Ladybridge Pumas v Hoole United

Mid table Hoole gave us a hard game back in October and Pumas could not afford to relax against this strong, physical side who have a good goal scoring record.

Pumas again had a full squad and the starting line up was:- Conor, Caleb, Callum, Sam, Matt, Eddie, Lewis, Ben, Elliot, Dion and Jack with Robert, Tyler and Tom on the bench.
Hoole started very brightly and a quick attack down the left resulted in Conor having to make a good catch from the cross. Hoole were soon attacking down the other flank and a powerful shot went across the face of the goal. Pumas soon got into their stride and Dion made a good run down the right before crossing to Elliot whose shot went over the bar. Then after 6 mins it was Dion's turn to shoot over after an exchange of passes with Eddie. Pumas were gradually beginning to dominate possession with Callum and Lewis making timely tackles and distributing well. Caleb and Matt on the defensive flanks were alert to the threats of the Hoole wingers and were keen to make attacking runs themselves. Following a scramble on the left the ball was crossed in front of the Hoole goal and Eddie just failed to make contact. Pumas then had two successive corners on the right which Jack delivered with his usual accuracy only to see his second cross hit the bar and bounce out of play for a goal kick. On 16mins following some scrappy midfield play, the ball came to Elliot who cleverly kept possession before feeding the ball to his left where Jack was backing up and cutting in from the left wing. His powerful, accurate shot gave the keeper no chance. 1 - 0.

Almost straight from the kick off Jack returned the favour and crossed to Elliot who couldn't quite get to the ball. Pumas then won another corner on the right and Jack floated it in for Eddie to beat the close attentions of two defenders and head home brilliantly. 2 - 0.

Ben was looking in complete control of the central midfield linking defence and attack skilfully and distributing the ball accurately to his forwards. One such pass gave Dion the opportunity to break down the right but his shot went past the keeper's rh post. Amazingly, Sam still hasn't made the scoresheet this season and again he looked determined to break his duck when he collected the ball 30 yds out and after taking a couple of touches unleashed a powerful shot which was safely gathered by the Hoole keeper. Then, just before half time the action switched to the other end where a well directed Hoole free kick was similarly saved by Conor. Half time 2 - 0.
Robert, Tyler and Tom were brought on for Matt, Eddie and Elliot without Pumas losing their dominance of possession. Within 5 mins Tyler was in action with a smart shot which hit the post and came out. Then, a minute later his pass found Dion in the penalty area with his back to goal. He cleverly laid the ball back to Ben who was backing up and he hit his shot powerfully and accurately into the net. 3 - 0. (This was definitely Ben who I credited with a goal last week which should have been Dion's! Sorry Dion)
Pumas were awarded a free kick about 35 yds out which could have been taken by 3 or 4 Pumas players with the ability to hit good dead balls. In the end it was Lewis who took the kick finding Sam's head glancing it just wide of the mark. After 17 mins a loose ball was pounced on by Jack in the Hoole penalty area and his goal bound shot was blocked on the line with the keeper well beaten. Then a corner from the left gave a heading chance to Dion which went just over the bar. 2 mins later Tyler broke through and unleashed a great shot which the keeper pushed onto the post with a magnificent diving save. After another 3 mins Tyler ran down the right and from a narrow angle again hit the woodwork! A hat-trick of woodwork for Tyler. Elliot had been brought back on and picked up an injury which meant he couldn't continue. With all subs used and about 10 mins remaining, Pumas were down to 10 men. Then came arguably the best goal of the match. Ben brought the ball out of the middle and fed Tyler on the right. Jack sprinted in from the left and met Tyler's accurate cross first time with his left foot for an unstoppable goal.

4 - 0.
With their extra man, Hoole were trying to press and Tom was called into action on the left side of defence to make some timely clearances. Robert was struggling to get clean possession down the right wing but showed some deft touches and linked well with the other forwards. With only a couple of minutes left, Pumas nearly lost their precious clean sheet status when a Hoole attack down the right wing produced an accurate cross which was headed over with the net at his mercy. Then in the last minute a good build up in midfield saw Tyler receive the ball just outside the Hoole penalty area. His perfectly weighted through ball was collected by Eddie whose shot beat the keeper's dive to his left. The ball hit the post then bounced across the goal and hit the opposite post before crawling over the line. 5 - 0.

Full Time Ladybridge Pumas 5 Hoole United 0

This was a spirited performance by the Pumas to beat a competent Hoole team and keep up their 100% record in the Central Lancs league. To achieve a second consecutive clean sheet was also very satisfying and is a great credit to the defensive line-up. Well done boys!

Tarleton Corinthians v Ladybridge Pumas

Pumas made the long trip to Tarleton on a dreary, cold, snowy Winter afternoon and were able to field a full strength squad with the exception of Tyler whose dad couldn't find the ground. (Tom Toms are good Ralph!). The pitch was in surprisingly good shape considering the poor weather lately. Pumas totally dominated possession and created wave after wave of attacks. Jack opened the scoring within 5 mins with a strong left footed shot. (his right foot's only for standing on). 0 - 1. Tarleton made a rare break down the right and Sam slipped in attempting a tackle but Callum was quick to cover and put the ball out of play. After 20 mins Ben brought the ball out of defence and used his dribbling skills to take it all the way only to be foiled by the keeper. 2 mins later Ben was again in the action following good work by Dion and Jack. His powerful shot could only be parried by the keeper and with true poacher's instinct Elliot was on hand for a simple tap-in goal. 0 - 2.
Then Matt made a good run down the left and played a lovely through ball for Dion to run onto and shoot. His shot was well saved and this time there was no-one on hand to play the loose ball.Pumas made a fast passing move when Robert fed Dion on the right wing and his accurate cross found Tom on the edge of the 6 yds box. He skilfully brought it under control and smashed it past the keeper. 0 - 3.
Immediately from the ko Ben, who was dominating the centre of the pitch, passed to Jack on the left. Jack coolly played a perfectly weighted through ball to Dion who beat the off-side trap and in a one on one with the keeper made no mistake. 0 - 4. Half Time.Shortly after the restart Dion scored again with an accurate shot. 0 - 5.
Pumas were making sustained and continuous attacks and first Lewis then Sam tried to get on the score sheet to no avail. Eddie was working hard down the left flank and Caleb was overlapping on the right. Then out of nowhere Tarleton broke through the middle and in a one on one Conor stood firm and the forward shot wide. The next Pumas attack saw Eddie make a shot/cross which ricocheted off a defender into the busy keeper's arms. Another Pumas attack had Ben on the edge of the Tarleton penalty area and he unselfishly passed back to Callum who chipped the ball perfectly over the defenders for Eddie to beat his marker and skilfully score a well-worked goal. 0 - 6.
Pumas were playing beautiful passing football and were oozing with confidence and working hard for each other. First Eddie and then Jack had good chances saved then Dion hit a powerful long range shot just inside the keeper's r.h. post. 0 - 7.
Another break from Tarleton after 52 mins saw a long range shot comfortably gathered by Conor for his first and only touch of the game! Poor Conor, he must have been frozen. Another Pumas corner was taken by Jack on the right and the loose ball came out to Caleb about 20 yds out on the right. He delivered a well struck shot which would probably have been saved by the keeper but Elliot played a crafty dummy by stepping over the ball which finished in the back of the net just before the full time whistle. 0 - 8. Full time Tarleton Corinthians 0 Ladybridge Pumas 8 After such a one sided match as this it's difficult to say whether it was Pumas excellence or their opponents failings which were more significant. Certainly Pumas had a lot of determination with good team spirit and showed no weaknesses today. Tarleton showed good individual skills and kept trying to the end but were overpowered by one of Pumas best performances of the season.

Euxton Villa v Ladybridge Pumas 1st round Cup

Pumas first match in the qualifying group of the Central Lancs League was against Euxton Villa and resulted in a convincing victory for the Pumas. However, since that game Villa have been unbeaten and are top of their league so it would be a big mistake to underestimate this team on their steeply sloping bumpy pitch.

Pumas had a full strength squad and the starting line up was Conor, Caleb, Callum, Sam, Lewis, Ben, Matt, Robert, Dion, Tyler, and Jack with Elliot, Tom and Eddie standing by as subs.

Pumas started the game kicking downhill and it would be important to take advantage of this. The first few minutes were scrappy as both sides struggled to string together more than a couple of passes on this heavy, bumpy surface. It soon became apparent that Pumas were the stronger side as they dominated possession. Tyler broke through the centre and saw his shot well saved. A corner from the right was placed by Jack into the heart of the goalmouth and as it was half cleared Caleb was there to hit a signature shot which again tested the keeper. More corners for Pumas followed in quick succession and from the 6th one Jack played the ball short to Matt (playing his first game since his op.) who returned it to Jack whose accurate cross was powerfully headed home by Lewis after 8 mins. 0 - 1
Villa were struggling to get any meaningful possession in Pumas half and the occasional breakaways were dealt with comfortably by Sam, Callum and Caleb who looked rock solid. After 17 mins a rare Villa attack was broken up by Callum assisted by Caleb who hit a long ball downfield where Dion used his speed to beat a defender to the ball before coolly taking it round the advancing keeper and tapping into an empty net. 0 - 2
From the kick off Pumas gained possession and immediately went on the attack again with several players combining in a great move culminating in Tyler turning beautifully just inside the area and firing home an unstoppable shot. 0 - 3
Jack was rampant down the left wing with support from Matt, creating some great openings but the Villa defence were beginning to look better organised and were covering well. Robert was also showing his dribbling skills on the other wing. Ben and Lewis were looking strong and linked well between defence and attack without being given time to settle on the ball. After 21 mins Villa attacked down the right flank and the winger managed to get his cross in to the waiting forward who hit it first time past Conor as he came out. This was Conor's first touch of the ball as he picked it out of the net! 1 - 3
The remainder of the half saw some end to end stuff with several more chances falling to Pumas, the most notable being a powerful shot by Sam just wide and a good effort from Robert which was bravely blocked just before the whistle.
Half time 1 - 3

All three subs were brought on and Robert, Matt and Tyler were given a rest.
It was to be expected that Villa would come out with all guns firing in the 2nd half with the advantage of the slope but that didn't happen and Pumas continued to enjoy the majority of the ball. It helped their passing game that the ball wasn't running away from them and they rarely looked in trouble. Several promising attacks were made and Dion took a quick short corner to Jack whose great cross was met by Lewis who blasted over the bar from 6 yards. Tom made a good run down the left and fed the ball to Ben who slipped the ball deftly past the keeper's left hand only to see it hit the post and bounce into the keeper's welcome arms. After 45mins Villa made a dangerous looking break down the left from which a cross cum shot was fingertip saved by Conor who had quickly come off his line. The loose ball was safely put out of play by Sam and the resultant corner was weakly played behind making Jack's corners look even better. A quick break by Pumas gave Jack what seemed to be a golden chance but he was surprisingly ruled off-side. Then Villa broke and a dangerous looking situation was dealt with by Conor rushing 30 yards out to kick the ball into touch. Sam looks hungry to bag his first goal of the season and he made a fantastic solo dribbling run, beating several defenders before shooting agonisingly just wide. Villa's goal kick was weak as they tired and Dion collected the ball before cleverly passing to Eddie whose shot from 8 yards beat the keeper's right hand on 50 mins. 1 - 4
Pumas still had most of the ball and a good move down the right involving several players saw the ball come to Elliot whose snap shot hit the post and bounced to safety. As the clock ticked down a goalmouth scramble resulted in a chance for Eddie who tested the keeper again.
Final Score Euxton Villa 1 Ladybridge Pumas 4

This was a solid workmanlike performance from the Pumas who did what was necessary to achieve this result against a team who have had a long unbeaten run and on a pitch which made good football difficult.

Bamber Bridge Blues v Ladybridge Pumas

It has been six weeks since the Pumas last had a competitive game and what a game to come back to. This was a top of the league clash with the two unbeaten teams in the league facing each other for the first time this season. It was Pumas’ first visit to the Bamber Bridge ground and what a marvellous facility they have to ply their trade on. This was a game that both teams and their respective supporters were looking forward to.
The Pumas had a full squad to pick from and started the game with Matt, Eddie and Tyler on the bench. The game kicked off in cool, dark, dank conditions with the pitch quite heavy underfoot due to the awful weather that has plagued the NW since before Christmas. A bright opening by both teams with some good early possession for the Pumas saw our first meaningful attack which involved Robert linking up well with Ben who fed Dion through towards the Bamber Bridge goal, unfortunately this move was broken up well by the Bamber Bridge defence before Dion could test their keeper. Bamber Bridge were moving the ball well through their midfield and they also had a chance on goal that just went wide past Conor’s right hand post. The teams looked evenly matched through the first ten minutes of the game but the deadlock was to be broken by a superb individual effort from Dion who ran onto a through ball 30 yards out to make no mistake as he slotted a great shot past the Bamber Bridge keeper. 0-1.

Bamber Bridge enjoyed the majority of possession and territory in the next ten minutes of the game, in pursuit of an equalizer and a couple of corners for them certainly tested the Pumas defence to the full. Dion though was looking lively up front with Elliot, and Dion was unlucky not to find his strike partner after two penetrating runs down the right. The Pumas midfield was being driven well by Ben and Lewis working hard and tackling well in testing conditions. The pivotal move of the first half happened after 25 mins of play. Dion picked up the ball on the right and ran a full 50 yards up the pitch withstanding great pressure from a pursuing Bamber Bridge defender to again slot a shot past the Bamber Bridge keeper for his 2nd goal of the game. 0-2.

It was important that the Pumas kept hold of this lead into the half time break which they managed to do through some good, tight defence, marshalled well by Tom and Sam respectively.
Half time 0-2
Robert and Elliot were replaced by Eddie and Tyler at the beginning of the second half. Wayne and Karl impressed on the lads at half time that a determined second half effort by Bamber Bridge was to be expected and protecting the lead was paramount and the lads responded to this request superbly. The first ten minutes of the half were indeed tough for the Pumas as the Bamber Bridge team pushed forward to try and force a goal. However, solid and determined work by the Pumas defensive quartet kept this expected Bamber Bridge effort out. The Bamber Bridge No 2 was at the heart of all the good work for the Bamber Bridge team during this period as he proved time and time again to be a very technically gifted player. The first real effort of the half for the Pumas fell to Tyler in the Bamber Bridge box - unfortunately he couldn’t quite get the ball from under his feet to test the Bamber Bridge keeper. This half of the game was punctuated with some brilliant defensive play by both teams with hard but fair tackling by both defensive units with Sam, Tom and Lewis to the fore for the Pumas. The last ten minutes of the game saw some good play down the flanks by a busy Jack and an industrious Eddie but the scoresheet wasn’t to be added to by either team before the final whistle.

Final Score Bamber Bridge 0 Ladybridge Pumas 2

A very tough and competitive game played in the right spirit by a couple of determined and skilful teams battling against the conditions as much as against each other. The difference between the teams in the end was probably down to our top scorer’s ability to take the chances on goal when they were presented to him in the first half. A determined second half defensive effort by all the Pumas players ensured that the hard fought for first half lead was preserved. After a six week break and just two training sessions in this time I thought the boys did extremely well against an unbeaten team at an unfamiliar ground.

Gordon

BAC/EE v Ladybridge Pumas

Following our hard fought narrow victory at home against early season front runners BAC both clubs were licking their lips in eager anticipation of this return match. Conditions were perfect on a crisp, cold, calm morning with the game being played on a large flat pitch.

Pumas lined up with Conor, Caleb, Callum, Sam, Lewis, Ben, Jack, Tom, Robert, Dion and Elliot. Eddie was on the bench together with Tyler who was unlikely to be able to be called on because of a painful knee problem.
Pumas kicked off and were immediately on the attack, winning a couple of challenges. The ball was cleared out of BAC's penalty area to Elliot on the edge of the area. He spotted the BAC keeper off his line and hit the ball first time into the top of the net for what must rank as the quickest goal of the season after only 25 seconds! Very quick thinking and a great opportunist goal. 0 - 1.
This early goal allowed the Pumas to settle into a nice rhythm and they enjoyed a high percentage of possession for the next ten minutes looking especially strong down the left. BAC's defence and especially their keeper were working hard to keep the Pumas forwards at bay and Conor only got his first touch of the ball after 11 mins. Ben and Lewis were feeding some lovely through balls for Dion to run on to and he used his pace to good effect to create several one on one situations with their keeper who was up to the job every time, coming off his line quickly and bravely to smother the attempts. Jack and Elliot were backing up well ready to pounce on any fumbles which never came.
Robert was looking increasingly confident down the right wing and was beating defenders consistently with his dribbling skills. He made a lovely cross which was skilfully cut out by the keeper when it looked like Jack would have an open goal at his mercy. All of this possession and attacking meant that the game was being played in BAC's half of the pitch with the result that Pumas could be vulnerable to a long ball down the middle. Sam and Caleb were alert to this kind of danger and dealt with these situations with coolness and skill. Tom was also called on and made some timely powerful clearances.
Pumas won several corners on the right over the course of a few minutes and each time Jack delivered the ball right into the heart of the 6 yard box but on each occasion no Pumas forward could get a boot or head on the ball and each time BAC were able to scramble the ball clear. From one such clearance after 22 mins the ball was booted upfield for Conor to be faced with a one on one which he dealt with very competently having had little action. Another Pumas corner led to a goalmouth scramble which looked certain to result in a goal till the ball was hooked over the bar from short range. Just before half time a snap shot by BAC from 30 yards out on the left tested Conor's alertness and he saved well.
Half Time 0 - 1

With Eddie starting for Robert the second half started as the first had ended with a breakaway by BAC again testing Conor. A scrappy period followed with Pumas struggling to keep possession or create any significant chances. After 36 mins a half clearance by Pumas defence came to a BAC player fully 35 yards from goal. He punted it straight back with great power and the ball flew over the crowded penalty area and Conor's outstretched arms for a shock goal completely against the run of play. 1 - 1
This set-back seemed to put more determination into the Pumas play as they continued to dominate their opponents. Ben was a powerhouse in mid-field breaking up attacks and creating attacking raids. Dion's speed and control were causing havoc and he and Elliot combined well after 43 mins to set up a chance which Elliot took by coolly sliding the ball past the BAC keeper with the outside of his boot. 1 - 2
Further chances fell to both sides as BAC tried to step up their efforts for an equaliser. Scrappy play at the edge of the Pumas area saw the final shot going just over the bar and then both Lewis and Ben had long range shots. A dangerous BAC break down the left was broken up by a brilliantly timed tackle from Sam who had been alert to the danger and had come all across the pitch to deal with the threat. Good defensive work by Callum released Eddie on a run down the right with Elliot in support looked promising until good BAC defending broke the move. BAC's dangerous looking No 11 made a great run down the left and as Conor came out to cut his angle down he slid the ball across the face of the goal but none of his forwards were backing up for what would have been a simple tap-in. The remainder of the game was played in BAC's half with Dion creating another couple of one on ones with their keeper who again excelled.

Final score BAC/EE 1 Ladybridge Pumas 2

This was an outstanding result for Pumas considering the absence of Tyler and Matt against a well organised BAC team who had high expectations before the game. The scoreline flattered BAC whose keeper had an outstanding game foiling Dion on at least five occasions when he looked certain to score. Pumas also failed to capitalise on the excellence of Jack's corner taking when two or more goals could easily have resulted from his dangerous deliveries.

Bill

Ladybridge Pumas v Penwortham St Teresas

Once again there were no reporters available for this home fixture. With the league leaders, Bamber Bridge, match postponed, it was an opportunity for the Pumas to go top of the league if they could win by more than 4 goals - a big ask, but with the Pumas recent performances, not impossible.

We didn't have to wait long for the Pumas first goal from Robert. The ball was bouncing and bobbling more than usual and the boys were struggling to keep hold of the ball. Further goals from Lewis and Elliot took the score to 3-0 when the half time whistle blew.

The second half opened with a quick goal from Dion, followed 10 minutes later by 2nd goals from both Robert and Elliot to take the score to 6-0. PST managed to break away and have their first real shot at goal which went high out of Conor's reach into the back of the net to make it 6-1. A further 2 goals from Elliot and a well earned goal from Jack took the score to 9-1 when the final whistle blew. The Pumas had many other chances to score during the game which the PST goalkeeper did well to save.

A great result from the Pumas to put them top of the league for the first time - well done boys!

Ladybridge Pumas v Cadley

Unfortunately there were no reporters available for this home fixture on a sunny morning on a fairly wet pitch.

A couple of cracking goals from the Pumas in the first half with Jack scoring the first and Tyler the 2nd. Many more chances from both teams in the first half with good defending and good keeper skills from both sides. The second half was end to end football and another goal from Dion late on, took the score to 3-0 and it looked like a clean sheet for the Pumas until the last kick of the ball, well into injury time, beat Conor for the final score of 3-1.

Well done Pumas!