Steeton AFC v AFC Blackpool

Recap

STEETON extended their unbeaten run for four as they continued their pursuit of the play-offs.

Making it back-to-back victories to keep within five points of the top five, the Chevrons rallied with a comprehensive victory just a week on from the horrific leg injury to teammate George Kelly.

And after a week of rallying and support off the pitch following the abandonment at Nelson, the men in green firmly took that spirit over the white line against an out of sorts AFC Blackpool.

The afternoon began as a scrappy affair as the early exchanges saw both teams fail to gain the early foothold in the contest.

It would be the hosts though who created the opportunities and took control but struggled to break the deadlock as Lewis Gartland, Josh Coe, and Macca Smith, all saw efforts either saved or go wide of the goal.

Ten minutes before the interval, Steeton found the afternoon’s opening goal following an excellent individual effort from Jacob Holgate on his return to the side.

Receiving a pass on the half way line from Macca Smith, the midfielder turned and drove towards the Mechanics goal.

Once on the edge of the area, Holgate fired a shot across the face of the goalkeeper and into the bottom right hand corner.

The lead further lit the fuse beneath the home side, and they were desperately unlucky to not double their lead prior to the half-time whistle sounding.

Coe first saw a shot excellently blocked on the line by Blackpool keeper James Faiers moments before another attack saw a strike from Macca Smith agonisingly go inches wide of the far post.

A yellow card to Jacob Smith did nothing to thwart the Chevrons advances as they looked to make things more comfortable at the break.

There was a feeling that half-time might have come at the wrong time for Steeton, but they continued to turn the screw as the second half began.

The Blackpool keeper made a superb save to deny Aidan Kirby and turn the ball away for a corner.

But from the set-piece, he would finally see his goal breached for a second time in the afternoon.

A deep delivery was headed back across the face of goal by Keann Shaw where his centre-half partner Arley Barnes was on hand to fire home from close range.

There was a strong penalty shout as Macca Smith went down under pressure inside the box with Faiers preventing the men from the Fylde coast falling further behind with another excellent save to deny Gartland.

But a well-deserved third would soon follow for the home side.

Macca Smith found space in the right channel and sped down the flank and into the area.

With the goal at his mercy, he opted not to be selfish and rolled the ball into the path of the supporting Aidan Kirby to tap home and with it end the game as a contest.

In the final minute of normal time, Roy Mason opted to introduce all five of his substitutes at once to hand debuts to new signings Nathan Strong and Hamid Addai.

A fellow substitute, Mbako Chalashika, picked up a yellow card and gave away the free-kick that allowed Blackpool to have the afternoon’s final say as they denied Brad Emmerson a clean sheet with a goal in the sixth minute of injury time.

From a free-kick, John Hay found himself free inside the area to head home.

This proved mere more as a consolation as Steeton now look to continue their fine run of late next Saturday as relegation threatened Garstang visit Marley.

STEETON (Subs): Emmerson; M Smith; Williamson (Lynn); Barnes; Shaw; J Smith (Chalashika); Holgate (Addai); Moloney; Kirby (Strong); Coe; Gartland (Lawton).

GOALS (Assist): Holgate 36’ (M Smith); Barnes 51’ (Shaw); Kirby 72’ (M Smith)