Saturday 6 April 2019, Moss Rose, League 2, 3pm.

Roche Mills Lavelle Old Conlan Fleming Wildig Mandeville Mingoia Collins Ellison subs used Bennett for Wildig 76, Cranston for Mingoia 83.

Macc- O’Hara Fitzpatrick Kelleher Cameron Jules Pearson Durrell Rose Cole Wilson Stephens subs used Smith frorWilson 64, Whittaker for Rose 68, Martis for Cole 89.

Ref A Garratt – let the game flow, a little lenient with flying tackles for both sides.

Weather – clear, chilly but very sunny, pitch was in decent nick for this time of the season.

With the home side cast adrift ten points behind us with a game in hand, it was important to both sides to win but not lose, so perhaps no surprise we ended up 1-1. Some neat play in the opening minutes from the Shrimps set the pattern as they kept the ball well and were patient in their approach. Mandeville danced past three down the left, his shot being fortunately deflected for a corner by Cameron, who knew nothing about it. This lead to a Mills shot which didn’t trouble O’Hara. However within a minute we had opened our account. A free kick from Mingoia was head back across goal by Old and of all people Zak Mills headed powerfully unmarked past the keeper to score his first ever Shrimps goal.

Our supposed dominance was given a short sharp shock just six minuted later, after more pressure from us, Macc smuggled the ball out to Rose whose cross field pass was knocked in first time by Stephens to Wilson who helped it on to the advancing Durrell who took a touch before firing low past the stranded Roche to equalise.

This spurred the home side on who then grew in confidence and the game became a much more even contest. A free kick from Cole after a daft foul hit the base of the post hit Baz and bounced to safety. We countered with a goal ourselves. Unfortunately the flag was up, wrongly as the TV evidence proves, as Kev headed home after a very onside Old had headed back across to him. so half time all square.

Macc had a couple of half chances, Jules heading over and Cameron well wide from corners as we struggled a little to pass accurately. With little threat coming from the home side gradually we began to assert ourselves and adding Bennett up front suddenly gave us an edge. Bennett himself had an effort and Collins laid in Ellison who couldn’t sort his feet out in time to shoot. As the game drew to a close, it was again Ellison who wriggled freed and hooked a difficult chance over the bar and it ended all square.

Another word for the excellent work done by the Trust (and Gary Hocking/PAul Carter) in organising three coaches on the day, a healthy 409 Shrimps fans enjoyed a great day out, only marred by the idiot lighting a flare after our goal and throwing it on the pitch, please don’t let our reputation for being friendly be ruined by a chosen few idiots?

Onwards to safety

Freez