The North West Counties Football League Premier Division 2018-19
Saturday, 11 November 2018.

SILSDEN AFC 2 v. Irlam Town 5
Gaughan 50 (pen)                    Boland 8 & 56 (pen)

Lyndon 86                      Pollitt 17

                                      Perry 84

                                          Morrison 90

Att. 158

    MISTAKES PROVE COSTLY FOR LACKLUSTRE COBBYDALERS

 

          Manager Danny Forrest had to shuffle the pack again due to unavailability because to injuries, suspensions & holidays etc. but welcomed back Matty Moses from long-term injury along with ‘keeper Callum Jakovlevs returning from Prestwich to the bench.

 

          The game started scrappily with little cohesive passing and it was the visitors who drew first blood as early as the 8th minute, when following a throw in on the right the ball was played into the Silsden box. Matthew Boland’s flicked header looked to be going wide but it struck Silsden’s right upright and ricocheted out in front of goal. The ball was cleared but struck Boland and ball trickled over the line to make it 1-0 to Irlam.

 

          Silsden struggled to get their slick passing game going and Irlam grew in confidence, but Sammy Lee’s raking kick out found Niall Sultan on the left flank. Sultan cleverly beat his man before delivering a deep cross to the far post which was met by strike partner, Aidan Kirby’s salmon-like leap. His header was brilliantly tipped onto the bar by visitors’ custodian Lee White. Then within 30 seconds the ball was cleared up the pitch into midfield,  a through ball finding Liam Pollitt’s run beyond the Silsden back line. Looking suspiciously offside, but in the absence of the liners flag being raised, Pollitt drew Lee and slid the ball home to double the visitors advantage.

 

          Silsden were struggling to get a foothold in the game and Irlam threatened again from Boland’s near post corner from the left which was headed over by the diving Pollitt. This was followed up by Karl Cassell’s header being tipped away by Lee.

 

          Silsden did start to get to grips after half an hour and a dangerous ball into the box from Moses on the bye-line was dropped by ‘keeper White. The ball was cleared. On 36 minutes Reece Lyndon’s probing long through ball found Kirby who broke into the box. However his shot was blocked and the keeper gratefully gathered.  Just before the half-time break a superb ball from Danny Illingworth to Will Storrie saw the speed merchant set the ball back for Moses but his curling delivery once again evaded the converging red shirts and drifted to safety.

 

          After a serious half-time roasting from a most unhappy manager Silsden came out with a bit more purpose and sought a way back into the game. In the 50th minute Kirby drew a foul on the right hand corner of the Irlam box and Joe Gaughan coolly slotted home the resulting spot kick to make it one two. This should have given the Cobbydalers the lift that they needed to get back into the game but a harshly awarded penalty at the other end against the unfortunate Moses for a foul on Pollitt gave Boland the opportunity to restore Irlam’s two goal cushion. He duly obliged by sending Lee the wrong way from the spot to make it 1-3.

 

          Irlam right back, Andre Stewart then broke forward on 71 minutes but his low shot was comfortably gathered by Lee. Minutes later Storrie’s overloaded free kick from the left was dangerously hooked back into the visitor’s box by Illingworth ‘Keeper White flapped at it and the ball fell invitingly for Sultan but his shot cleared the bar when he should have done better.

 

          Following this, a long range effort from Moses went over the Irlam bar as the visitors cleared their lines and then on 77 minutes Sultan’s free kick into the box found Lee Rhodes but he headed straight at White. Although Silsden were now pressing hard there were still signs of danger at the other end and when Illingworth was caught on the ball and robbed by Pollitt, Lee had to be alert to come out and divert his shot away for a corner.

 

Silsden substituted Luke Baldwin for Sultan on 83 minutes and within 30 seconds found themselves  further behind, following a lack of concentration after a throw in their own half. Silsden lost possession again and Pollitt found Marcus Perry’s central run and his scuffed shot wrong-footed Lee to make it 1-4.

 

          Manager Forrest then withdrew Moses and Richard Ainscough, bringing on youngsters Ben Darkins and Harrison Hardisty-Blackwell and in the 85th minute Storrie played a superb free kick into the visitors box from out on the left deep in the Irlam half and Lyndon powered his header past a despairing ‘keeper to make it 2-4.

 

          However Silsden’s misery was completed in the 89th minute, when playing out from the back Lyndon’s ball to Rhodes found the big man under pressure and this time he was dispossessed by Liam Morrison. Morrison  carried the ball forward before chipping into the unguarded goal to score Irlam’s fifth goal to seal the win at 2-5.

 

SILSDEN AFC: Lee, Moses (Darkins 85), Everingham, Ainscough (Hardisty-Blackwell 85), Illingworth, Lyndon, Rhodes, Gaughan ©, Storrie, Kirby, Sultan (Baldwin 83) Subs not used: Jakovlevs & Forrest.

IRLAM FC. White, Stewart, Griffiths, Doyle, Amando, Cassell, Perry, Morrison, Buckley, Boland, Politt. Subs. Hargreaves, Eyers, Foulds, McCarty.

Referee. Mr. L. Dawson.  Assistants.  Mr. N. Henry and Mr. J. Waters.

 

Next Saturday the Cobbydalers host  Hanley Town from the Potteries.