It’s been four weeks since that 4-2 comeback win over Tottington United Reserves – as the weather has put paid to all of our games since – but with today being the County Cup, we really needed to get this on. Therefore the decision was made to play this on the astro at Ladybridge High School and with today opponents coming over from Accrington for this 2nd round tie, the plastic pitch would at least mean it was game on…
Whinney Hill were to be the visitors and knowing that they currently sit top of the East Lancs League Division 1, we knew that we’d really have to be at it from minute one if we wanted to compete. These were coming with a good reputation but Wayne and Brian had prepped our lads well in the week and as always, we were going to give it a go. The sun had been glorious as the morning drew into afternoon but sure as eggs are eggs, the rain started to appear as the teams came out for their warm-ups…
There was such good things to see as the lads in blue came out – such as Alex Williams back in a County top for the first time in eight months and the return of Chris from his three-game ban – so as the boys were put through their paces, they already knew the team as we had to give the starting 11 the first 11 numbers for the team-sheet. Mitch was in net and there were three changes to the back-four – with Chris back to partner Gatesie, Rav in at left-back and Nathan was making his first start as a right-back. The midfield trio saw Alex back in there with Robbie moving up and Liam and the top-three picked themselves with Yatesy flanked either side by Lewis and Ste. The bench consisted of Jude, Tyler, Matty Fearnley and Harry and as kick-off approached, Wayne got the lads together and gave them their last pep-talk. Enjoy it. Don’t give a good team any time to play their football and get right up them from the start. Play our football and all of us walk off that pitch at the end knowing we gave it our all. You know what? We certainly did that…
From the moment that first whistle went, this was a frenetic, end to end game and we were more than a match for a team that were steps above us. There were plenty of good tackles and when either side were given the chance, they were trying to play on the front foot. The first real chance of note saw the visitors pour forward and as they sprayed it out to our left, the shot came in but went a couple of yards wide of Mitch’s upright. Signs that we couldn’t switch off for a second though…
There was a real battle developing in the middle of the park as Alex and Robbie were not going to be bullied by their opposing player and with Liam calm and relaxed on the ball, he was setting up most of our attacks with some sublime passing. Chance were at a minimum though as both defences were getting the better of their attackers and as the minutes ticked by, the first goal was going to an important one…
We thought we’d got it on 25 minutes though as one of the best moves we’ve made all season should have culminated in us taking the lead. Again Liam was pivotal in it as his quick-thinking made it happen. Some superb inter-linking saw us spread the ball out to our right and as he had done all game so far, Nathan sped past their full-back and as Ste laid it in front of him, he crossed it inch-perfectly to find Yatesy in between their centre-halves. With the goal gaping, the County bench were about to jump for joy – but from about six yards out, all John could do was put it about three yards over the bar! That was the chance. And we needed to take anything that came our way in games like this…
Gatesie and Chris were soaking up whatever their strikers had to offer and with Lewis and Rav working well on the left as were Ste and Nathan on the right, we seemed to have a great balance in our movement. Sure- when the Whinney Hill lads were given the space, they were probing and pushing – but we were more than matching them so far and it was good to see. Both sides wanted this – and it did create some naughty moments if we’re honest – but it was six of one and half a dozen of another mostly. Robbie got his customary yellow card after a bust-up about 35 yards from our goal and when the visitors looked most likely was from set-pieces so we now had another one to defend. Mitch had done well to bat a few off and there were several really close-calls as they missed a few headers – and with Wayne screaming at his players to stop giving them free-kicks and corners, on went the game. Lewis had a couple of half-chances that he just couldn’t convert but at least we were showing that we were just going to sit back and let them come at us…
It was stale-mate for the first 45 minutes but just before the referee blew his whistle for the break, he made a mistake that even he was aware of – but he didn’t rectify it. They had shot and the ball had flicked off the bar and out for a goal-kick but the man in middle awarded a corner. As Wayne protested, he said that he ‘thought’ Mitch had saved it – so with Wayne urging him to change his mind and award the goal-kick, the ball came in and luckily we defended it well. Then the whistle went for the interval and both Wayne and the referee smiled to each other as that had been a lucky escape on many levels. That was the first bit of the mission accomplished – we just had to go and do it again now…
Half-time: BOLTON COUNTY A 0-0 Whinney Hill
As the lads came in for their well-earned refreshments, Wayne and Brian were quick to tell them how pleased they were. We had done well out there and if we had put our chances away, we could have been coming in with the lead. But we had to remain concentrated as these were going to come out all-guns blazing after the break – so it was about working hard and making sure that when the goal opened up, we had to put it away. No changes were made and before we knew it, they were back out there ready to go again…
The second-half started much as the first had ended – with both teams going for it – but this time, it was County that were seeing more of the ball in good areas. Liam and Alex were working hard to win possession in the middle of the park and with Robbie snapping around their players, we seemed to be getting the better of that battle. Ste was working his marker back as often as he could – and then when he and Lewis swapped flanks, it seemed to confuse their defenders a little. Lewis saw another good effort swallowed up by their young keeper and then he had a glorious chance to give us the lead as he was played clean-through and 1-on-1 with their No.1, he hit his shot into his legs and the chance was gone. We really had to finish one of these you know…
And then we did! More great work by our midfield and full-backs saw us with an overload that made their defence wonder on who to pick up. The ball made it’s way to Yatesy and he sprinted out to the right with their full-back in tow. John got past him and clipped a delicious cross in towards the back-post – where Ste was racing in – and we all knew the outcome! He rose like a salmon to leave his marker stuck in sand and planted his header firmly into the back of their net! No way! We were in front! And in truth, we deserved it. 1-0 to County and with just over 20 minutes to go, we had to make sure our game-management was spot-on now…
The goal made the visitors irate and they started shouting for every throw and every free-kick and at times they were really losing their rag – so we just needed to stay focused and not get involved in any of the shenanigans. It looked as though Mitch had a head shoved in his face and there were plenty of comings-together but as the seconds went by ever so slowly, we were nearly there. Yatesy had another chance to give us a cushion but his effort was saved by their keeper and not long after that, he was replaced in a move that saw Jude come on up top. Wayne asked him to just hustle and bustle their back-line so they couldn’t hit it forward and we were now about 13 minutes or so away from claiming this victory…
The visitors thought they’d levelled when they worked it well down our left and as it came into the box, their striker hit it cleanly towards the far-post only to see Mitch dive full-length to get his finger-tips to it and push it wide for a corner. Both sides applauded him for that one but it was too close for comfort for Wayne…
With the game ticking into injury-time, all we needed to do was pump it into the corners and get up to stop them getting it out – but that little lack in game-management saw us make the fateful mistake of trying to play it out from the back and as Rav passed it into Robbie, he just couldn’t adjust his feet quickly enough – and in darted their midfielder to poke it through the gap where their striker was clean through in front of Mitch. Every County fan urged him to fluff it – but there was no way a player of his quality was going to do that and he tucked the ball neatly to Mitch’s left and into the back of our net. Heartbreak! 93 minutes gone and the score was now level. What a downer! The County players were laid on the floor as though the world had ended and with Wayne demanding them to get their heads up and go again, we knew that we’d thrown this away…
The visitors then came at us trying to grab that winner but we held out and with no extra-time played in the County Cup, it was going straight to penalties. Wayne asked who wanted to take them and with the five players set, off we went…
Whinney Hill won the toss and elected to go first – and their striker coolly slotted it home as Mitch went the wrong way. Then it was the turn of our Nathan – who had played really well today – and as he strolled up, he looked confident. However his spot-kick wasn’t and their keeper didn’t have to do much as he got down to smother it. 0-1 and we had it all to do now…
Their midfielder then dispatched his kick as again he put Mitch the wrong way and then it was the turn of Lewis – who smashed his penalty into the roof of the net to give their No.1 no chance of stopping it. 1-2 soon turned to 1-3 as Whinney Hill once again slammed their spot-kick home. Next up it was Liam and as we all expected, he made no mistake tucking it home. 2-3. And then we saw it. The Whinney Hill player walked up and as he hit it, Mitch dived to his right and managed to save it! We were back in it now!
Especially when Alex walked up, placed the ball down, took a short run-up – and sent their keeper the wrong way with a great left-foot finish – so with the score level again at 3-3, this was still all to play for…
Now it was down to the last kicks of the ‘normal’ shoot-out – and the Whinney Hill player smashed it low and hard to Mitch’s left and into the back of the net. 3-4 and it was all down to Ste to keep us in this. We were already discussing who was going 6th and 7th as he made his way up and he placed the ball confidently. In came his kick – and as their keeper dived one way, the ball went the other. It hit the inside of the base of their post and as it came back across the line, it bounced the wrong side and away from goal – meaning that was that. The visitors had
triumphed on spot-kicks and our County Cup was over for another season. Hard to take for sure – but we’ll learn from this and move on…
The handshakes were done with pride and despite the hostility that had been evident for the last 110 minutes or so, both sets of players knew they’d been involved in a really good game today. A couple of the Whinney Hill players had been overheard saying that this would be ‘easy’ today and we can most definitely say that we at least changed their minds about that. If only we’d walloped it up top rather than try to play it through the middle eh?
Wayne and Brian had nothing but praise for their troops though as we had more than matched a team a lot higher in the pyramid system than us and their coach said after the game that we had been a lot more than what they expected for a Division 4 side from the Manchester Football League. The lads played really, really well and if they can take this into every league game from now until May, there won’t be many sides that will be able to stop us…
There were several candidates for the Match of the Match – with Gatesie having one of his best games in a County shirt and Nathan showing how well he is adapting to life further back – but it has to go to Liam Haycock for his all-round play. Tenacious in the tackle, he also set up most of our attacks with an excellent range of passing. He like the rest of his team-mates have set the bar now so we have to go to Eccles United Reserves next Saturday and do exactly the same again. A shout-out also has to go to our subs that didn’t get onto the pitch today but we know that all three of them understand why…
Massive thanks to the players, coaches and supporters of Whinney Hill for making the journey over today and we wish you all the best in the next round. A good side you’ve got there and we’re sure you’ll agree when we say that we more than matched you out there. That makes us feel good despite going out of the competition – and you played your part in that…
So it’s back to the quest for points next week as we make our way over to Salford Roosters and all Wayne and Brian will be asking for is more of the same. Come over and see if we can…
County Cup? There’s always next season…
#UpTheCounty!