst Green defence to burst clear to score.

A last-ditch challenge by Colin Piper denied Holt another clear run-in on goal before Green keeper Young rushed from his line to deflect his shot over the bar.

Hurst Green made changes and it was Mark Young who came close to setting up the equaliser when his excellent through ball found Walker who beat his man and the keeper but not the bar.

It was by the slimmest of margins that Amateurs booked their cup final place.