Ladybridge v Heyside Barca

On a bright sunny afternoon at our Tempest Road home we welcomed our visitors Heyside Barca.  Unfortunately Ladybridge only had nine players available for the match.  The opening exchanges were very even and it was quite a surprise that on seven minutes Ladybridge were to take the lead in the game.  Nathan made a strong run down the right wing and went past a couple of defenders before reaching the edge of the penalty box where he managed to cut the ball back to Dion who stabbed his shot home from short range to make it 1-0 to Ladybridge.  Heysides first effort on goal came 4 minutes later when they were awarded a free kick on the halfway line where a direct shot on target was held well by Conor.  Ladybridge were battling very well and restricted Heyside to one clear chance before the break, which was a skied effort by the number seven that went well over the bar from about 15 yards out.

Halftime Ladybridge 1-0 Heyside.

Heyside started the 2nd half very quickly and had an early opportunity to level matters when their number 4 tested Conor from the edge of the box with a good shot, which he did well to hold on to.  Unfortunately Ladybridge would concede a goal after about six minutes when the ball was fed out to the number 15 who was free on the right hand side of the box and he smashed the ball past Conor to make it 1-1.

Heyside started to stretch the game in the next 10 or 15 minutes when they had a number of opportunities to go ahead but they found Conor in excellent form, keeping them out with two or three great stops.  With 10 minutes of the game remaining Nathan sent a defence splitting through ball to Dion but his shot was smothered well by the Heyside keeper.  Immediately after Dion's effort the number 11 for Heyside came very close to scoring when he lifted his shot over the bar from about 25 yards out.  Ladybridge had one final effort on target before the end of the game when Ben fed a ball through to the edge of the box to find Nathan, whose shot was saved well by the Heyside No 1.  Ladybridge would be denied the point their efforts deserved when Heyside scored with two minutes remaining when the No 15 finished off a good move and fired home from close range to break Ladybridge's hearts to make it 2-1 to Heyside full time.

Heyside battled back well this afternoon after going behind to the nine men of Ladybridge early in the first half.  They stretched Ladybridge very effectively throughout the 2nd half and broke our stubborn resistance with a couple of clinical finishes to take the three league points on offer.

I'm sure most of the Ladybridge parents thought before kick off that the lads would be on the end of a right hammering this afternoon with only nine players available.  However the lads managed to win the first half and were only a couple of minutes away from picking up a point that their collective efforts deserved this afternoon - unlucky lads. 

Glossop North End v Ladybridge (Quarter Final Challenge Cup)

On a windy freezing cold morning we pitched up at Glossop North Ends Cemetery Road home for a Tameside Challenge Cup Quarter final.  Ladybridge had 12 players available to pick from and Jack recovering from a "Bieber" snub started on the bench.  The playing conditions underfoot and weather wise were some of the worst that Ladybridge have ever had to endure and Glossop, playing against the wind started really well.  Glossop took a deserved lead on 8 minutes when their No 14 made a strong direct run on the right and fired an unstoppable drive low and hard past Conor to make it 1-0 to the home team.

Glossop should have doubled their advantage 3 minutes later when the No 14 found the No 32 in space and from 20 yards out he fired in a good shot that Conor did well to parry and push out for a corner.  Nathan had Ladybridge's first effort on goal on 15mins when he picked up the ball from our 2nd corner of the game and forced a good save from the Glossop No 1.  The No 14 for Glossop again found Conor in good form when he saved well from him on 25mins.  The Glossop keeper then made two tremendous saves from Jack's initial drive from 30 yards out and then Nathans's follow up from close range to see him and his side into the interval 1-0 up.

Half Time Glossop 1 – 0 Ladybridge

It was nip and tuck in the first ten minutes of the 2nd half with both teams having chances to score but fluffing their lines with just the keeper to beat.  However it was Ladybridge who struck first when Ben's accurate pass split the Glossop defence and Josh gratefully ran on to it and rounded the keeper to score 1-1 after 45 minutes.

Ladybridge should have scored again a couple of minutes later when Bayley's free kick into the box found Ben in space but his snap shot cleared the bar.  Nathan set up Ladybridge's 2nd goal after a rampaging run down the right and he delivered a vicious cross which was parried well by the keeper but Josh reacted quickest to the loose ball to bag his 2nd goal on 50mins 2-1 Ladybridge.

Josh was denied his hatrick by an excellent stop by the Glossop keeper on 55mins.  Glossop's equalising goal came with ten minutes of the game remaining when the No 7 blasted home from 20 yards out to set up a frantic last ten minutes of Cup football 2-2.

A defensive mistake between the Glossop keeper and defender handed Nathan a chance to prosper from 10 yards out and he slotted the ball home to edge Ladybridge ahead with 5mins to go 2-3.

I thought Glossop had equalised again with 3mins remaining from a corner but Conor was able to clear the ball from his goal line to keep Ladybridge's slender lead intact.  The last offensive move by Ladybridge in the game would seal the match for the away team when Josh found Dion on the right and his through ball to Jack in space in a central position 25 yards out was hit sweetly by his left foot and past the keeper to make the final score 4-2 to Ladybridge.

Glossop today pushed us very hard throughout the game and an inspired performance by their keeper kept us at bay on numerous occasions in both halves.  The Glossop team put in a performance, which was in complete contrast to our comfortable victory against them last week at Tempest Road.  They battled the conditions and us well and almost forced the draw but for our 2 last-gasp goals in the final 5mins of the match.

Ladybridge had to survive the tough conditions and a very determined team to progress through to the Semi-Finals of the Challenge Cup this morning.  All the squad put in 100% this morning and never stopped working for each other for the full 70 minutes - well done lads.

Gordon

Ladybridge v Glossop North End (1st Round Manchester County Cup)

On a beautiful clear sunny morning we welcomed Glossop North End to our Tempest Road ground for a Manchester County Cup 1st round match.  Initially we only had eleven players available with Bayley out ill and Nathan arriving 15mins after kick off.  We have also lost Callum from the squad who has decided to leave us - good luck in the future Callum.  The match started really well for the home team and it was no surprise when Ladybridge opened the scoring on 5mins when Jack put an unstoppable shot from a free kick 30 yards out high and wide past the Glossop keeper to make it 1-0 to Ladybridge.

Harley and Liam exchanged passes well a few minutes later and Liam's cross into the box was met well by Jack's left foot and he cut the ball past the keeper 2-0 after 10mins.

Jack would complete his hat trick on 15mins when he latched on to an excellent through ball from Josh and he rounded the keeper before finding the back of the net to make it 3-0 to Ladybridge.

Glossop almost pulled a goal back a few minutes later when their No 11 had an excellent effort from 25 yards out hit the right hand post and bounce clear.  The Glossop defence did really well to stop a dangerous advance by Dion on 25mins when poised to pull the trigger.  Ben was next to score for Ladybridge when he slotted his effort home well after reacting quicker than the Glossop defence from Jack's corner with 5mins of the half remaining 4-0 Ladybridge.

Jack would finish the scoring in the 1st half when he ran on to a lovely through ball by Ben in the last minute and he hit a powerful running shot from 20 yards out to make it 5-0 at half time.

Half Time Ladybridge 5 – 0 Glossop

Ladybridge maintained momentum immediately after the break when Nathan went flying down the right wing past a despairing Glossop defender and advanced into the box before cutting the ball back to Dion who stroked the ball home 6-0 Ladybridge.  Our 7th goal came via a Jack corner that was met by Ben who cushioned a side-footed volley into the top left hand corner of the net 7-0 Ladybridge.

Glossop got a goal back through their impressive No 11 with ten minutes of the half gone when he hit a lovely shot past Conor from the edge of the box to make it 7-1.

Glossop would concede another goal straight after the re-start when they failed to clear a long ball into the box and it was Jack who reacted quickest to control and guide the ball home to make it 8-1.  The Glossop No 11 scored his second goal and Glossop's last of the game mid way through the half with a fantastic run past two Ladybridge defenders before finishing well past Conor to make it 8-2. Josh and Nathan both squandered good chances in the next five minutes with just the goalkeeper to beat when both put them wide of the target.  Caleb found Jack on 60mins with a good pass in the centre of the Glossop half and then he found Nathan on the right and after going past the defender he picked out Jack lurking on the penalty spot and he drove the ball home to make it 9-2.

The final goal of the game came a couple of minutes before full time when a long clearance from Conor was headed on by Josh into the path of Nathan who darted past the defender into the box before driving the ball home to make the final score 10-2 to Ladybridge.

Glossop today tried hard throughout the game and their No 11 was always a threat going forward and deservedly scored a couple of good goals.  Glossop competed for the full 70mins and I'm sure they'll be gunning for revenge when we meet them again next Sunday in the quarter finals of the Tameside Challenge Cup at their place.

Ladybridge this morning hit a bit of form and all the players gave it 100% and were very clinical when goal-scoring opportunities were presented to them.  An excellent victory after a couple of tough defeats - hopefully its onwards and upwards for the rest of the season. Well played lads.

Gordon