SHEFFIELD 2 BURSCOUGH 2
(BURSCOUGH WON 4-2 ON PENALTIES)
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Burscough battled through the elements on Saturday, had not much time to prepare because of their late arrival and played an unbeaten team, butstill managed to progress in the FA Vase,
Their opposition the oldest club in football have played nine league games in the Northern Counties East Premier Division and not lost one, so it wasn’t an easy draw for the Linnets by any means.
Two good teams kicked off the game in driving rain on the Dronfield ground and it was an even opening period, Linnets goalkeeper Goodness Gospel-Eze saved from an Alex Hardwick shot then Burscough put a header just wide.
Burscough took the lead via a Sam Turner shot from 18 yards on 20 minutes.
It was a scrap and chances were few and far between Turner giving Dave Dempsey’s lads a marginal edge at the interval.
Straight after the restart Sheffield went on the offensive but the well drilled Linnets defence fended them off, that was until 19 minutes from the end when a shot from Joe West made it 1-1.
Five minutes later the men in green restored their lead, Callum Laird scoring from close range.
On ninety minutes Sheffield equalised, Blake Freeman heading home from a corner and the inevitable penalty shoot-out came about because there is no extra-time in the FA Vase.
For some reason the shoot-out was staged at the end of the ground with no cover despite the torrential rain.
Keeper Gospel- Eze becoming the hero after saving two penalties and Burscough could celebrate on the way home.
SHEFFIELD: Green, Portman, Hinds, West, Whitehead, Beatson, Spooner, Tomlinson, Hardwick, Mitchell, Crofts Subs Gregory, Tingle, Dodsworth. Greenhouse, Freeman
BURSCOUGH: Gospel-Eze, Duff, Rigby, Devine, McCulloch ©, Bell, Cannon-Noren, Sheen, Peterson, Turner, Mukoko Subs Cushion, Hamilton, Laird, Palfrey, Wildman
ATTENDANCE: 187
