PADIHAM 3 BURSCOUGH 0
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Burscough need to find some goals if they are to keep their promotion chase on the road, a statement that is backed by fact, the Linnets have only managed to score three goals in their last six games, they are fairly solid at the back and have one of the best defences in the North West Counties Premier Division but when that defence does concede they are seemingly struggling to recover by scoring a goal.
They travelled to top of the league Padiham last week and it could be said that if they had taken advantage of some good first-half chances they wouldn’t have had the panic that set in when they conceded via the penalty spot and went on to let in three goals in twenty minutes, leaving them no chance of recovery after a battling performance before the interval.
Padiham had more of the possession in the opening forty five minutes but Burscough at least matched them for chances, the Linnets back line doing what it is good at, neutralising opposition forwards.
However, at Burscough’s level in the football pyramid you can be an excellent defender but you will make some mistakes and one duly arrived on 51 minutes, a wayward challenge, a forward went down and referee Michael Dermody pointed to the spot.
It then got worse for Burscough right-back Harry Cannon-Noren made his alternative views very clear to the referee and was forced to spend ten minutes in the sin bin (a system operated by the North West Counties League to punish dissent), Jakub Hebda converted his penalty kick, Burscough were a goal down and down to ten men and Padiham were boosted.
The second goal followed five minutes later, a poor far post header gave Hebda another opening which he pounced on.
The third goal came on seventy one minutes; a corner was partially cleared and fell to Fred Machell who smashed it into the Linnets net from 18 yards. It was all over.
When your defence has a bad day, which even the very best defences can, it relies on the forwards todig them out, the Burscough forwards are just not doing that right now.
After the match manager David Dempsey was very upset with his defence, he it could be said needs to question his forwards goal scoring form too.
PADIHAM: Sullivan, Seol, Jenkins, Knox, Morton, Sherlock, Price, Moore, Brownhill, Machell, Wane Subs Dunford, Lawton, Ayres, Hebda, Smith
BURSCOUGH: Gospel-Eze, Cannon-Noren, Rigby, Devine, McCulloch ©, Bell, Hamilton, Cushion, Peterson, Turner, Mukoko Subs Lawson, Duff, Laird, Palfrey, Quarless
REFEREE: Michael Dermody
ATTENDANCE: 202
