Bacup Borough v Steeton AFC

Recap

STEETON began September with a share of the spoils on the road against Bacup Borough.

In a pulsating open and end-to-end affair in East Lancashire, the Chevrons had taken the lead in the first half before conceding a sloppy penalty early in the second.

However, after three straight defeats to finish August, assistant manager Jacob Mistry was disappointed to not leave with all three points as the side were left to rue what he believed was a lack of composure in attack.

Both teams came firing out of the traps with lots of action in the early autumn sunshine but very little was created in terms of realistic chances in the opening half hour of the encounter.

This quickly changed in the space of five minutes which would end with the Chevrons breaking the deadlock.

Steeton first came close to the opener, Arley Barnes meeting Lewis Gartland’s corner at the near post but his looping header was just cleared off the line by a retracting defender.

The hosts hit on an immediate counter attack and made the most of a scrambling backline to set Oliver Hodgson through on goal.

His strike would beat the outstretched arm of Brad Emmerson but thankfully for the visitors would come back of the woodwork and allow Keann Shaw to hoof clear down the famous sloping pitch.

And with eight minutes on the clock until the break, the men in yellow and blue would be the side that found the breakthrough.

Jacob Smith’s marauding run through the middle of the park allowed him to get the ball to namesake Macca.

Macca Smith sent a first time pass to the feet of Josh Coe, the striker holding the ball up before turning and feeding the ball into the path of Macca Smith who found the inside of the near post.

Bacup began the second half the brighter of the two teams but created very little in terms of a realistic prospect of finding the equaliser.

Alas, it would be handed to them on the plate by the visitors.

A tame cross into the box dropped just inside the area where Mbako Chalashika was on hand to take possession.

The Chevrons centre half however leant in towards the ball and the cross dropped onto his arm, leaving the referee no choice but to point to the spot.

Kyle Siddle would send Emmerson the wrong way from twelve yards to bring the two teams back to parity.

It would be back to the walls for the visitors in the games closing stages as a moment of madness left them down to ten men.

A coming together between Jacob Holgate and Siddle saw the two exchange unpleasantries with the referee showing both men a yellow card.

Infuriated, Siddle continued his protests towards the officials and was immediately shown a second yellow card bringing a premature end to his afternoon.

Despite a man advantage, Steeton created very little in their pursuit to win the game as the closest they came was a shot from range by Owen Williamson that was cleared with ease from inside the area.

As the game petered out to a draw, there was nearly a moment of controversy which was thankfully avoided as the referee spared his own blushes.

Macca Smith made a run down the right channel and was pushed away from goal before Michael Gervin clattered through the back of the winger.

The referee distributed an immediate red card to the disbelief of all in attendance, however the man in the middle realised his error and quickly overturned to brandish a correct yellow card.

STEETON (Subs): Emmerson; Barnes; Williamson; Chalashika; Shaw; Hoban (Khan); Holgate; J Smith; Coe (Thornton); M Smith; Gartland. Subs (Not Used): Mitchell; Mampala

GOAL (Assist): M Smith 37’ (Coe)