Runcorn Linnet 2  Glossop North End 0

Glossop North End surrendered their 6 match winning streak in Northwich on Saturday with a performance that was full of effort, but lacked the quality that takes a side into the top 5 of the division.  Despite the hard work, they only forced a couple save from the Runcorn keeper whilst their hosts had a hatful of chances, many of which were gifted to them by The Hillmen.

Runcorn had the best of the early possession, and Fielding was made to work on 5 minutes when a speculative Young effort had to be pushed wide.  Meanwhile, North End were getting around the Runcorn defence, but found a determined rearguard making sure they couldn’t get a shot away.

North End’s best chance came from a corner that skipped across the 6 yard line, and had Jay Gorton been able to turn his shin-height shot into the net, rather than way over the bar, The Hillmen may have settled but as it was, they very nearly conceded when Yates was dispossessed on the left.  He recovered, only to shank his clearance high into the air and 6 yards out.  Thompson directed the header goalwards, but Fielding brilliantly pawed the ball onto the post, and watched gratefully as it bounced out.

Braine should have opened the scoring when he swivelled a shot wide, whilst Westmerland hit a shot against the keepers legs before half time, but even with the score 0-0, Steve Young will have known that Glossop needed to lift their game in the second half.

And for a while, they did.  Westmerland put a free kick wide and the met a Morris cross with a goalbound header that was well saved, but the game was a midfield battle until the 72^nd minute.

A corner was taken from the left and Fielding came to try to meet it, but got blocked by a bevy of bodies, some of them in Glossop blue.  The ball just dropped, 6 yards out, and Thompson had the easy job of poking it over the line.

6 minutes later is was 2-0, as another mistake in defence allowed Braine a clear run on goal.  Fielding saved again, but this time the ricochet was unkind – straight back to Braine’s feet for a tap in.

Glossop North End 4, Atherton Collieries 0

North End bounced back in the best way possible with a comprehensive victory against Atherton Collieries, now managed by popular former Hillman Dave Conlon.

With Steve Lunt out injured, along with last weeks debutant Dan Chadwick, Steve Young recalled Sam Hind, hoping he could add to the 17 goals he’s netted for the reserve team, and handed a debut to new signing Jamie Kay at left back…and Kay was involved in the action early.

On 2 minutes he played the ball to Josh Westmerland on the left whose deep cross went over the heads of Hamilton & Hind, but was met by Dave Morris coming in from the right of midfield, and his powerful header hit the back of the net.

If Glossop needed a confidence booster after a couple of defeats, they could not have made a better start and they took total control of the game.  Hind flashed a snapshot over the bar and Young had a low drive saved before Morris doubled the score on 14 minutes.  Hamilton had the ball at the edge of the area and was trying to find space to shoot, but the ball was nicked away from him.  It fell straight into Morris’s stride, and he side footed his shot out of Bates’s reach from 20 yards.

Glossop were bossing the game, but missing chances, Hamilton in particular putting a reaction shot over the bar when the goalkeeper spilled a free kick, and they was a warning for the team when Barnes got the wrong side of Yates and through on goal and lobbed the advancing Fielding.  There was relief as the ball hit the top of the net.

Normal service was resumed though as Kay had a cross cleared off the line and a goalmouth scramble was just cleared before Morris spurned the best chance he will ever have to net a hat-trick.  The ball was drilled across the box and 8 yards out Morris appeared to have to only stroke home, but with stars in his eyes, skied the shot.

The second half was all the home side.  Hamilton hit the bar, Kay hit the post and Evans rounded the keeper only to take the ball too wide, but it took until the 89^th minute for the score to take on a look that mirrored the match.

Rick Bailey was the architect, twisting and turning on the left hand side before bamboozling the defender and getting to the by-line.  He advanced towards the goal, looked up and spotted Hamilton, supplying the perfect pass for the leading scorer to net from no distance.

Then, 2 minutes into injury time, Glossop won another corner.  Dave Young curled another one in, similar to those he had been taking all afternoon only to see them cleared but this time it showed what he was striving for as the keeper flapped at the ball and it curled straight into the far corner.

4-0 just about reflected the dominance of the home side, but they can expect a much tougher task on Saturday when they take on Silsden on Saturday, but the prize for a win will be a further place up the table, as Silsden are one of those sides around the Hillmen.  It should be a cracker.

Glossop NE 1 Silsden 1

North End were left frustrated and perplexed on Saturday as their attempt to leapfrog the visitors into 6^th place of the Vodkat league was thwarted by a mystifying refereeing decision to award a penalty in the second half.

In truth, on the day this was two very evenly matched sides, with Glossop just about deserving to sneak it on chances created in the first half.  Whilst the game was short on chances in the second half, it was always enthralling thanks to the tireless endeavours of both sets of players, some bizarre decisions from the man in black and some lively arguments between supporters.

One key decision made was the sending off of Jamie Kay with ten minutes to go.  The referee interpreted his attempt to win the ball as a stamp and showed him a straight red.  Kay will consider himself unlucky, as it is clear that there was only an intent to win the ball.  However, he did raise his studs and try to bring his foot down on the ball, and when he missed an caught the player there was always a chance that he would get an early bath.

As for the rest of the game, Rick Bailey’s shot across the face of goal on 25 minutes that just bent the wrong side of the post signalled a spell of North End pressure that would eventually yield a half time lead.  Not before Hamilton and Bailey had both gone close when Hamilton was foiled by a keeper quickly off his line.  The ball looped up and Bailey tried to hook it in over his shoulder, only to see it drop wide.

But on 44 minutes the goal did come when Kelvin Lugsden sent a wonderful cross-field ball from right to left to James Acton, making his full debut.  Acton got to the line and put in a low cross that Hamilton met at the near post and turned under the keeper for the opener.

Silsden were level on 59 minutes when the whole ground saw Danny Yates tackle cleanly and the ball go behind for a corner.  The referee saw a foul and awarded a penalty that Rhodes stepped up to take – and he sent Fielding the wrong way.

And that was about it for chances as both defences took over, soaking up anything the opposition could muster.  Silsden were hampered by injuries to key players during the game whilst Glossop were railing against the referee, even if much of the ire was justified.   This was a very high quality game for this level, and it was easy to see why both sides fancy their chances of a top 5 finish this season.

Bacup Borough 1 Glossop NE 3

Conventional wisdom says that good teams can play badly and win, which suggests that this Glossop team it pretty decent because they never really got going against Bacup on Saturday, yet still ran out comfortable victors.

For 30 minutes the Hillmen struggled to get into the game and, despite Bailey forcing a save after twisting and turning, were second best.  They were their own worst enemy, sloppy passing and poor communication giving relegation-threatened Bacup opportunities to exploit.  So it was no surprise when they took the lead in the 15^th minute.

Tony Carroll got behind the North End back line and to the by-line, but cut back his pass behind all the incoming forwards.  However, Josh Westmerland and a Bacup player both slid for a tackle at the edge of the 18 yard box and whoever got the touch (and it might have been both of them) simply poked it back into the area where Hartley only had to control, turn and place the ball into the net from 6 yards out.

It ought to have been the wake up call, but 3 minutes later Carroll nearly doubled the lead with a curling free kick that was heading for the top corner before Fielding athletically diverted it onto the bar from where it rebounded behind for a corner.

Then they were handed a lifeline.  Bailey put a ball behind the full back for Young to run onto.  He got there, only to be halted by a lunge by the defender.  Young got up to net the penalty.

10 minutes later an undeserved half time lead was secured when a cross into the box was cleared but fell to Jamie Kay 20 yards out.  He controlled on his chest and then hit a drive that beat the dive of the keeper to make it 2-1.  Even then, Bacup had two chances to equalise as Stephenson hit the bar after sloppy Kay play and a Morris backpass put Fielding in all sorts of trouble but Carroll got the ball caught in his feet before being brought down by Yates, taking a yellow card for the team.

The second half followed a similar pattern as Bacup made better use of the ball, without making too many clear cut chances, although Cryer should have done better with his header from a corner.  But the game was sealed on 74 minutes…from a Bacup corner!

Glossop broke with pace when the ball was cleared and Steve Lunt was able to pick the ball up on the left and pick out James Acton at the far post.  Acton’s route to goal was blocked, but he kept a cool head, sidestepping the defending and playing an accurate pass to Kieran Lugsden, who despatched the finish high into the net – his first goal since his loan move from Buxton.

To be fair to Glossop, they closed out the game well from there, as Bacup never got another sniff at goal.  But they will know more will be required on Saturday when they take on St Helens at Surrey Street, especially as suspensions look set to force changes to the solid defensive unit.

Glossop team – Fielding, Young, Kay, (Lunt, 62) Kelvin Lugsden, Yates, Trucca, Bailey, Morris, Kieran Lugsden, Hamilton, Westmerland (Acton, 46).  Subs not used – Hind, Ince