Ladybridge v De La Salle

On a bright sunny but cold afternoon we welcomed De La Salle to Tempest Road for our 6th league fixture of the season.  Tom, Ollie, Josh and Bayley started on the bench with Ladybridge back up to full strength this week.  Both teams were pretty tentative in the first 5 minutes with neither settling in a scrappy opening.  Jack livened proceedings up with a couple of decent efforts on 10mins but each of them just went wide.  The first goal of the game came after 15mins when some good pressure in the DLS penalty area by Ladybridge resulted in a weak clearance that fell to Jack 15 yards out and he was able to hit a ferocious drive low and left of the keeper to open the scoring 1-0 Ladybridge.

10mins later Ladybridge were to score again when a vicious drive by Jack from 35 yards out was parried away well by the DLS keeper but the loose ball fell to Taylor who guided the ball home to make it 2-0 to Ladybridge.  

It might have been three a couple of minutes later when Taylor crossed from the right hand side and Josh's header just went high and wide.  DLS nearly pulled a goal back with 5mins of the half remaining when their No 10 made a powerful run and unleashed a cracking drive that Conor did well to push past his post and out for a corner.  DLS were awarded a free kick on the edge of the box with a couple of minutes remaining in the half but their player scooped the ball over the crossbar.

Half Time Ladybridge 2-0 De La Salle.

I'm not sure what the DLS coach said to his players at half time but it was a completely different DLS team that turned up in the second period.  It was pressure from the off from the away side and they eventually got the goal that their pressure deserved 5mins into the half when their No 17 found the back of the net after the Ladybridge defence were not able to clear the ball properly from their penalty area 2-1 to Ladybridge.  

The No 8 for DLS was to put his team level with about ten minutes of the game remaining when a weak goal kick from Conor was collected well by him 30 yards out and he ran forward to guide the ball home from 15 yards to make it 2-2.

There would be chances for both teams to score their vital 3rd goal but unfortunately for the home team they were to be undone by a superb individual effort by their No 10 with 10mins of the game remaining.  He collected the ball on the right hand side of the pitch just inside his half and he made an unopposed run to the edge of the Ladybridge area and unleashed a shot come cross that climbed over Conor's head to find the top right hand corner of the net to make it 3-2 to De La Salle.

Taylor had a chance with a minute left on the clock when clean through on goal but the DLS keeper made a tremendous stop to deny him.

Full Time: Ladybridge 2-3 De La Salle.

The expression "a game of two halves" summed this game up perfectly today.  De La Salle went into the break a couple of goals down that could quite easily have been 3 or 4.  However in the 2nd half they out fought the home team and battled back to turn the match on its head to claim a deserved victory with 3 unanswered 2nd half goals.  Well done DLS on a good win and the best of luck to you and your support for the rest of the season.

Today we experienced a tough defeat that will test the collective resolve of the players, coaches and support going forward.  We have bounced back well after defeats earlier in the season and it will be interesting to see how the lads react in our next game away in the 3rd round of the Challenge Cup against Boundary Park next Sunday. 

Prestwich Town v Ladybridge

After an enforced week off due to inclement weather it was good to get the lads back to league business for an away fixture at high flying Prestwich Town. A crisp, bright chilly morning greeted both teams as they lined up on the pitch for a minutes silence at the start of the game to mark Remembrance Sunday. Taylor and Josh were missing for Ladybridge. Bayley and Tom started on the bench. Prestwich started the game quickly and the pacy and tricky No 9 was having success down the left early and after 5 mins he made a strong powerful and direct 30 yard run into the left hand side of the area before angling a cross into the path of their No 11 who slotted home from 5 yards to make it 1-0 to Prestwich. 

Ladybridge struck back after this early setback within two minutes when an accurate pass forward by Ben in central midfield found Jack on the right hand side of the area. He managed to get the ball back on his preferred left foot before smashing a low shot wide and to the right of the goalkeeper to make it 

1-1. 

Jack would trouble Prestwich throughout this game and he came close to scoring twice with an effort just over the bar from the edge of the box and a well saved effort by the keeper from 20 yards in the next 10 mins of the game. On 25 minutes Ladybridge would go ahead for the first time when a good passage of passing football involving all our midfielders found Nathan on the edge of the box and his first time strike flew past the keeper to hit the back of the net to make it 2-1 to Ladybridge. 

The No 9 for Prestwich won his team a free kick in a dangerous position 30 yards out but the No 8's shot on goal was saved well by Conor with around 5 mins of the half remaining. A late corner from Jack in the last minute caused panic in the Prestwich defence before they managed to clear the danger.

Half Time: Prestwich Town 1 - 2 Ladybridge.

Prestwich switched their 1st half goalkeeper to play as a second striker at half time in an interesting tactical move but the 2nd half was to be all about Ladybridge as we put in our most impressive 2nd half performance of the season so far by scoring 5 unanswered goals in the next 35 minutes of play. The first goal came courtesy of some real battling work by Tom in the box to win the ball and setup Jack from 5 yards out and he finished well to make it 3-1 to Ladybridge. Tom would make it 4 to Ladybridge on 50 mins when Liam floated a great cross into the area from the left hand side that flicked off a Prestwich defender into the path of Tom who drove the ball high into the net to make it 4-1 Ladybridge. 

A couple of minutes later Matt from well inside his own half played a 40 yard pass up field to Jack who promptly moved past a couple of defenders before slamming home his hatrick goal to make his Dad 5 quid poorer and put Ladybridge 5-1 up. 

A lovely passing move involving all our midfielders saw Bayley deliver a chipped in cross to find Jack in space in the box and he made no mistake to hammer home for his fourth and Ladybridge's sixth. 

Prestwich's most dangerous move of the half came when the No 17 made a good run down the left and found the No 8 whose shot from 25 yards was saved comfortably by Conor with a couple of minutes of the game remaining. The final goal started with Tom finding Nathan down the right wing and he beat his man well to square the ball into Jack stalking the penalty area who finished with aplomb to cap off a wonderful individual goalscoring performance to make the final score 7-1 to Ladybridge.

Prestwich were much better than this scoreline suggests but they met a determined Ladybridge squad of players that only allowed them the one goal this morning. Their No 9 was a constant thorn in the side of our defence for long periods today and all the Prestwich players played with a good attitude and commitment throughout the 70 mins.

Ladybridge secured a fine win against a team that had only been defeated once in the league this season. Jack put in a fantastic goal scoring effort today and was backed up superbly well by a smaller squad of 12 outfield players who all played their part in different ways this morning. Well done Lads.

Our next match is a home game against De La Salle next Sunday afternoon.