Glossop North End 0 Hyde FC 5

With the new season around the corner, Glossop North End suffered a confidence draining 5-0 defeat by Hyde at Surrey Street. The Hillmen were outclassed by a team three divisions above them and the difference was there for all to see.  

The game began slowly as the players were getting used to the blazing sunshine and it wasn’t long before a drinks break was in order to rehydrate.  Luke Mack wasn’t feeling the heat however as he was controlling the midfield for Hyde and picking holes in the Glossop defence.

It was Joel Richardson who opened the scoring for Hyde after poor marking by the Glossop defence gifted Richardson a goal he was happy to accept.

North End conceded a second just before the break, Ryan Crowther escaping the Glossop defence to nod a free-header past a bemused Joe Boyle.  

The Hillmen were caught napping once again after the break and conceded two goals in the space of two minutes.   Callum Byrne scrambled the ball in from a corner and then Crowther found himself free once again in the Glossop box and converted another simple header.

One of few positives for the Hillmen was goalkeeper Boyle who once again impressed, despite his best efforts being in vain.

Crowther had a chance to take home the match ball with a hat-trick but his shot flew over Boyle’s goal.

Glossop were unable to conjure up a consolation for the sun-baked crowd and found themselves going further behind to Hyde’s final goal courtesy of Byrne.

The Hillmen will be looking to improve on their performance in time for the upcoming season which starts on Saturday against Squires Gate.   

Before that however the focus of attention will be the High Peak Cup final against Buxton on Wednesday night where recently appointed manager Paul Colgan will be looking for his first silverware.  

Rob Hartshorne of Glossop North End breaks clear of a Hyde defender to deliver a cross into the penalty area. Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Woodley Sports 3 Glossop North End 0

With the High Peak Cup final approaching, Glossop North End prepared for the match by facing an under-strength Woodley Sports team on Thursday night.

Although the Hillmen were defeated 3-0 by the Evo-stick North division side, there were positives for Paul Colgan’s men. Joe Boyle, goalkeeper for North End, made an array of saves to keep the score respectable.

The game began well for Woodley as they dominated possession, taking advantage of their home pitch which was made from astro-turf.

The breakthrough came for the home side on 30 minutes when poor marking by the Glossop defence led to a free header and Boyle was only a bystander as the ball flew passed him into the net.

The Hillmen rarely threatened the opposition goal in the first half, an Adam Oakes free-kick being the only effort to test the Woodley goalkeeper.

North End looked more threatening in the second half but Woodley doubled their advantage shortly after the interval.  Josh Hills backed off the Woodley striker who curled it around Hills into the corner of Boyle’s net.

Matthew Ince replaced an impressive Boyle and the replacement keeper found it difficult to adapt to the conditions of the pitch. Ince allowed a cross to sneak in at his near post for Woodley’s third of the night.

Glossop can now focus their attentions on the important clash against Buxton in the High Peak Cup final on Wednesday when manager Colgan will be looking for his first silverware as manger of the Hillmen.

Artjoms Butorins of Glossop North End battles his way through a crowd of Woodley players.
Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Glossop North End 3 New Mills 1

Glossop North End have booked their place in the final of the High Peak Cup after thrashing local rivals New Mills 3-1 as the sun set over Surrey Street.

The Hillmen will now face either Buxton or Chapel in a final that will be contested on August 3^rd at a venue that is yet to be decided.

The game began badly for North End as once again they conceded in the opening stages.  It was only the 4^th minute when Anthony Fields skipped through the Hillmen’s defence and smashed the ball past Joe Boyle in the Glossop goal.  

It was a disappointing first half for the home side who rarely threatened the Millers’ goal. Sam Hind came closest to scoring but his header was easily saved by Ben Proctor.

The second half started much more brightly for Paul Colgan’s men as the manager introduced a lively Ryan Ahmed and also Luke Pearson who was causing endless problems for the Millers’ defence.

It was a ball in by Pearson which led to the equaliser for the Hillmen. A handball by Luke Horrocks from a Jay Gorton shot resulted in a penalty, which was expertly dispatched by talisman Adam Oakes.

The crowd and players alike were lifted by the spirit shown by the Hillmen and the home side dominated possession. Alex Elliot came close to grabbing a second for North End but he saw his efforts denied by the woodwork twice in quick succession.

A deserved second did come for Glossop courtesy of Hind. Ahmed battled with the Millers’ defence to win the ball back and set up Hind who drove the ball past Proctor, which sparked electric scenes at Surrey Street.

The Millers pushed for an equaliser in the dying moments but found themselves even further behind after Pearson capped a superb second half performance by side-footing the ball past an infuriated Proctor.

Manager Colgan will now be looking for the second win of his tenure as the Hillmen take on Woodley Sports of the Evo-Stick North Division on Thursday.  

GOAL : Luke Pearson of Glossop North End slots the ball past Ben Procter of New Mills to make it 3-1. Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Glossop North End 1 Curzon Ashton 5

As the new season approaches, manager Paul Colgan and his Glossop North End team had a chance to prove themselves against Curzon Ashton in their first competitive pre-season friendly.  

However, the Hillmen got off to a bad start after conceding a goal in the fourth minute.  Goalkeeper Matthew Ince’s clearance was blocked by a Curzon forward and a simple tap in followed.

North End were not disheartened however and immediately went on the offensive.  An Adam Oakes free-kick was deflected back off the post by the Curzon goalkeeper and Sam Hind was on hand to level the scores with a simple finish.

Glossop played their best football after finding the equaliser and came close to taking the lead when Alex Elliot was played in by Oakes. Elliot lacked the composure needed and his effort found the side netting.

Another mistake from keeper Ince, who gave away a free-kick for handling the ball outside the area, led to the second for Curzon as the resulting free-kick was lashed in at the near post.

Things went from bad to worse for Glossop goalkeeper Ince as a corner was whipped in and Ince spilt the ball into his own net to give the visitors a two goal advantage going into the interval.

The North End fans had a lot to ponder while sitting in the newly built clubhouse during the break. The Hillmen take on local rivals New Mills on Tuesday in the High Peak Cup and improvement are essential if the Hillmen want to triumph over the Millers.

The players emerged from their new dressing rooms after the break and Glossop were looking to improve on a disappointing first half.

There was a change of keeper for the Hillmen in the second half which saw the introduction of Joe Boyle.  Boyle however couldn’t prevent Curzon increasing their lead courtesy of Lee Blackshaw weaving through the Glossop defence and slotting past a helpless Boyle.

What followed was a training session for the Curzon team who dominated possession and were the only team threatening to score.  Curzon did increase their lead minutes later when Blackshaw set up Matthew Kay who rifled the ball in, off the underside of the bar.

There were positives for Glossop however, as substitute goalkeeper Boyle prevented the score from becoming embarrassing for the Hillmen. Boyle produced a superb double save, firstly from Sam Walker’s powerful free-kick and then from Chris McDonagh’s effort from the rebound.

Paul Colgan and his North End team will certainly be looking to improve for Tuesday’s cup tie against the Millers and for the upcoming season.

Sam Hind of Glossop North End is congratulated by Jason Gorton and Artjoms Butorins after scoring against Curzon Ashton to make it 1-1.
 Photo - GNE/Jim Lockwood

Colgan can't wait for the action to start

After some hard weeks of fitness work over the last few weeks, Glossop North End’s players will finally kick a competitive ball this Saturday (23 July) as The Hillmen’s pre-season programme begins with a home friendly against Curzon Ashton and then on Tuesday local rivals New Mills are the visitors in the High Peak Cup.  Naturally, new boss Paul Colgan cannot wait to see his charges in action.

Colgan was at Surrey Street on Saturday morning to see the progress that has been made on the new changing rooms and clubhouse and couldn’t help but be as being impressed with what he found off the pitch as volunteers worked hard to finish the facilities in time.  It was a dedication to the club that the manager was keen to replicate as he revealed he had skipped a holiday this year to work on his plans for the coming season.

He also said that the majority of the North End squad from last season had signed up for 2011-12, with only Garry Kharas and Jon McIlwaine definitely not returning.  Whilst Kharas’ plans are unknown, McIlwaine has signed for North West Counties First Division side Abbey Hey.

There will be a sprinkling of new faces too, most of whom will take part in the Curzon friendly.  Their identities will be revealed next week!

Meanwhile, club officials and volunteers are racing to complete the finishing touches to the new clubhouse and changing rooms.  The structure has now been revealed and supporters who had not visited the ground of late will not recognise the place as our photos show.  The rickety old changing rooms have gone to be replaced by a completely new build area for fans, whilst the former clubhouse has been gutted then renovated to provide modern changing rooms that will be among the best in the league.

Whilst the structure is complete, painting and internal fixtures were still being completed during the week in preparation for next Saturday’s friendly, by when everything needs to be ready.

In addition, the club has invested in the pitch, and the surface will once again be the envy of most of the local scene.  The surface is almost completely level and the unseasonable rain has left the grass looking magnificent.

Glossop’s fixtures for the opening months of the season have now been revealed, with a fire at Alsager Town delaying the issue of the full fixtures for the time being. 

After a final friendly against Hyde FC on 30 July, Glossop kick off the season at home to Squires Gate on 6 August.  They the visit Ramsbottom Utd (9^th) & AFC Liverpool (13^th) before hosting Winsford Utd (17^th) and Boston Town in the FA Cup.  More home games follow with Padiham coming to Surrey Street on 27^th August, with Flixton ending the month at Surrey Street on 31^st.