UniBond Premier League

3rd February 2007

Attendance - 301

Team - Norton, Thomas, Brumwell, Appleby, Farthing, Wilford, McTiernan (Richards 81), Robinson, Raw, Brunskill, Stewart (Drinkall 77). Sub not used: Nogan.

Report - by Andrew Snaith - The Seasiders defeated promotion rivals Burscough at their Turnbull Ground home for the first ever time on Saturday, after seven attempts since September 2000, thanks to Danny Brunskill’s 21st goal of the season, early in the second half.

Blues boss Lee Nogan was again without experienced goalkeeper David Campbell due to a back injury, as youngster Jack Norton continued between the sticks. There was a welcome return for fit-again Aron Wilford, but as soon as one defender came back, another dropped out, as right-back Tom Reid had to be replaced by ex-Darlington midfielder Stephen Thomas. Just to prove problems usually come in threes- winger Anthony Ormerod was missing with laryngitis, meaning a first league start for former Hartlepool wide-man Bryan Stewart.

The injury problems weren’t just confined to the home side however, as Burscough player-manager Liam Watson was forced to join opposite number Nogan on the subs bench. Left-back Ryan Bowen suffered a hamstring injury in the warm-up so veteran Gary Brabin was drafted in at the eleventh hour.

The numerous changes for both sides showed with good football at a minimum between the league’s eighth and fourth-placed sides who began the day separated by just one point. In a tepid first half it was the visitors who had more sights at goal, with Robbie Booth blasting well wide from 30 yards on 24 minutes. Moments later, the division’s leading goalscorer Ciaran Kilheeney was crowded out by the well-drilled Blues backline on the right-edge of the Whitby six yard box.

Booth again threatened and forced a solid stop from Jack Norton on 36 minutes. For Whitby, assistant-manager Graham Robinson had a shot charged down from distance after good work from Stewart, with Tommy Raw and Dave McTiernan also looking useful for the Blues.

The best chance of the half though, fell to Burscough’s own Robinson, in big former Macclesfield marksman Neil, seven minutes before the break. The ex-Southport striker hammered Chris Price’s cross high over the Whitby crossbar from close range.

The second half opened with Danny Farthing executing a fine slide challenge to dispossess Kilheeney before Town grabbed the lead on the break within five minutes of the restart. Stewart and Raw combined to release Brunskill down the left, and the former Spennymoor striker battled his way into the box before firing an unstoppable angled drive across keeper Tony McMillan and inside the far post.

Three minutes later, and Burscough’s first attempt to hit back ended disastrously with Dominic Morley’s off-balance effort on the run from 30 yards flying well wide.

Morley was replaced by Kevin Leadbetter on 68 minutes as the Linnets tried to battle their way back into the match, but it was Town who nearly doubled their lead seconds later. The ball was switched to man of the match McTiernan who sprinted down the right wing and left one defender for dead on the edge of the visitors’ box before seeing a looping far post cross, cleared by the away side’s burly bald-headed defence.

Brunskill headed over from a Stewart cross and at the other end, Burscough’s Price fired high and wide from the edge of the Whitby area.

James Drinkall, dropped from the starting line-up despite a good showing at Hednesford the week before, replaced Robinson with 15 minutes remaining, and moments later another straight swap saw a popular comeback in the shape of left-winger Karl Richards, who took the place of Stewart.

Understandably, the away side pushed Town back in the closing moments of the match and looked to be ready to carry on their proud record of losing just two out of 13 encounters with Town, only for Norton to produce a Campbell-like reaction tip over to deny David Roberts a headed equaliser from point blank range.

Watson himself joined the fray to try and influence the result more directly and nearly brought an error from Norton, but the young keeper just about judged the high bounce correctly- holding the ball above his head at full stretch on the edge of his area as the veteran lurked. But while the visitors kept up the pressure winning a string of corners, Town held firm and even the frightening prospect of five minutes injury time passed off without incident.

Wins for Matlock Town, Witton Albion and Guiseley meant the Blues only moved up one place to seventh, but this hard-fought, if not stylish, victory should give confidence for the tough clashes ahead, and served to keep Town pressure on the sides around them.

Next week brings the visit of Ashton United, but after defeats to Prescot Cables and Ossett Town on home turf following the memorable Telford victory, Nogan his troops must guard against complacency if the promotion chase is to continue into the Spring months.