In association with: Quantum Elite
FULL TIME: Skelmersdale United 1-0 Blyth Spartans
Teams
Skelmersdale United Fearon, Wylie, Wisdom, McIntosh, Bodie, Simpson, Thompson, Strickland(Kirkbride 84), Mitchley, McCarthy(Sumner 87), Ince Subs: Mooney, Monaghan, Lloyd
Blyth Spartans: Jeffries, Nicholson, J Watson, Buddle, I Watson, Hooks, Hutchinson(Sayer 79), Bell, Dale, Rivers, Wearmouth(Robinson 61) Subs: Cummings, Mullen, Maguire
Referee: Kelvin Sarsfield
Updates:
FULL TIME: Strickland’s free kick right on half time condemns Spartans to their third 0-1 defeat in seven days. Deserved more but undone by a fantastic – but debatable – free kick
87: Skem sub Sumner for McCarthy
84: Skem Sub Kirkbride for Strickland
79: Spartans sub Sayer for Hutchinson
79: Watson plays in Rivers into the left hand side but his angled drive is saved by the feet of Fearon
74: Great chances at both ends as Ian Watson plays a one two with Dale but is denied by a superb stop from Fearon and then McCarthy squandered a wonderful chance as he is in one on one but fires well over as he was closed down by Jeffries.
64: Rivers jinks into the box and dinks into the box. Hooks challenges with Strickland and the loose ball falls to Hutchinson who strikes a rising volley just over the bar
61: Spartan sub Robinson for Wearmouth
58: Mitchley plays in McCarthy but he is denied by brave block by Jeffries, the follow up falls to Mitchley who should score but his shot is blocked by Watson. From the resulting corner Ince hits the bar from point blank range
54: A wonderful cross by Wylie finds the head of Mitchley ten yards out but he heads just wide of the left hand upright, great chance for Skem
Second half underway
HALF TIME: Strickland’s free kick right on half time gives the hosts the lead but it’s the referee who is at the centre of the attention, managing to annoy both sides.
44: GOAL – The hosts take the lead with a wonderful free kick from Kenny Strickland. He curled it into the top left hand corner from twenty yards after another…let’s say contentious…..decision from the referee as Buddle seemed to win the ball in a challenge with Ince
40: Close for Skelmersdale as Mitchley heads a Thompson cross just past the far post. The spin of the ball seemed to take it wide
Bodie booked for a foul on Jarrett Rivers on the touchline after the winger skipped past him and is off
36: RED CARD: Bodie sent off for the home side for a second yellow card
30: Another chance as Rivers beats Bodie in the area but fires weakly at the near post and Fearon saves comfortably
28: Great chance for Spartans as Bell crosses from the right and finds the head of Dale but his header from the penalty spot goes over
25: Ince takes a free kick – that wasn’t actually a free kick – from twenty five yards that takes a nick off the wall and goes narrowly past Jeffries far post
That’s a very harsh decision and Nicholson can consider himself very unlucky as the hosts striker went down very easily and he wasn’t last man.
9: Red card and penalty for the home side as Nicholson pulls back Mitchley and is dismissed for a professional foul. Quick frankly an awful decision. Mitchley hits the post with the penalty
Spartans have started with two up top. Robbie Dale partnering Jarrett Rivers with Chris Bell and Arran Wearmouth on the wings
3: Booking already for Bodie as he pulls back Robbie Dale
The teams are out and Spartans will be wearing the famous green and white with the hosts in their traditional all blue kit and United get us underway
Team News: Jarrett Rivers replaces Dan Maguire, who has a knock and Alex Nicholson returns in place of the unavailable Dan Hawkins