Hillmen masters of their own downfall

Glossop North End 2, St Helens Town 3
NWCFL Premier Division

Match Report: Jonathan Haggart
Pictures: Jim Lockwood

Glossop slipped to a surprise defeat against the Saints on Saturday – it had been a game that they would probably expect to win beforehand, and the fans and players were probably just as surprised they hadn’t afterwards. The Hillmen largely dominated possession and chances, but didn’t make enough use of either. Unlike St Helens.

North End made a bright start and deservedly opened the scoring on 15 minutes. On the left side of the pitch, Sam Hare laid the ball forward with a flicked pass, and was immediately fouled from behind. However, the referee played a superb advantage as Tom Bailey advanced into the area and clipped a shot past Gibson.

The home side pressed for a second and from a Kilheeney cross Bailey chest-controlled, 8 yards out but couldn’t stay balanced to execute the finish. Then suddenly St Helens levelled.

Dave Young was penalised for a push at the right edge of the area. The free kick was drilled by Judge and bounced off the chest of Ben Proctor as he made the save. The ball ricocheted straight into the path of Gillespie, who simply tapped into the open net.

Then suddenly St Helens were in the lead.

It came from a North End corner which was cleared to Kilheeney at the edge of the area. He was bundled off the ball under pressure and St Helens broke with pace. In two passes the ball was in the Hillmen’s area and Storey rounded Proctor, but chose to go down under the challenge of the keeper. As the ball was going away from goal there was no red card for Proctor, but Judge blasted the spot kick under his despairing dive to put the visitors 2-1 up.

On 37 minutes, the Hillmen levelled. Paul Cliff received the ball on the left and beat his man, advancing to the by-line. He drilled a low cross across the face of goal and Alex Byrne had the simplest task to tap in at the back post.
North End tried to take a lead into the break, and thought they had in injury time, but Byrne’s headed effort from Hare’s cross was ruled out for offside.

Glossop’s hard work was undone by a poor spell in the first ten minutes after the break. St Helens came out of the dressing room with more energy and passed the ball well for a period. Sanderson should have scored after confusion between Young and Lugsden allowed the ball to fall at his feet in the area, and then Sykes-Wright did get the goal when allowed to cut in from the left. He took a speculative shot from 25 yards, and the low effort was just out of Proctor’s reach, hitting the corner of the net.

Glossop tried to pile of the pressure, but often the final ball let them down. When they did create a chance, they tended to take the wrong option, substitute Nathan Neequaye and Bailey both shooting when a pass to colleagues looked a better option.

However, Byrne should have done better when chesting down a Bailey pass and advancing into the area, as should Neequaye when putting a close range header right into the midriff of the keeper. Gibson also saved from a Bailey shot and then made a brilliant reaction save from Lugsden, recovering to clear to safety with his legs whilst still on the floor.
St Helens tried to expose gaps at the back, and Gillespie hit the outside of the post with a poked shot, but it was largely GNE pressure. The St Helens rear-guard continued to stand firm though, with Adams’ shot blocked by defensive bodies in the last minute of injury time. That signalled the end of the siege, and a fine, gritty, win for the visitors.

St Helens will be pleased with their workrate and character whilst Glossop will not see too much wrong with their performance. However, the Hillmen will know that they need a touch more finesse around the box against Winsford at Surrey Street on Tuesday and that they need to play for 90 minutes, not 80.

GNE: Proctor, Lugsden, Russell (Marshall), Young, Adams, Allen, Byrne, Kilheeney, Bailey, Hare (Neequaye), Cliff (Blackshaw).