Peter Brown Craven Minor JFL
Match Reports Week Ending 30 November 2008


Under 15

League leaders Forefield Rangers were without a game today but second and third placed Formby A and West Lancs Colts failed to capitalise and finished the day defeated.

Billinge 2-1 West Lancs Colts

This game was played in excellent spirit by both teams and was deservedly won by Billinge after new signing Evan scored a double in the last 12 minutes to settle the match after Billinge went behind early on in the second period.

After the break there was a confident air in the Billinge camp but this confidence was knocked somewhat with Colts goal after a great cross in, Billinge having gifted the ball to Colts from the goal kick and the Colts lively striker finished with a great header.

Billinge however were not to be knocked out of their stride and after weathering the inevitable storm of confidence given to Colts by the goal, came back with a coolly placed shot from Evan.

Five minutes later and two minutes from time, a great finish under pressure after the hardworking Deano had flick-headed the ball into his path, Evan stepped forward to win the match.

Credit must be given though to Colts who were lively, controlled and played some neat football. MOM - Ayre/Chisnall

Formby 'A' 2 Town Green 5

Within five minutes Formby hit the goal but from then on in Town Green dominated this match. The equaliser came from a corner when Peter Shacklady headed home.

Soon after a ball from Peter released Mike Daley on the wing to run unchallenged and put the ball wide of the advancing keeper into the open net.

Jak Gray scored the third before half time when he tricked his way through the area to flick the ball into the net.  In the second half Town Green looked stronger with the teams possession play a joy to watch. Two well struck goals from Peter Armitage sealed the win.

Right on full time Formby scored their second from a corner ball.

Ainsdale 8-2 Hesketh Colts

Lee Tierney scored for Ainsdale on five minutes running on to the ball and shooting from outside the box.  Colts replied with a shot from the right hand side of the box but were unlucky as the ball clipped the post and out for a throw.

Colts were unlucky again as their free kick from outside the box fell straight to Keeper Rhys Crowther.

Luke Smith received the ball in midfield and clipped the ball over the Colts defence for Tierney to cross to Deary who was waiting with a tap in 2-0.

An Ainsdale throw led to the 3rd goal as Tierney fired home.

Colts first came as a free kick was punched away by Crowther for the corner. Ainsdale failed to clear as Josh Kilner Johns hit into the back of the net.

Hesketh pressed on and looked threatening but for some great defensive tackles by Mike Philips. A third free kick for Hesketh taken by Sam Brown powered into the top left hand corner of the net for 3-2.

Hesketh were on the attack again and would surely have scored but for the head of captain Paul Simms.

Liam Getchell was next on the scoresheet thanks to a cross by Harry McLean.

Hesketh were not giving up without a fight, a solo sprint with the ball was foiled by a determined last ditch tackle by Tom Harrison just before half time.

Hesketh were unlucky in the second half, as each of their shots in turn went wide. It was not the same story for Ainsdale four more goals followed, Tierney completed his hatrick, and Deary scored 3 more to bring his tally to 4.

Well done to HC for battling till the final whistle.

Under 12

Formby A stretched their lead at the top of the division with a narrow win at Birkdale.

Birkdale United 2-3 Formby JSC A

A glorious afternoon for football and Birkdale made a bright start to this game.  The first real chance of the game fell to Formby after 13 minutes with their forward running on to a through ball and sliding it past the advancing Nick Knight but the ball hit the post and bounced away.

After 16 minutes, Dominic Platts ran on to a through ball and slid it past the Formby keeper for the first goal.

The game continued to ebb and flow until after 26 minutes, another through ball saw one of the Formby strikers run on to the ball and shoot over Nick Knight’s head.

Formby were now enjoying a period of good possession and but for a good save from Nick Knight diving low down to his right, they would have taken the lead.

In the last minute of the half, the pressure finally told and Formby took the lead.

After the break, Birkdale again made a bright start and were rewarded with a goal after 3 minutes, scored by Luke Williams collecting the rebound after Dominic Platts had forced a save out of the Formby keeper.

Once again, Formby started to apply more pressure and were again frustrated by a good save from Nick Knight diving to his right.

Half way through the half, Formby took the lead again with a cross from the right wing being headed into the net.

Birkdale started to push more players forward in a desperate attempt to find an equaliser but the Formby defence held firm and they were very effective on the counter attack stretching the Birkdale defence.

It was decided to award a joint Man of the Match this week to Luke Manwaring in the centre of defence and Jack Grant in midfield following strong performances by both of them.

Under 10

The top three all won at Under 10 but Trinity have the games in hand on their rivals Fleetwood and Tarleton.

Southport Trinity Blue 5-0 Ormskirk West End Red

Trinity got back in to league action for the first time in over a month entertaining OWE Red.  Trinity started very strongly with L.Harwood forcing early saves, Trinity took the lead through J.Wallbank heading in a fine S.Wallbank cross before L.Harwood and F.Anelli added further goals.

Ormskirk played some lovely football at times creating chances but a combination of good defending by M.Cottam, C.Rimmer and great goalkeeping from L.Dempster kept them out. With half time approaching S.Wallbank raced clear to finish well for 4-0.

The second half started with Ormskirk on the front foot getting a couple of corners and hitting the bar but Trinity settled and played some lovely football with A.Thorpe adding two further goals, the second he finished well after racing clear.

The OWE keeper made two very good stops from C.Rimmer and J.McCormack but today’s man of the match had to be S.

Ormskirk West End Blue 1-6 Fleetwood Hesketh FC

Fleetwood Hesketh travelled to Scarisbrick for the game today and arrived in brilliant sunshine. The overnight fog and frost had cleared serving to produce some great conditions for a game of football.

Both teams started the game producing some great open, passing football but it was Fleetwood who opened the scoring through M.Howard, an early cross field ball from K.Bell found him in space wide on the right with only one player to beat which he did with pace and then rifled his shot across the keeper from a wide angle.

Next to score was C.Harper but only after Ormskirk created a couple of decent chances themselves with some good passing moves only to be frustrated with the final finish. C.Harper's first goal came after some persistent attacking football from Fleetwood found him six yards out and he fired the ball home leaving a very capable Ormskirk keeper no chance.

The third goal came from M. Howard and was the result of some great football from the Fleetwood defence, S.Gradwell playing the ball out down the left hand side finding K. Bell who cut inside and picked out K. Wilson who immediately returned the favour and K. Bell then slid through the pass of the game for M. Howard to run onto and finish with a right foot drive just inside the post.

The Ormskirk Keeper kept the score to 3-0 with some brave stops and good reactions. Ormskirk where unfortunate to leave the field at half time 3 goals down as they had worked hard for each other to create more chances than Fleetwood in the first twenty minutes but another great performance from J.Hart at the back and some assured handling from Fleetwood keeper A.Nevins frustrated them.

Fleetwood started the half as they finished the last by pressing forward at every opportunity and found the net again through C. Harper very early on.

It was L. Jordan Pape who came close to adding another from a tight angle before C. Harper completed his first hatrick of the day when he got his head to a great corner from K. Bell only to find the Ormskirk keeper who parried the back onto C.Harper's right foot, with which he finished from close range.

L.Jordan Pape did then find the net after some great individual work on the right after he received a great pass from K. Bell.

It was then that Ormskirk had a sustained period of attack and forced J.Griffiths and S.Gradwell onto the back foot eventually scoring when a shot well drilled and on target clipped a defender and found the bottom right hand corner just defeating a full stretch A. Nevins in goal.

Fleetwood Man of The Match today was C. Harper but there where performances all over the field that made the choice hard.