Borough opener ends with defeat (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Borough opener ends with defeat

9:04am Monday 6th August 2012 in Sport

Warm weather greeted the 61 spectators that assembled at the Brian Boys West View Stadium for the opening fixture of the 2012/13 North West Counties League campaign.

They saw a Bacup side that included fit-again Davey Luker and Kingsley Williams, while there were also first starts for Callum McLaren and Shaun Williams.

The visitors from Cheshire had the best of the early play with Paul Horridge diving low to his left to turn an early effort around for a corner in the third minute.

Six minutes later, Brian Matthews curled a free kick just wide of Horridge’s other post as the Blues pressed.

In the 13th minute a good penetrating run from Daniel Cocks saw the Bacup man upended in a dangerous position.

Cocks dusted himself down to take the resulting free kick and send it inches wide.

Following a series of Winsford corners it was in keeping with the run of play when the visitors took a 20th-minute lead.

Steven Warburton produced a mazy run on the left before pulling back to Andrew Hurst who kept his cool to easily beat Horridge.

After this setback Bacup began to find a bit of rhythm and in the 40th minute Cocks rolled a quick free kick to Steve Maden but he fired over.

On the stroke of half time Cocks went on a great run before being hacked down as he rounded last man McDonnell. The defender was lucky to escape with a yellow card and the resulting free kick came to nothing.

Borough got off to the worst possible start after the interval as some sloppy defending let in Hurst again who made no mistake, coolly slotting home his second of the afternoon.

Horridge kept the home side in the match six minutes later as he produced a good save to deny Bennett.

Manager Brent Peters shuffled his pack with a substitution and within five minutes Bacup had reduced the defecit.

A superb cross from the left by Lee Oldham was finished powerfully with aplomb by Kingsley Williams for the best goal of the match.

It was now the home side that were doing the pushing as the visitors started to worry.

Luker sent an effort over the bar but Winsford were still dangerous on the break and in the 69th minute Warburton found himself free in acres of space down the right.

He sent in a low drive that Horridge could not gather cleanly but the danger was cleared.

At the other end Cocks’ 74th minute cross from the right found Kingsley Williams but his header under pressure lacked sufficient power to trouble Jones.

Nine minutes from time, Horridge produced a brave save at point blank range to prevent Bennett from wrapping things up. A minute later Luker headed straight at Jones at the other end. The last chance fell to Lee Oldham, whose crisp effort on 87 minutes produced a good save from Jones that secured his side the three points.