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News Archive

5th November 2005
There were no damp squibs on Bonfire Night at Burscough where the "Linnets" outplayed League One Gillingham in the first period of their FA Cup First Round encounter and, after losing their deserved interval lead in the second half, came back from 2-1 down with a firecracker of a display to win 3-2.

After now defeating four clubs from higher spheres of the game to reach the 2nd Round Proper its fingers crossed that the UniBond club can land the live TV tie their efforts warrant. Back in the real world, Premier Division leaders North Ferriby United were held at Farsley Celtic but extended their lead to three points as second place Frickley Athletic lost to a solitary at Marine who have now beaten the only two clubs above them on successive Saturdays. Witton Albion's fourth win on the bounce by a comfortable 4-0 at Matlock Town takes them in to fifth level on points with Blyth Spartans, Guiseley and Bradford Park Avenue. At the other end of the table Leek Town's home draw against Prescot Cables leaves them with still only one league victory but a revamped Radcliffe Borough moved out of the bottom two with success at Bradford Park Avenue. In the First Division, the top two Bridlington Town and Mossley stole a march on all four of the clubs immediately below them who were all either held to a draw or, in the case of Clitheroe, lost. Bishop Auckland stay bottom after losing at Brigg Town but Belper Town lost a great opportunity to make up ground on the other strugglers when they let a two goal lead slip at Rossendale United and had to settle for a draw.

Snippets

Ilkeston Town have signed 20-year-old midfielder Oliver Ryan on a month's loan from Lincoln City where he had first team experience last season making half a dozen appearances as substitute. Despite making an excellent start in his caretaker role at Spalding United former Kettering Town Assistant Manager Alan Biley is refusing to throw his hat in the ring for the job on a permanent basis. He said this week "Having spent 22 months achieving at a higher level I'd like to manage as high as I can. I don't want to nail my colours to the mast at Spalding permanently but equally I don't have any intention of leaving. I don't want to pull the wool over anyone's eyes. I'm up front and honest and if the Chairman feels there is someone suited to take the club on I will happily step aside." Clitheroe have lost leading scorer Gary Jackson for up to a month after he was carried off at Woodley on Tuesday evening with damaged knee ligaments. Eastwood Town have re-signed one of their former favourites in Gary Breach who was a stalwart at Coronation Park for over seven years before moving to Gedling Town in 2001 and then Long Eaton United. They have also signed Adam Kerley from Gainsborough Trinity. The 20 year old has first team experience at Lincoln City and is no stranger to the UniBond scene as he has previously had loan spells at both Lincoln United and Spalding United. 16-year-old Danny Biegus became the youngest player to score for Kidsgrove Athletic in a UniBond fixture when he netted against Chorley on Tuesday evening.

UniBond "Club Of The Month" Awards

The UniBond "Club of the Month" awards for October have gone to Marine and Bridlington Town respectively. The "Mariners" won the top tier prize being undefeated in the month winning five of their eight games and just pipped Burscough who would have won the award for the second month in succession had they not lost their last game at home to Bradford Park Avenue. Frickley Athletic were also serious contenders with five wins and three draws but their FA Trophy defeat at the hands of First Division Warrington Town, albeit in a penalty shoot out, cost them their chance. It is the first time since March 2003 that the Crosby based club have taken this prize.

The First Division accolade went to Bridlington who had started the month with only two wins in eleven league and cup games. October, however, witnessed a dramatic turn round in fortunes with seven wins in nine outings to enable "Brid" shoot to top spot from twelfth place during the month and land the prize for the first time since they rejoined the League in 2003.

UniBond "Fair Play" Awards

The UniBond "Fair Play" awards for October have been won by Ashton United and Colwyn Bay respectively. Ashton were the Premier Division "good boys" with just one caution in six league outings narrowly ahead of Farsley Celtic who also had only one caution but in a game less. Colwyn Bay, meanwhile, had no cautions or dismissals at all in their five games during the month to take the First Division award ahead of Warrington Town (two yellows in five games) and Shepshed Dynamo who had three cautions in six matches.

For the Welsh club it is a remarkable turn round in discipline as only seven First Division clubs had a worse record than them last season which in itself was a significant improvement on the previous two campaigns when only two clubs had a poorer record in the First Division during 2003/4 whilst in 2002/3 they were in the unenviable position of being the worst offenders in either Division. Their excellent performance has taken them in to the lead in the season to date table with a mere five cautions in fifteen games as last month's leaders Chorley took a backward step with eleven cautions during October. That dropped the "Magpies" from top spot to fourth behind Colwyn Bay, Shepshed Dynamo and Belper Town.

There are new leaders, too, in the top tier where Farsley Celtic's efforts on the disciplinary front in the past month enabled them to move up from fourth place to top spot ahead of North Ferriby United and Leek Town. Last month's leaders Lincoln United certainly let themselves down in October falling eight places after a torrid eight cautions and three dismissals. The full season to date tables can be found elsewhere in this Press Release.

Endsleigh Sports Insurance "Goalscoring" Awards

The "Endsleigh Sports Insurance" Goalscoring awards for October have been scooped by Burscough and Gresley Rovers. Burscough scored 21 goals in their eight matches during the month, despite playing two of those games against Conference North opposition - a performance well worthy of the prize. Rovers haven't failed to find the net in seventeen games since they were held to a goalless draw in the second match of the season by Kidsgrove Athletic. October was no exception and although they lost three of their eight games during the month Rovers still managed to find the net on twenty occasions in eight games (ave 2.5 per match) to just pip Spalding who had 21 in 9 (ave 2.33 per match)

Lawson Appoints Smitheringale As Number Two

Clitheroe manager Tommy Lawson has appointed Goole AFC Assistant Manager Mark Smitheringale as his own number two following the recent decision of Benny Phillips to leave the Lancashire club and return to Witton Albion. Unlike Phillips who moved because of travel problems Smitheringale will be cutting his driving considerably as he lives in Skipton just eighteen miles from his new club rather than the 124 mile round trip to Goole. Smitheringale, who had Football League experience with Peterborough United and appeared in the 1984 FA Vase Final for Stamford, played under Lawson at Droylsden. He was player-coach at Harrogate Railway before following manager Paul Marshall to Goole.

Burscough Youngsters Emulate Seniors

Having been the only UniBond club to make it through to the 1st Round Proper of the FA Cup Burscough saw their youth team outfit emulate the seniors on Monday evening when they reached the 1st Round Proper of the FA Youth Cup with an awesome eleven goal away thrashing of a Workington side that had beaten Stalybridge Celtic in the previous round. Burscough appear in the First Round Proper of the FA Youth Cup for an amazing seventh time in eight seasons - the one occasion they missed out was in 2003/4 when they lost 2-1 to a rather special Chester-Le-Street side that went on to beat Hartlepool United, Port Vale and Derby County before bowing out 2-0 to West Ham United at the last 32 stage.

Burscough's reward is a trip to Huddersfield Town next Tuesday evening and having already claimed Football League scalps such as Rochdale and Bradford City in the past three years the visit will not be made in trepidation especially as they have yet to concede a goal in three games in this season's competition.

The UniBond League's other two representatives both bowed out 4-3 with Leek Town going down after extra-time at Hednesford Town whilst Farsley Celtic lost by the same score line at Daisy Hill.

Jackson Called Up For Futsal Squad

Colwyn Bay's Farai Jackson hasn't looked back since leaving Kidsgrove Athletic to join Colwyn Bay in September where he has been in outstanding form. He was signed when regular number one Matt Parry was injured but with the Welsh club going on an unbeaten in the league since Jackson's move Parry has been unable to claim his place back. Jackson, who must be one of the smallest goalkeepers on the UniBond scene, conceded only one goal in five league fixtures during October and has had his excellent form rewarded with selection for the England Futsal squad who visit Lithuania later this month when he will be hoping to add to the nine caps he has already won at this level of the game.

Jones Saves Four Pens

Another 'keeper making the headlines this week was Lincoln United's Gareth Jones who saved no fewer than four of the five penalties in his side's low scoring 2-0 penalty shoot out success in Tuesday evening's First Round UniBond League Challenge Cup tie against Frickley Athletic. It could be argued that Jones saved five pens as one save was disallowed by the ref only for the 'keeper to save the retaken kick! Jones didn't have to save the other Frickley effort - it hit the cross bar!

But Leek Have 'Keeper Trouble

By way of contrast to the above two items Leek Town are having goalkeeper trouble. Sheffield Wednesday scholar Ben Kirby became the sixth player to appear between the sticks already this season following in the footsteps of Rob Hackney, Tim Mullock, Mark Cartwright, Will Smith and Adam Wilkes!

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