Birkdale United AFC

Birkdale won the Under 11′s Trisconi cup against Burscough at Burscoughs ground. It was a great all round performance with Birkdale fully deserving the victory.

 In the first half the lads started well, if only for the Burscough keeper it could have been more. They missed four 1 on 1s in the first half before they went ahead with an excellent worked goal. Bainbridge won the ball in midfield and he passed the ball to his midfield partner Instone, who passed an excellent through ball to Rimmer who outpaced the defence and coolly finished. The boys battled well against a very strong and well organised Burscough team. At half-time, it was 1-0 to Birkdale.

In the second half we started off brightly and were right at Burscough from the start. Conway, Instone, Bainbridge and McCarthy all working tirelessly to win the ball back for Birkdale. In defence Sheen and Gelling were excellent up against two very good and powerful forwards who never had a sniff  of goal all night.

We always looked dangerous when attacking with Rimmer and Jackson causing the Burscough defence all sorts of problems with their quick feet and excellent skills.

However just as we were on the attack we lost the ball and Burscough broke away and although Sheen blocked the initial shot, the rebound fell to the Burscough winger who crossed for the forward to head home.

It looked like it was going to be one of those games but to Birkdale’s credit, they rallied round each other and got their heads straight back up and went ahead soon after with a finish from McCarthy after the keeper had made a save from Jackson.

Jackson and Rimmer were causing all sorts of problems for the Burscough defence and after some great work from the two, Rimmer added his second.

We made four changes with Regan replacing McCarth, Gabrielle replacing Conway, Howard replacing Instone and Wright replacing Jackson. Still Birkdale pressed and nearly got a fourth when Howard set up Regan only for thr keeper to save at his near post.

Burscough kept battling away but the defence of Birkdale was having an excellent night and were very resilient. If and when they got through stand in keeper Young cleared everything up.

Then with five minutes to go the game was finished of with a through ball from Gabrielle to Wright who beat the offside trap with only the keeper to beat he raced through only for him to allow Rimmer along side him to finish well and complete his hat-trick.

 

A glorious afternoon for football as the season drew to a close with a play-off for the league title, both sides having ended the season level on 29 points.

 

The first half was very tight with neither side able to break the deadlock and few clear cut chances.   Birkdale’s best chance of the half fell to Rawsthorne but his shot went just over the bar.

 

Six minutes into the second half, Birkdale finally went ahead when Jackson latched on to a through ball and fired over the advancing keeper.

 

The lead lasted for only four minutes when Formby equalised following a corner that came back off the back post and was knocked into the net.

 

The game continued to ebb and flow but neither side were able to score again, although Birkdale squandered a number of chances to win the game including blazing a shot over the bar from less than six yards and also hitting the bar, and Formby nearly stole the win five minutes from time when Knight pulled off a great save low to his right to deny the advancing forward.

 

So, into extra time, and again a stalemate which meant the result was going to be decided by penalties.   The tension was mounting, well at least for the parents!

 

Formby won the toss and decided to make Birkdale go first.

 

Jackson took the first penalty and scored, 1 – 0.

Knight saved the first Formby penalty diving low down to his left.

 

Pike took the second penalty and scored, 2 – 0.

 

Formby missed their second penalty wide of the left hand post.

 

Young took the third penalty and scored, 3 – 0.

 

Formby scored their third penalty into the top left hand corner, 3 – 1.

 

Williams stepped up to take the decisive penalty and scored, 4 – 1.

 

A fantastic result for Neil Williams and the team, success in his first season as manager, and a great present on his birthday, well done to everyone.

Birkdale made a slow start to this game and allowed Town Green to take an early lead after only a minute from a through ball that caught the Birkdale defence square and flat footed.

The second goal came after 11 minutes from another ball over the top of the defence with the forward taking the ball round the advancing keeper.

 

Birkdale finally started to string a few passes together and were rewarded with a goal after 13 minutes scored by Rawsthorne.

 

Two minutes later Birkdale were unlucky not to be on level terms when Regan put the ball into the back of the net only for it to be ruled out for offside.

 

After 18 minutes Town Green were awarded a free kick on the edge of the penalty area which was fired into the top corner of the net to make the score 3 – 1.

 

Continued pressure from Town Green saw them grab a fourth goal after 23 minutes.

 

Birkdale grabbed a second goal on the stroke of half time, scored with a rasping shot by Jackson, to make it 4 – 2 at the interval.

 

The second half was much tighter although Town Green did have more of the possession.

 

After 12 minutes, Town Green grabbed a fortunate fifth goal with the referee missing a clear offside decision.

 

The final goal of the game came after 20 minutes with another poor refereeing decision as the Birkdale keeper pushed the ball out only for the Town Green forward to handle the ball into the back of the net to give a final score of 6 – 2.

 

This was a poor performance by Birkdale and Town Green definitely deserved to win, but the scoreline flattered the home side.

 

Man of the Match was awarded to Jackson who caused the Town Green defence problems every time he got the ball.

 

Birkdale made a bright start to this game and were rewarded with an early goal after only two minutes when Jackson ran through on goal and chipped the ball over the advancing keeper.

 

After 10 minutes, a corner taken by Frew saw Jackson’s powerful header find the corner of the net to double the advantage.

 

Two minutes later, Jackson completed another hat trick with a smart finish into the bottom left corner.

 

Regan made the score 4 – 0 after 25 minutes when he picked the ball up just inside the Ainsdale half and ran towards the defence, before firing a great shot from just outside the area into the corner of the net. That was the way it stayed until half time.

 

10 minutes into the second half, a fine finish from Rawsthorne made the score 5 – 0. Two minutes later Ainsdale grabbed one back with a great left footed shot from just inside the six yard box. 

 

A great performance from Birkdale in the first half and it could have been more but for some fine saves from the Ainsdale keeper.   The second half was much more scrappy, not helped by the rapidly deteriorating weather, most of it played in falling snow!

 

Man of the Match this week for a fine defensive display and marauding runs down the wing was J. Frew.

 

Birkdale made a bright start to this game, dominating possession right from the kick off.

 

The first goal came after only two minutes, scored by Jackson.

 

After eight minutes, Regan ran down the left wing and his perfectly flighted cross was met by the head of Jackson and flew over the Hesketh keeper to make it 2 – 0.

 

Birkdale continued to dominate the bulk of possession but didn’t add to their lead until a minute before half time when Jackson completed his hat trick.

 

The second half started in very much the same way as the first half had finished, with Birkdale making all of the running.

 

The fourth goal came after six minutes with a cross from Rawsthorne, slipped into the net by Jackson.

 

Four minutes later, the fifth goal came from a cross by Pike, knocked into the net by Williams.

 

After 16 minutes, Jackson picked up the ball on the edge of the penalty area and rounded the keeper to slot the ball in for his fifth goal of the afternoon and make it 6 – 0.

 

Hesketh Colts only real chance of the game came after about 20 minutes when an under hit back pass left Knight stranded but as he closed down the angle, the Hesketh Colts striker lifted the ball against the crossbar and Frew cleared the rebound.

 

Almost immediately Birkdale took the ball down to the other end and a Jackson shot was deflected into the path of Regan who tapped the ball into the net to make it 7 – 0.

 

Jackson was not going to be denied a second hat trick and grabbed his sixth goal of the game after 24 minutes making it 8 – 0.

 

The final goal of the game was scored by Jackson after 27 minutes. Birkdale did have the ball in the net one more time but Regan was adjudged to be offside.

 

A good all round performance by Birkdale with a number of players showing a good level of work rate and commitment.   The score could have been even more if all of the chances that were created had been converted.   Joint Men of the Match this week were Jackson for his seven goals and Regan for a strong performance on the left wing putting in some great crosses.