East Lancs League

Presidents Cup

Stacksteads 1

Cross Hills 1

A HOME replay was the best Cross Hills could produce after a tight game in front of a hostile crowd.

This fixture has never been a classic and this quarter final of the Presidents Cup was no different. Stacksteads started off the sharpest, winning every loose ball and pursuing their opponents.

Cross Hills were pinned back for the opening quarter and they were soon one down after a half volley from outside the box was deflected off Bell into the net.

Gradually Cross Hills started to pull their game together and competent work down the right side by Andrew Little with Lloyd filling in at sweeper seemed to spur the team on.

Fenton could have equalised for Hills but did not see the ball early enough to react.

Cross Hills did equalise midway through the second half when Bell finished well from a corner.

A penalty was awarded to Stacksteads for shirt pulling but they failed to grasp the opportunity and missed.

Chances were scarce and as extra time loomed John Harrison found himself free inside the box but steered the ball over the bar.

Extra time was played in which neither side looked like scoring and were pleased to hear the final whistle.

Oswaldtwistle 2

Settle Utd 3

NO this is not an April fool! Settle United first team earned their first points of the season at the expense of Oswaldtwistle.

'Ossy' is always a daunting match for Settle, where they have been on the wrong end of some high scoring defeats. Maybe this is what frightened some first team regulars into a weekend's drinking, shopping, whatever.

Settle's mix-and-match side of first team stalwarts and second teamers took the lead after 10 minutes when Craig Dinsdale headed in a left wing corner. Oswaldtwistle equalised but Settle defended well after this and were worth the draw at half time.

The second half began with Settle taking the game to Oswaldtwistle and after hesitation between the goalkeeper and fullback, David Worthington stole in to restore the lead for Settle. Three golden opportunities to increase the lead were spurned by Settle before Jason Cardus scored a third with a great run through a square defence and a perfect finish.

With Settle chasing every ball, 'Ossy' were getting more and more ragged until an extraordinary penalty decision by the referee changed the nature of the game. Settle's keeper, scrambling across his area to dive onto a loose ball, was held by an opponent but not so said the ref as he awarded a penalty. The keeper's enquiry into the nature of his offence resulted with his being sent off.

It was now backs-to-the-wall defending for Settle as they looked to play out the final 20 minutes with 10 men. The whole of Settle's defence was superb with Philip Eccleston playing particularly well against experienced and dangerous forwards.

David Worthington, as stand-in keeper pulled off some excellent saves, one in particular was worthy of winning any match.

A 3-2 win at Oswaldtwistle is sweet at any time, but particularly so when Settle were forced to field such a weakened side.

Converted for the new archive on 30 June 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.