Burscough in many ways were caught out on Saturday, the men in green began the day in the play-off places in the North West Counties Premier Division, while their opponents from Derbyshire have been strugglers for most of the season, however although the Linnets went into the game having won three consecutive games, the former 19th Century First Division men had won four on the run and at the same time had moved up the league table, in simple terms Glossop looked a good team and certainly not one you would expect to be struggling.
The game started very evenly, not too much in the way of goal scoring chances but plenty of football from two teams that looked very confident in possession.
Although the game didn’t have goalless draw written on it you could tell both teams had defences on top.
In the 35th minute the deadlock was broken and it was the considerable away support that were celebrating, the ball was driven into the Burscough goalmouth after a corner on the left, Ethan Sutcliffe lost his marker and guided the ball into the net from around two yards out.
Burscough began to press more but Glossop looked very organised.
The half-time whistle went and really you couldn’t argue Glossop had been the better team, not overly dominant in terms of chances but holding possession well.
It was clear soon after the break that Burscough had been enlivened during the interval and there was far more energy to their play, slicker and quicker passing and more pace generally.
It took five minutes for Burscough to equalise, the ball was lifted into the Glossop eighteen box, and Kian Bell found some room and headed the ball into the corner. In recent week’s defender Bell has been Burscough’s main source of goals and this was his sixth this season, not bad for a central defender.
Sam Turner had a couple of good runs at the away defence and up top Callum Laird was working hard but didn’t have that much support. And gradually the game began to even up again.
Matters went against Burscough nineteen minutes from the end, Glossop a Glossop breakaway saw an exchange of passes on the right and the ball was delivered into the penalty area, where an on the run former Skelmersdale and Macclesfield midfielder Abdul Djalo rifled the ball into the net.
Burscough made changes but they were now up against it, Tom Peterson came on after a spell out with a hamstring injury but Glossop held firm.
With the last kick of the game came “a header” from Linnets goalkeeper Goodness Gospel-Eze who went forward for an added time corner, but it agonisingly went the wrong side of the post and the home support were denied what would have been a memorable and popular equaliser.
Burscough won’t be the last team this season to be caught out by Glossop who are a much improved team, the Linnets didn’t play badly they were just prevented from playing well, Burscough manager David Dempsey has players due back from injury, it could well make a difference.
BY NEIL LEATHERBARROW
BURSCOUGH: Gospel-Eze, Cannon-Noren, Rigby, Devine, Duff, Bell, Mukoko, Ready, Laird, Johnson, Turner Subs Salkeld, Bowyer, Peterson, Palfrey
GLOSSOP NORTH END: Bacon, McMahon, Bardsley, Barber-Olufowebi, Schofield, Parker, Gallagher, Mooney-Munoz, Switters, Djalo, Sutcliffe Subs Sherratt, Omonor, Beech, Ouerghi, Allen
REFEREE: Matthew Pointer
ATTENDANCE; 157
