De La Salle v Ladybridge (1st Round Tameside Challenge Cup)

On an overcast and breezy morning we travelled to De La Salle to contest this 1st Round Challenge Cup tie.  Josh, Tom, Callum and Ben were our substitutes.  DLS started really well and they created some good early openings and the first of these came from a corner that was cleared out to a DLS player on the edge of the box and his shot on target was saved well by Conor.  Shortly after he was tested again, when a free kick from 35 yards out, was also kept out well by Conor.  DLS pressure eventually told as they opened the scoring in the game after 20mins when a headed clearance by Matt found the DLS No 8 around 25 yards out and he managed to smash a sweet half volley into the top right hand corner of the net to make it DLS 1-0 Ladybridge

The goal seemed to wake the Ladybridge players up and efforts shortly after from Sam and Ben were dealt with well by the DLS keeper.  Ollie was instrumental in setting up Ladybridges equaliser when he made a darting run down the left and his cross was met well by Taylor in the box and he shot high into the DLS net to make it 1-1 with 5mins of the half remaining.  The final goal of the half was to be scored by DLS and as their No 8 received the ball back from his initial corner his 2nd cross into the box found the No 10 who bundled home from close range with the Ladybridge defence struggling to get the ball clear to make it 2-1 to DLS. 

Ladybridge were lucky not to go a further goal behind when Sam was able to make a crucial interception to break down a DLS move on the edge of the box just before the half time whistle.

Half Time De La Salle 2-1 Ladybridge

Ladybridge started the 2nd half quite brightly in the early stages but the DLS No 8 was to score a superb goal 5mins into the 2nd half when he was found well by a good through ball that split the Ladybridge defence and he slotted the ball past Conor well to make it 3-1 to DLS.

Ladybridge nearly pulled a goal back a couple of minutes later when Josh's cross from the left found Jack on the edge of the box but his shot was saved well by the DLS No 1.  Our second goal of the game came courtesy of a weak back-pass by a DLS defender that Jack seized upon and he made a quick run down the right to deliver a great cross into the penalty area that Taylor met first time to smash home to make it 3-2 to De La Salle.

Ladybridge were to go close to regaining parity when a great move saw Tom find Taylor in space down the right and he crossed into the edge of the box where Jack’s shot was deflected well by a last ditch challenge by the DLS defender. Our third and equalizing goal was a smashing individual effort from Ben who was able to find some space 25 yards out from a pass by Tom and he unleashed a great shot high into the left hand corner of the goal 3-3.

The last ten minutes of the game would be played at a frenetic pace with chances for both teams and Callum was unlucky not to score from the left when his shot just went wide with 5 to go. The DLS No 8 was through on goal and was just about ready to pull the trigger when a super last gasp challenge was made by Matt to concede a corner.  The crucial winning goal of the game came in the last couple of minutes of the game from Liam who tucked the ball home well at the left hand post after DLS failed to clear the ball from a good cross by Josh on the left. 4-3 to Ladybridge

Full Time De Las Salle 3-4 Ladybridge

DLS provided us with our toughest game of the season so far and will feel aggrieved that they didn't manage to hold on to beat us this morning.  All their players looked very motivated from the start and they all gave 100 percent throughout the game.  Unfortunately half way through the 2nd half a DLS player went down awkwardly after being fouled and was taken off and substituted, post match we've heard he's been taken to A&E and diagnosed with a broken arm. All the coaching staff, team and Ladybridge support wish the lad well and hope he makes a speedy recovery.

Ladybridge were very close to being dumped out of the Challenge Cup at the first hurdle this morning.  We started slowly and looked lack-lustre for long periods particularly in the first half when the deficit could have been much worse than one goal.  The 2nd half saw us perform much better and secure a win out of a game that probably should have ended in a draw.

Hough End Griffins, next weeks opponents, are a top drawer outfit and are unbeaten in the league and Cup this season so we'll need to be at our very best to come away with any kind of result next Sunday morning.

Gordon

Ladybridge v Roach Dynamos (Lancs Youth Cup 2nd round)

On a cold, overcast and cloudy afternoon we welcomed our 2nd round opponents in the Lancashire Youth Cup Roach Dynamos to Tempest Road.  Jack, Bayley, Josh and Nathan started on the bench. Ladybridge almost opened the scoring in the opening minute when our first corner was whipped in well by Ollie only to see a shot from the edge of the box hit the bar and go out.  Liam was looking lively working down the left flank and when he was found well by Callum his attempted cross/shot effort found the side netting after 10mins.  Dynamos first offensive action came shortly after when they were awarded a free kick 20 yards out on the right hand side of the box which the No 10 took, but his cross flew across the box and went straight out for a throw in to Ladybridge.  Clear-cut chances for either team were proving to be something of a rarity in the first half with most offensive moves breaking down before they could test either keeper.  Dynamos were awarded a free kick with a minute of the half remaining and from 25 yards out their No 10 pushed his shot wide and right.  Conor cleared the resulting goal-kick up to the half way line and Tom did well to flick it forward towards Taylor who made a direct and quick 25 yard run into the box. His powerful first shot was parried well by the keeper but Taylor was quick to snaffle up the loose ball and tuck it away to make it 1-0 to Ladybridge.

Half Time Ladybridge 1-0 Roach Dynamos.

Dynamos started the 2nd half well and their dangerous No 16 made a great run down the right after a couple of minutes and delivered a good cross to the No 4 on the edge of the box and his shot on target was caught well by Conor.  The No 16 would also test Conor a few minutes later with a good attempt from 30 yards out which Conor dealt with well.  Ladybridge were to go close themselves soon after when a corner taken by Jack eventually found Taylor 10 yards out and his shot was saved brilliantly by the keeper and pushed out for a corner. Their keeper did well again a few minutes later, when a good pass forward by Jack on halfway found Nathan who carried the ball for 25 yards before unleashing a good shot that was saved well by the stretching Dynamos’ keeper.  Our crucial 2nd goal came from a penalty that was awarded to us after Taylor was upended in the box by the Roach No 6. Taylor stepped up to take the penalty and tucked it into the bottom right hand corner to make it 2-0 Ladybridge.

Dynamos had an excellent chance to get a goal back when a free kick was lifted into the box and it took a smart goal-line clearance by Matt to keep out a goal-bound effort from the Dynamo attacker. The final goal of the game was a little bit special and really killed off the opposition when Jack seized on a loose clearance by the Dynamos defence and after a good run into the box he smashed an unstoppable effort high into the roof of the net from an acute angle to make it 3-0 to Ladybridge.

Full Time:  Ladybridge 3-0 Roach Dynamos

Dynamos are a physical and strong team that battled and fought for every ball this afternoon.  Their No 16 is a very quick and accomplished forward who gave our defenders plenty to do throughout the game.  However, Dynamos goalkeeper was their man of the match and pulled off some cracking saves and blocks to deny us a wider margin of victory.

Ladybridge played well in patches today but Dynamos managed to restrict our normal fluid passing game for long periods.  We have now set up an intriguing 3rd round tie away at Bamber Bridge Blue who I know will provide us with a severe test and battle that both teams, coaches and support will relish next month.

Another Cup-tie next week for the lads when we travel to De La Salle to contest the 1st round of the Tameside Challenge Cup.

Gordon

Stalybridge Celtic Blues v Ladybridge

On a cold grey windy afternoon we travelled to our hosts new and much-improved venue at Ashton College. Bayley, Tom, Nathan and Caleb (who has made a good recovery from his recent illness) started on the bench.

We could have snatched an early lead when good work by Ben released Dion who was unlucky just to shoot wide.  However, Stalybridge were to take an early lead after five minutes when their No 17 was found well on the edge of the Ladybridge box and he managed a cute chipped effort over an advancing Conor to make it 1-0 Stalybridge. Jack had a good chance to level things up a few minutes later from a free kick 30 yards out but his well-struck effort sailed over the bar.  Taylor had a headed effort from a corner saved well by the Stalybridge keeper midway through the half.  Stalybridge had the ball in the back of the Ladybridge net with 10mins of the half remaining only to see it ruled out for offside.  Both sides were cancelling each other out with some good passing and movement that just lacked the finishing touch in front of goal.  The Stalybridge No 7 was denied a goal on the stroke of half time when Conor made a fine save to push his effort past his right hand post.

Half Time Stalybridge 1-0 Ladybridge

Stalybridge started the 2nd period brightly and the No 17 and 9 were combining well offensively and the No 9 was unlucky not to steer a goal home when he rounded Conor on the right only to see his effort just go wide.  The weather took a turn for the worse after 10mins when the rain made an unwelcome appearance and with the rains arrival we witnessed Ladybridge turn this game on its head with 25mins of the game remaining.  The all important equallising goal came after Ben battled well to retrieve possession within the Stalybridge half and his pass forward was taken into the box well by Taylor who made no mistake from a good angle to make it 1-1.

The momentum of the game switched after this goal and Ladybridge would open up a three goal cushion in the next ten minutes.  Taylor and Jack combined well for the next goal with Taylor providing a good flick-on pass to Jack to fire home from 10 yards.  Stalybridge 1-2 Ladybridge.

Liam was to score the next goal that his overall effort and battling work deserved when Tom found him on the left hand side of the box and Liam finished with a lovely effort over the keeper to make it 3-1.

Stalybridge could have got a goal back when their No 4 burst through midfield and numerous challenges to make a good 40 yard run that saw his shot just go over Conor's bar.  Josh was instrumental in setting up Jack for his 2nd goal of the match when he beat two players to find Jack in the box and he turned strongly to guide his shot into the bottom right hand corner of the net.  4-1 to Ladybridge

Jack almost turned provider a minute later when he found an advancing Dion down the left flank and he was unlucky to shoot just wide with 5mins to go.  Stalybridge were to pull a goal back when Ladybridge lost possession on the half way line and some excellent passing between three players resulted in a good goal to make it 4-2.

Ladybridge finished off the scoring in the game though with 2mins to go when Tom who had worked tirelessly throughout the 2nd period was found by a smart pass from Josh and Tom slammed the ball home from short range to make the final score Stalybridge 2-5 Ladybridge.

Stalybridge were always likely to provide us with our toughest test in the league so far and so it proved when they headed us by a goal for a good 45mins.  They play the ball on the deck and try to pass and move the ball forward through to their pacy strikers quickly and they caused us problems throughout the game with their positive approach to playing the game the right way.

Ladybridge eventually broke down our tough opponents with an electrifying 25 minutes of play and three unanswered goals in the 2nd half that would see us eventually turn the game around and gain a good away win against a quality outfit - well done lads.

Roach Dynamos are next up in the 2nd round of the Lancashire Youth Cup at home next Sunday afternoon.

Gordon

De La Salle v Ladybridge

A bright and crisp sunny morning saw us compete in our first away league fixture of the season at De La Salle.  Dion, Jack and Josh started on the bench with Caleb still absent through illness (get well soon).  The game was very competitive in the opening minutes with some hard but fair challenges being made by both teams on a tricky surface.  The first opportunity of the game fell to Ladybridge when a throw in from Ollie on the left found Bayley in space and with time to deliver a good cross into the penalty area that Taylor headed just wide.  The next ten minutes saw the game ebb and flow well and DLS had their first attempt on goal during this period when their No 12 passed well to the No 9 on the right hand side of the box and his chipped effort on goal just went wide of Conor's right hand post.  Shortly after DLS thought they had a good shout for a penalty but the ref waved away the DLS players appeals.  Tom was the architect of the first goal of the game when battling well in center midfield to gain possession and slip a pass through to Taylor who coolly shot past the keeper to make De La Salle 0-1 Ladybridge.

A rare headed effort by Matt up from defence for a corner sailed just wide of the keepers right post with 5mins of the half remaining.  In the last minute Ladybridge would double their advantage when Tom made a powerful jinking run from 40 yards out to unleash a well aimed shot in the box that was much too accurate for the keeper to take us into the break 2-0 up.

HT De La Salle 0-2 Ladybridge

Ben could have made it three goals up immediately from the restart when he hit the bar with a decent effort after some good work down the left hand flank.  DLS however were to enjoy their best spell of the game in the next 5 minutes when they would draw level with Ladybridge.  The combination of their No 17 and No 8 unlocked the normally solid Ladybridge defensive four with two well-taken efforts by the No 8, whose shots flew past Conor twice after superb assists from the lively No 17.  2-2 with 20 mins to go.

Ladybridge reacted well to this set back and 5mins later they restored the lead when Tom fed Dion down the right flank and his awkward bouncing effort deceived the DLS keeper to nestle in the right hand side of the goal to make it DSL 2-3 Ladybridge.  Nathan was unlucky not to add his name to the scoresheet for Ladybridge when Ben's cross into the box was powerfully hit on target by Nathan only to find the keeper equal to the effort and pull off a superb save to deny him.  Our keeper Conor was to play a part in Ladybridge's fourth goal when he cleared well over the half way line and Jack's back header fell to Taylor on the run and he would beat the keeper to make it DSL 2-4 Ladybridge.

Our fifth goal was created by good battling work by Josh on the edge of the DLS box who delivered a good pass into Jack who shot home from short range to make it 2-5.

Our last goal was a bit special and an early contender for goal of the season when Jack found himself in space and with time to unleash an unstoppable drive from 30 yards out that the keeper couldn't get near to make it 6-2 Ladybridge.

There was to be a sting in the tail for the Ladybridge team when DLS were to score the last goal of the game when they managed to hook a good ball into the penalty box in the last minute and their No 3 beat our defenders and keeper to the ball to fire home to end the scoring in the game to make the full time score De La Salle 3-6 Ladybridge.

A good, honest, battling performance was put up by the DLS team this morning and after being down by 2 goals at half time they managed to claw their way back into the game in the first ten minutes of the 2nd half to gain parity at 2-2.  Unfortunately for them they would be undone by some clinical finishing from Ladybridge in the remaining 25mins to go down 6-3.  Their keeper was in a lot of pain during the second half and post match with a hip injury and had to be helped off the pitch at full time, all at Ladybridge wish him all the best and hope he makes a speedy recovery.

A very satisfactory mornings work and win that our overall performance merited and deserved. The Ladybridge coaches and parents were able to witness and enjoy some superb passing and movement from all areas of the pitch throughout both halves.  Two wins out of two is a good start that will be tested to the max next week when we take on the early pace setters in the league Stalybridge Celtic Blues away on Sunday morning.

Gordon