Rossington Main 1, Glossop North End 2

Glossop made hard work of dispensing their lower ranked opponents, based in Doncaster, but in the end their quality was enough to prevail, albeit with a few scares.

In the first half North End failed to come to terms with playing into the strong wind, and nearly conceded in the first minute when Holmes got behind the defence. His first touch took him too wide though, and he was forced to cross. He found the head of McGhee, who put his free header over the bar.

More chances came and went for the home side, and North End looked like a team that wanted to concede a goal to motivate them. Holmes had a shot saved by Cooper, Fraser just failed to connect with a low cross when any contact might have taken the ball over the line, whilst Holmes and McGhee both shot over.

The best chance though came on the half hour when a ball was mis-judged by Young and McGhee got behind him and through on goal. He unselfishly squared the ball to Stokes, but he took a touch that allowed Cooper to fly off his line and block the shot.

In all this time Glossop’s best effort had been a Young curling free kick from 25 yards that grazed the post, and the North End faithful would have been grateful to be level at half time. However, as the clock ticked into the 45th minute, they took the lead. A hopeful ball to the edge of the area saw Blackshaw miss out in the header, but the ball dropped to Adam Oakes at the left corner of the area. He hit a low angled drive that flew into the bottom corner, out of the reach of Appleby. In stark contrast to the rest of the half, it was a quality strike.

The lead wasn’t held for long, for on 51 minutes, and shortly after Blackshaw had missed a good opportunity when he swivelled a shot over the bar, Rossington levelled. Leading scorer Holmes was completely unmarked from a corner, as both Cooper and Oakes missed the ball, and he nodded home into the empty net.

That galvanised the North End side, and they began to take control of the game and re-took the lead on 72 minutes. Blackshaw’s lovely turned foxed the midfield and gave him a few yards to drive goalwards. But his pass across the edge of the box looked poor, until Rick Bailey controlled and shot with his left foot, right into the top corner.

As is usually the case with Cup games, Rossington threw themselves forward, and Cooper made two good saves, particularly when Hilton was given a run at goal. Meanwhile, with bodies forward, North End looked to break for a third, and when Blackshaw and Bailey were through, they ought to have done better. Blackshaw also unleashed a wicked drive that cannoned off the bar to safety.

The Hillmen will be pleased to have seen off their tricky opponents at the first attempt, as better finishing might have forced a replay. In the next round they take on Chorley at Surrey Street, due to be played on 12 September.

Rick Bailey scores Glossop's winning goal from 15 yards.
Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Winsford United 1, Glossop North End 4

Glossop picked up their first maximum point haul of the season at the 4th attempt on Tuesday, netting four late goals to seal the deal. But despite that, the main talking point of the night was the young referee, who had a night he’d probably like to forget, but should always remember, as he should use it as a low watermark for the rest of his career.

The game was physical, but not overly dirty, but by the full time whistle there had been 10 cautions, 3 of which were second yellow cards, including Hillmen captain Dave Young.

The referee had lost his grip on the game shortly before half time, when an innocuous caution was issued to David Morris, for standing in front of the ball for a free kick. Winsford blasted the ball against his legs, and rather than take the normal action of a warning and a re-take, the soft yellow card set the benchmark for the rest of the game as the man in black lost control. Tasker and Came were booked for the home side before the break.

By then though, either side could have genuinely considered they might be in front. Winsford’s Dave Tasker had missed a sitter, putting his follow up over the bar after Matt Cooper had spilled a shot from the edge of the area. At the other end James Curley in particular had missed good chances, slicing a shot with only the keeper to beat, and previously being closed down when he found the ball at his feet no distance out. The best effort on goal was from Adam Oakes, who shot from the edge of the area after some lovely work from Curley and Blackshaw, but his effort was just the wrong side of the post.

The second half started with a chance at either end whilst Young picked up his first yellow for complaining that Tasker had kicked out at him – he had. The sides huffed and puffed, creating little, until finally the breakthrough came in the 71st minute.

Sub Sam Hind lost out in an aerial battle in the box, but the ball fell to the feet of Morris at the edge of the area. He controlled and hit an angled drive past the keeper into the corner of the net. A worthy goal to mark the first time that Glossop have led a league game this season.

Two minutes later, it was two, as Hind chased down a hopeful punt up field, and right back Bayley, feeling the pressure, tried to lob a header back to the keeper...who had come off his line to collect the ball, meaning a classic own goal in North End’s favour.

Winsford wouldn’t give up and Tasker beat the offside trap to net in the 78th minute, and Cooper had to get down well to save a Brandon drive shortly afterwards, but when Tasker was late in the challenge on Cooper on 82, their chance was gone. Tasker got his second yellow card and the sending off that had been inevitable had arrived.

Two minutes later it was game over when Hind cleverly headed a corner into the 6 yard box and Blackshaw had the simplest task to net. Hind might have added when persistence saw him pinch the ball from Came, but his snapshot hit the bar. He got his reward in injury time though when McNally unselfishly squared to him when clean through, and Hind scored in the empty net.

This was in injury time, but there was still chance for the referee to issue four more cards. Winsford’s Jamie Williams received a second yellow, then red, but reused to depart, seemingly lunging at Young before being forced off by team-mates. Young, who had already been booked for being kicked, now received a second yellow, seemingly for being attacked by Williams. It was a fittingly bizarre finish to an erratic refereeing performance.

Team – Cooper, Smallwood, Lugsden, Young, Yates, Clegg, Morris (Bailey), Oakes, Allen (McNally), Curley (Hind), Blackshaw
Subs not used – Gorton, Kay

Lee Blackshaw takes on the Winsford defence.
Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Bootle 2, Glossop North End 0

One moment of madness cost North End their unbeaten record on Saturday, as they crashed to defeat at newly-promoted Bootle. The game was evenly matched up until the 64th minute when Matt Cooper came rushing off his line to chase a ball he was never going to get to, and his attempted save at the feet of Parkes inevitably brought the striker down, to concede the penalty. Once that had been converted, Glossop never got back their composure.

Up until that point, Bootle had only threatened from set pieces, with North End more composed on the ball, but after a bright North End start, the sides were cancelling each other out. The home side had keeper Mark Mawdsley to thank for keeping the scores level with two magnificent saves in the space of 20 seconds.

The first came from a free kick 25 yards out when Dave Young curled the ball around the wall. The ball was heading for the bottom corner, only for Mawdsley to get down low to his left and push it away. Sam Hind picked up the ball on the right and delivered a low cross to the near post. David Morris cleverly back flicked the goalwards, but Mawdsley again was diving low at his left hand post to save for a corner.

Bootle sensed a chance to net on 23 minutes when Cooper came for, and missed, a free kick from the right, but the ball dropped to Danny Yates, who was able to clear. That apart, goalmouth action was at a premium in the first half.

The second again started with Glossop bright, as Nick Allen chested a ball down in the box away from goal when if he could have manoeuvred his body to the other way, he’d have had a chance, and then the same player fell in the box under pressure for an optimistic shout for a penalty. Hind flicked a header just over the angle, as North End searched for a breakthrough.

And then came Cooper’s rush of blood to the head, diving in on Parkes to concede the penalty that Dale converted. It was the 3rd time in 3 league games that North End had given away the lead to a spot kick through penalty box indiscipline. The management will have been furious.

Glossop tried to get back into it, and Gorton headed wide from a corner, but they were lacking a spark. Meanwhile, Bootle had brought on sub Thomas Obasi, and his playmaking changed the way the home side played, and they created many more chances. On 82 minutes he played Parkes in behind the defence, and whilst North End vainly claimed offside, Parkes slipped the ball under Cooper to seal the game.

There was still time for Kevin Black to take a simmering feud with any Glossop player too far, by stamping on Jamie Kay. The referee spotted it, and showed the red card. Glossop fans tried to muster a cheer, but they knew that a man advantage, as the clock ticked into injury time, was not going to help now.

Glossop North End 3, Formby 1

The Hillmen sealed a 29 August FA Cup away tie at Doncaster club Rossington Main with a hard working replay victory over Formby on Wednesday, three second half goals finally breaking the visitor’s stubborn resistance.

Up front, it was all change for Steve Young’s side, as Nathan Neequaye was away on holiday, and Mark Balfe had decided that afternoon that he no longer wished to be part of the manager’s plans. This meant that Nick Allen was employed as an emergency striker, along with James Curley, making his first start since joining from Oldham Town over the summer.

Twice in the opening 20 minutes North End might have taken the lead, but a lack of confidence in front of goal meant that both David Morris and Adam Oakes took a touch to set themselves that allowed the defence to block their shots. Meanwhile, Curley netted from an Allen cross, only to see the linesman’s flag raised.

Glossop felt they should have had a penalty when a Sam Hind cross was blocked by the outstretched arm of a Formby defender, but the referee was not in a good position to award it, whilst his assistant remained impassive. Formby themselves claimed a spot kick when Thompson fell, but his backing in to the defender before tumbling made it a case of six compared to a half dozen.

Jay Gorton also had a sliding shot ruled out for offside, and at the interval, you felt that Glossop were on top, but simply needed a chance of luck in the bounce of the ball to make their pressure tell.

That feeling continued as Curley turned his man to break into the box, but saw his shot from a tight angle blocked by the keeper’s legs and bounce out in such a way that Formby were able to launch an attack that saw Williams make his only serious save of the night. But there was nothing fortunate about Captain Dave Young’s magnificent opener on 53 minutes.

Adam Oakes had been fouled at the left edge of the ‘D’, and Young stepped up, curling a beauty around the wall and past Judge in the Formby net. Superb.
On the hour mark it was two, when a Glossop corner was cleared to around 25 yards out, and a ball was slipped behind the defence to Allen. Much of the Glossop team was retreating after the corner, and still offside, but they ignored the ball as Allen, onside, got behind the back line and slipped a cool finish past Judge.

Glossop now went for the jugular, and tried to find that third goal that would definitely seal the tie, with Sam Hind’s running at the defence causing them all sorts of problems, whilst Lugsden might have had a couple of goals when meeting crosses, but both headers were the wrong side of the post.
It was seven minutes from the end when they finally finished Formby off when Jamie Kay put a pass into Curley at the edge of the box. He spotted Sam Hind’s run out of the corner of his eye, and pulled off a wonderful reverse pass into the box. Hind still had much to do, as the ball was slightly behind him, but his first touch set the ball, and his finish was composed.

Formby ruined Williams’ night by capitalising on some sloppy defending to grab a consolation from Hopkins, his shot from the edge of the area placed out of reach into the corner. However, Glossop had already escaped the mental shackles of those three draws that opened the season, and they will expect to kick on when they travel to Bootle on Saturday.

Team – Williams, Smallwood (Kay) , Lugsden, Young, Yates, Gorton, Hind (Birch), Morris, Allen (Parker), Curley, Oakes
Subs not used – Trucca, Cooper

Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Bjorn Heidenstrom calls in at Glossop on his 10 month cycling trip from Oslo to South Africa, pictured above with chairman Dave Atkinson and manager Steve Young. Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood
For more details of his journey, visit his website Click Here

Formby 1, Glossop North End 1

This was a much improved performance from the Hillmen, but the same result as Formby held them to their third consecutive draw. But North End will look back as some second half missed chances, and a very strong looking penalty claim as evidence that they should already be in the next round of the FA Cup.

All the action was in the second half, will North End enjoying much of the 1st half possession without really threatening the home side’s net. The major talking point was the yellow card for Formby’s David Thompson, who appeared to take a swipe at Kelvin Lugsden and then push him over. He was perhaps lucky not to be dismissed on 15 minutes, Lugsden’s theatrical fall probably helping make Mr Salisbury’s mind up.

In the meantime, Nick Allen had a number of long range shots go just over and wide, but that was the closest to goal we came as the weather, torrential rain and wind, became the major talking point as the crowd rushed to cover.

The second half started with a frenzy of chances as Stuart Williams, preferred in front of Matt Cooper, was forced into a smart save from a snapshot, whilst Nathan Neequaye headed wide from an Oakes cross.

However, two minutes later Oakes slipped a ball between the back four for Mark Balfe to run onto. Balfe had a lot to do, 20 yards out, but placed the ball under the advancing keeper to score the type of goal you look for from your number 9.

Glossop pressure followed, and Mark Balfe had a header cleared off the line from a corner, but on the hour mark Formby got the leveller against the run of play. A cross into the box from the right was headed high, and the ball was allowed to drop in the box to the unmarked Lamb, who had time to control and pick his spot, which he did.

Glossop were rocked, but continued to pressure, and a goal looked certain when Neequaye got to the by-line and crossed across the six yard box. The ball ricocheted off Roberts, and headed goal-wards, but hit keeper Judge and looped up. Morris was unable to control the rebound.

Substiture Curley shot wide and saw another swivelled shot parried by the keeper before he desperately dived upon it, whilst Williams was forced to save well at his near post. Curley then should have scored when a terrific cross from Hind found him unmarked at the far post, but he put his header over the bar.

As the clocked ticked into added time, Hind received the ball in the Formby box, knocked it past his man, and was brought down. The large travelling support saw it as a certain penalty, and awaited the referee’s point to the spot, only to see him shaking his heads and denying their claims. It looked a poor decision. The referee afterwards suggested Hind fell because the ball was going out of play, stating that he looked to his linesmen for confirmation of his thoughts. But referee’s make most of the assistant’s throw in decisions these days, he was hardly likely to contradict.

There was still one chance when a Young free kick was spilled at the feet of Neequaye, but the keeper recovered quickly enough to deflect the ball wide. The corner was disappointingly overhit, and that was it. The teams replay on Wednesday night.

Team - Williams, Smallwood, Lugsden, Young, Yates, Gorton, Allen (Curley), Trucca (Morris), Balfe (Hind), Neequaye, Oakes.
Subs not used – Parker, Birch, Cooper.
 

Mark Balfe of Glossop North End slips the ball past Adam Judge of Formby to make the score 1-0.
Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Ramsbottom United 2, Glossop North End 2

The Hillmen came back admirably from an appalling first half performance to have the better of the second period, but were still probably considering themselves fortunate to come away from the picturesque Riverside ground with a point.

Rammy had been spanked 5-0 on Saturday, and it showed in their play that they were ultra keen to put that performance behind them as they were the first to nearly every loose ball.  Indeed, they might have led in the first minute, but Hill somehow turned the ball over from the corner, when it seemed easier to score.

The lead came on 14 minutes when Glossop conceded a second penalty in as many games.  This time it was Jamie Kay who forgot the defenders watchword – ‘stay on your feet’ by sliding into a tackle on Connell and conceding the spot kick that Morley netted.

Glossop could not keep the ball, and their lack of form caused them to panic.  On 35 minutes Dave Young was tackled on halfway and suddenly Rammy had a 3 on 1, with just Kelvin Lugsden back.  Somehow though, Sensale managed to stuff up his pass as Lugsden made himself as awkward as possible, and Pilkington screwed his shot wide.

North End didn’t have shot on goal until Allen’s 45^th minute drive from distance, and at the break could have justifiably replaced any of the 11 players that started the game, with even keeper Matt Copper having shown some jitters.  As it was, and injury to Ash Smallwood forced a change, with Darren Hamilton coming on.

The second half could only get better and so it proved, and Neequaye looped a header over the bar early on, and the former Mossley man got his reward on 58 minutes when the move of the game was rewarded with a goal.  Adam Oakes knocked a ball to himself over the head of the full back and played inside to Mark Balfe.  Balfe threaded a pass through the defence for Neequaye, and he cut his shot across the keeper to equalise.

Both sides would have shots on goal in the minutes that followed, but the game appeared to be petering out until the 84^th minute when a short Ramsbottom corner was return to the taker, and his drilled cross to the near post was turned in by veteran Barry Massey.

The lead lasted just a minute though, as Hamilton forced a corner, and then met the flag kick with an angled header that was destined for the top corner, out of reach of all despairing United players.  The might have pinched it too, had Tom Bailey looked up and spotted an unmarked Adam Oakes, rather than tamely shoot, but a Glossop victory would have been too tough on the home team.

Team – Cooper, Lugsden, Kay (R Bailey), Young, Birch, Gorton, Smallwood (Hamilton), Allen, Balfe (T Bailey), Neequaye, Oakes. Subs not used – Trucca, Parker

It’s FA Cup action on Saturday as Glossop travel to Formby for an Extra Preliminary Round tie.   

The Glossop North End supporters club is up and running and has it's first members...and member number 1 is Hillmen Chairman Dave Atkinson. Plenty more North Enders have signed up for the club since, which aims to help the North End achieve its' aim of getting promotion to the Unibond league through fundraising, assisting with advertising games and any other ideas that may crop up.

Membership costs £10 per annum, and interested Hillmen, and Hillwomen, can email gnesupporters@googlemail.com for full details.

Atki signed up prior to North End's 1-1 draw with Ashton Athletic and and he's pictured here being presented with his membership card by Supporters Club Chairman Nick Tansley. Although we're not sure it's going to fit in his wallet!

Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood
 

Glossop North End 1, Ashton Athletic 1

18 year old Chris Birch will not forget his debut in a hurry. Drafted in less than an hour before the game after centre half Danny Yates failed a fitness test, Birch was assured throughout the match, but in the final analysis his one moment of raw inexperience was the one that cost North End the points.

24 minutes had gone when Ashton striker Paul Prescott had the ball at his feet in the Glossop penalty area. He cleverly simply shifted it sideways as Birch dived in to tackle rather than stay on his feet, and Prescott made sure that the lunging tackle connected with his ankles. He got up and despatched the penalty past Matt Cooper.

Wembley keeper Cooper had been preferred in goal to Stuart Williams, surely the most difficult call Steve Young had to make in his pre-game selection meeting, whilst there were debuts for Adam Oakes and Nathan Neequaye, the latter of which joined from Mossley late on Friday night.

North End started brightly, forcing a corner in the first minute and continuing to try to pressure their opponents, but there was very little of note in the area that matters – the 18 yard box. Only Neequaye’s deflection from Jay Gorton’s scuffed shot troubled the keeper before Ashton took that lead.

Glossop tried to press but Allen headed wide and Parker failed to connect with a delicious Smallwood cross whilst at the other end Prescott’s snap shot from just outside the area looped over Cooper, but hit the top of the woodwork on its way over the bar. Meanwhile Dave Young hit a wicked curling free kick that was brilliantly headed away by Pickup.

The Hillmen players claimed a leveller right on half time when a goalmouth scramble ensued from a corner. Both Smallwood and Neequaye were in attendance and claimed that ball had crossed the line, but the officials were unmoved, meaning Ashton led at half time.

Glossop were again quick to attack in the second half, with Nick Allen picking up a short corner, cutting in and shooting, but saw his shot saved, whilst Neequaye got behind the defence, only for his looped shot to clear the bar. For too much of the game though, North End were not trusting their footballing instincts. When they got the ball down and played neat short passing, they were making inroads, but too often they would hit a long that the Ashton defence could mop up.

That said, there should have been a penalty when Neequaye was clearly brought down when anticipating a cross, and the same player forced a good save at the near post. Young nearly broke through when bursting into the box; only see his fierce drive saved at the near post by a full length dive from King.
Finally the leveller came three minutes from the end. Tom Bailey put in a wicked cross from the left, and at the back post Kelvin Lugsden was there to power home an accurate header from a tight-ish angle. It was no more than the Hillmen deserved, and Lugsden nearly nicked it when he hit a wicked shot from just inside the area, that King could only parry.

This wasn’t the result that Glossop wanted, but they should learn from it. The team should know to have patience in their on-the-deck football, whilst Birch will have quickly learned a lesson on defending at this level.

Team – Cooper, Lugsden, Kay, Young, Birch, Gorton (Trucca), Smallwood, Allen, Parker (Balfe), Neequaye (Bailey), Oakes. Subs not used – Williams, Hamilton

Photo courtesy of Jim Lockwood/GNE