Match Reports - Season 2016/2017

1st Team Results, Scorers and Match Reports (where submitted).
Broughton Score First.

Sat. 20th Aug 2016	V	Walmer Bridge (a) 1 - 1 (ht.0-0) scorers : S. Cummins
		Well here we are again dear reader. Things look pretty much the same as last year as regards personnel but after a somewhat random pre season we approached the first game with hope , but without 100% confidence . It showed in the first half of the game , though the strong winds reduced both teams ability to play cohesive football. With the wind mostly in our back we too often chose to take the easy long ball option and too frequently the ball flew away from Finney and Yates who worked hard upfront. Yates came closest of either team to scoring when a 25 yarder thumped against the base of the post and though both teams had half chances a goal-less first half was about right Against the strong wind things could have been much harder , but infact it turned out to be a benefit- though for the first 10 minutes of the half we continued to look sluggish. 10 minutes in Walmer scored a wind assisted goal . A 40 yard free kick caught the wind and outwitted keeper Hayhurst though he made up for the mis-judgement twice in the next 5 minutes with high class saves both low down and from just under the bar. It looked grim for 5 minutes- then somebody found our “go “ button Almost collectively from that point we started to control the ball better, passes found feet and the second phase of play became more decisive. Barnes came on and made a significant impact on the right, Cummins started to probe forward from midfield and Finney began to find space in the final third. The equalising goal came from Cummins with a header following a late run into the box, but this was just the conclusion to a great passage of play that saw numerous chances created . db PS. Following later "video" analysis we can report the equalising goal was infact a bullet header into the top corner from 12 yards. It was still only worth 1 point though.
Tue. 23rd Aug 2016	V	Penwortham Town (a) 2 - 2 (ht.0-0) scorers : S. Garry, M. Finney
		The jury is out on whether this was a point gained or 2 lost. I probably favour the latter though with 10 minutes to go I would have taken a point. The reality is that we played half decently for short spells and poorly for longer spells. Too many chances were spurned and too many passes over/ under or miss hit and the result was – well 2-2. We started brightly with the defensive partnership of Gill and Owens looking solid and with Finney and Yates lively up front – and chances were fashioned - but blazed over or wide when a little calm thinking was needed. As a result the half was a nervy affair- and the more so as Penworthams 2 lively and capable midfielders started to find space and threaten . A half time score of 0-0 was a poor reflection of what could have been The second half was similar albeit Cummins and Garry were able to generate more control over midfield. Penwortham introduced another speedy winger and so any break down in our play inevitably created pressure as the speed of their attack was often faster than the speed of our defensive cover. Both Penworthams goals came this way and we could not complain that they weren’t deserved. As a result we had to twice recover from a 1 goal deficit – and credit to the team that we managed to do it both times. Jay Martin pushed up front for the last 30 minutes managed to bring a little stability to the attack and provide a focal point and this meant that we could get midfield into the attack rather than being left 20 yards behind by long balls forward. From one such move Martin cleverly held the ball and squared to Garry on the edge of the box – and Garry found the top corner. The second equaliser came just 10 minutes from the end and followed one of our few free flowing passing moves. The ball went from right to left- then back to Finney and he provided a cool run in on goal and a bottom corner finish. There was still time for Yates to hit the bar and a couple of panic moments at our end, but 2-2 was about right. DB
Sat. 27th Aug 2016	V	Standish St. Wilfreds (a) 0 - 5 (ht.0-3) scorers : -
		To quote the manager of the opposition “we transferred from the Wigan league to mid Lancs because we got bored winning everything ! “ After Saturday we can see why. True we were missing a number of our more influential players – but the seemingly so were they- and the ones they had left were faster fitter and dare I say more committed as a teams. We started with 13 which included 4 centre backs and to try to keep round pegs in round holds we started with a 3 of them. The intention was to provide a solid platform and so it did for a while. Unfortunately our midfield 3 began to get over run and eventually after 30 minutes we were outflanked and Hayhurst was beaten by an attack that ended with a one on one. Once the dam had burst it was a sorry picture until a couple of changes were made and we managed to revert to 4-4-2. Frankly, after this change, we looked slightly more comfortable and even threatened couple of times , but 3-0 down at half time did not tell a lie The second half was actually a good deal better. Pendlebury began to have an influence and whilst we never dominated the Standish midfield or defence, we did start to have an influence. We always look best when Cummins is able to break forward and find space and for a 30 minute period the game was evenly matched and we certainly looked the more dangerous. We had a number of corners and free kicks around the box , but just failed to make them count and we were made to pay in the last 10 minutes as legs tired. Stu Garry put in a sterling shift as post honeymoon dust is blown away and we saw a welcome return to action by Rob Horn , but overall we need to find another gear. db
Sat. 3rd Sept 2016	V	Bolton United (h) 3 - 5 (ht.0-3) scorers : L. Taylor, R. Horn, S. Cummins
		We are still not 100% sure how we did this. Having been on top of the game for a good part of the 1st half and most of the 2nd we managed to go into the break 3-0 down, concede a 4th just into the 2nd half and then claw our way back to some respectability. The key seems to be the transition from attack to defence – or to be blunt we keep getting exposed on the break. Luke Taylor returned from somewhere and immediately gave our attack a directness that we have lacked so far this campaign. A couple of times in the first 20 minutes he escaped his marker to send in tempting crosses that we just narrowly failed to convert and for that period we started to look comfortable. From that point on however we started to over complicate and as first touches became poorer Bolton closed up and pressured. Three times we conceded in the 1st half and all followed a similar pattern of possession lost too easily, followed by speedy counter attack and clinical finish. Bolton had 5 chances and scored 5 goals A change of formation to 4-3-3 took time to settle, but once it did we in turn started to pressure the Bolton midfield and defence. With less time they looked much less effective and we slowly started to build the pressure. Luke Taylor got a just reward for effort and skill shown by opening the scoring. Rob Horn pushing forward got on the end of a cross ball into the box to claim a 2nd and Sean Cummins applied a decisive header from a corner for the 3rd, but between the successes we twice got “done” by counter attacks . We ended well on top and with an extra 15 minutes we could well have scored another couple, but maybe would have also conceded ! It's just that sort of game right now and we need to sort it. db
Sat. 10th Sept 2016	V	Newman College (h) 0 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : -
		-
Sat. 17th Sept 2016 LFA Cup Rd 1	V	Marsh United (a) 3 - 1 (ht.0-1) scorers : M. Billington, K. Cummins, S. Horn
		LANCASHIRE FA - AMATEUR CUP Round 1 At last ! A victory to kick start what has been a difficult campaign so far, but after 5 minutes it looked like the game was going the way or previous attempts this season. Starting 4-5-1 the plan was to ensure midfield superiority, but we started sluggishly and despite the numbers the Marsh midfield continually found enough space to ping long through balls to fast attackers. Our 2 full backs came under particular pressure and after only 5 minutes one such ball saw Stu Horn exposed on the left. The resulting low whipped cross was almost undefendable and we were behind. The pattern was almost repeated a couple times more until after 20mins the game turned into a stalemate. Our problems were attributed to formation, but in fact was mainy down to speed of thought and maybe some self confidence issues once on the ball. The boys worked hard but without any real conviction and so although we threatened occasionally, there was no real pattern or coherence. A change of formation (to 4-4-2 ) was organised at the break, and in a full and frank exchange of views a change on mental attitude was called for. Chris Cox came into the midfield 4 and the change was instantaneous. We looked like a new team as Cox started to collect the ball deep and give short early passes. Sean Cummins jumped on the bandwagon and started the “give an go” football for which he is at his most effective and Jamie Yates had a storming 2nd half as he and Matt Billington combined well and ran the Marsh defence ragged. You really wouldn’t have thought we were the same team as the slow of thought and deed outfit we had been in the first half. Kev Cummins started our revival when, after a slick passing movement, he got into the box ahead of his marker and rounded the keeper to tap home. Matt Billington put us ahead with a self made goal that saw him beat 2 defenders then lash an unstoppable shot into the net from 15 yards. Finally, Stu Horn bent in a low free kick to seal the game. We had other chances to make it more comfortable and apart from a series of corners which were well defended our defensive organisation allowed Marsh almost no chances in the whole of the second period. DB
Sat. 24th Sept 2016	V	Eccleston & Heskin (h) 1 - 1 (ht.0-0) scorers : L. Taylor
		Last weeks significant improvement was maintained this week against a team that started the day joint top of the league. Taylor, Butterworth and Garry returned to boost the squad though Rob Horn was ruled out following a Sunday morning warm up incident !! Against a strong wind it was always likely to be a nervy affair, but with Alston and Cummins buzzing in midfield and the back 4 of Monks, McGill and a brace of Horns looking solid, the Eccleston attack was restricted to mainly long range efforts. On the occassions that very clear cut chances were fashioned we were saved by Keeper Lopko, bad finishing and luck in that order. Equally though we could have gone into the break ahead as Eccleston also had their keeper to thank for maintaining their part in a goal-less first half. We used the wind very effectively and resisted the temptation to "go long" and as a result, with Billington and Taylor working hard and finding space, we worked our openings instead of just hoping they would happen. Taylor gave us the lead after a well worked move and a killer pass from Garry saw the Broughton front man one on one with the keeper. The finish wasn’t the cleanest, but it was on target and that always gives you a chance. Broughton continued to work the ball wide and with Butterworth and Yates looking dangerous the chances continued to come (and go). A series of injuries to both Cumminses mid way through the half caused a short term problem as we had to re-organise, and when Billington also picked up an injury our effectiveness was compromised for the rest of the half (Andy Horn having also been crocked at the end of the 1st half). Eccleston were certainly more dangerous for the last 20 minutes - and though we defended well, they equalised when a long cross and glancing header evaded all defensive attempts. The best chances fell to Broughton though as Yates shot narrowly wide, then from corners both Garry and McGill both would probably feel that chances should have been put on target. db
Sat. 1st. Oct 2016	V	Preston Wanderers (a) 3 - 5 (ht.2-2) scorers : J. Yates 2, A. Butterworth
		Another close match, and loss and another what might have been. Injuries etc continue to kill us and with 6 people missing from last weeks starting line up the last thing we needed was for captain Stu Horn to pull a Hammy within 5 minutes of the start. Yet another re-organisation was called for and the first 15 minutes were a bit torrid. Wanderers took a deserved lead but slowly we settled however and Ash Butterworth brought us level when quick thinking saw him intercept a loose pass at the back and his 20 yard shot dipped over the keeper and under the bar. A switch to a 3 man midfield with Yates and Butterworth wide and Pendlebury upfront started to look and effective combination and it was no suprise when a fast attack bamboozled the Wanderers defence and a rash tackle provided Yates a penalty opportunity to put us ahead. Wanderers drew level just before half time. A strange one this. Barnes fouled his opponent and the ref ruled an advantage and played on - fair enough so far. The fouled opponent then got Barnes in a headlock - which one might reasonably construe as 1) a serious foul play and 2) would explain a big gap in our defence through which they proceeded and equalised. If the ref had missed the ongoing situation then the linesmen would certainly have seen it - but no - everybody seemed convinced that all was hunky dory and the liner - though he had seen the incident declined to trouble the ref. Despite this setback we started the 2nd half on the front foot. Boardy, Garry and Barnes running midfield and a well constructed move saw Yates finish cooly. We had other good chances but failed to take them - and were punished by yet another fast break. Rob Horn finally succumed to a muscle injury and a game that could easily have gone either way finally swung in favour of our opponnents who were well on top for the last 10 minutes. db
Sat. 8th Oct 2016 LFA Cup Rd 2	V	Old Blackburnians (a) 5 - 1 (ht.3-0) scorers : J. Yates 2, L. Taylor 2, M. Pendlebury
		LANCASHIRE FA - AMATEUR CUP Round 2 A nostalgic visit to old rivals from our LAL days provided another diversion from league issues - and we took full advantage to provide a confidence boosting result. We started slowly however and twice almost fell victim to the O.Blacks main attacking threat which comprosed a long diagonal ball to fast wide men. The problem was that despite "flooding" midfield we were still not marking tight enough, but once that fault had been rectified the midfield 3 of Alston, Garry and Boardman started to exert real influence. Pendlebury as a lone front man provided an excellent focal point and this allowed the pace of Taylor and Yates to support and link well. The first goal came on 20 minutes and was an excellent team effort, having started from deep, involved all midfield and when Garry found space to burst into the 6 yard box his short pass was turned in by Luke Taylor. Taylor turned provider 5 minutes later. A fast turn wide on the left was followed by a sensational angled pass into the box. Yates anticipated well and his pace took him past a defender and met the ball just before the keeper to flick it into the net. A highly satisfactory first half was completed by a second from the ever dangerous Taylor and it’s a while since the half time team talk could be as relaxed. McGill and Monks at the centre of defence had been almost faultless in the first half, and Hayhurst had saved well in the few dangerous moments at the start of the game, and so it continued for the second half. Any possible worries about a comeback were nailed within 10 mins of the re-start with Yates getting his second after yet another good move and decisive finish. Cox replaced Alston in midfield and Alacid replaced Butterworth and for a 30 minute spell we retained the ball well despite the uneven pitch. Our only carleless bit of marking allowed space for Old Blacks to claw one back with a great 20 yard shot - and for 5 mins we rocked a little, but then the ball control came back and we finished on a high with Pendlebury stabbing home from close range to get a deserved reward for his efforts. db
Sat. 15th Oct. 2016 GH Cup Rd 1	V	Adlington (h) 5 - 3 (ht.1-0) scorers : J. Yates 3, M. Pendlebury 2
		GUILDHALL CUP ROUND 1 On a glorious autumn afternoon this was the classic game of three thirds. We started slowly and lethargically, a mindset partly, maybe, as a result of the changes (only 5 injured and 4 away/ working) and maybe partly as a result of a delayed start due to the ref arriving late. Either way it wasn’t good and although Pendlebury scored a good headed goal and Yates went close we really didn’t have any ascendency. The turning point seemed to come just before half time when some minor foul by somebody on Pendle seemed to provoke some hysterical mass confrontation event. I can only think that all the players were bored with the game (I was) and were looking for some distraction. The whole scene made the term “handbags at dawn” seem like some macho event and it was embarrassing period of play. Strangely however it seemed to have a motivational effect and for the rest of the half and into the second half we suddenly found an extra yard of pace and improved accuracy of pass, so much so that we scored 4 unanswered goals. Yates and Pendlebury looked especially sharp and for a 25 minute spell were unplayable. 2 debutants from last years u18 both had effective games. Lewis Tannock at full back had to contend with Adlingtons most dangerous forward and Marcus Ball looked fine in centre mid and almost crowned the performance with a volleyed shot that hammered against the post. At 5-0 we all relaxed, though being down to 10 men didn’t help, and that relaxation suddenly turned into careless play. At least 2 of the Adlington goals that came in the last 15 were due to people switching off, but we always had something in reserve. db
Sat. 22nd Oct 2016	V	Ribble Wanderers (a) 4 - 2 (ht.2-1) scorers : J. Yates 3, S. Cummins
		Rarest of rare events (no, not the league win) but we had a squad of 14 players and no drop outs !!! The phone and emails were eerily quiet on Friday night. With such a surfeit of riches the pre match talk was of planned sub rotations at the half time break. This plan lasted 30 seconds – which was the time it took for the Alston hamstring to register disapproval at the prospect of future action. Kev Cummins had barely donned his top before it was coming off again and the newly shaped team looked effective from the off. Pendlebury led the line well and with the pace of Taylor and Yates causing havoc down the flanks it seemed inevitable that a goal would come – and it did - but sadly at our end. I’ve lost count of the number of times we have been caught out by fast counter attacks from our own attacking situations. This time it came straight from one of our corners and with marking in disarray it took 10 seconds to go from our corner to a square ball into our 6 yard box to find an opposition attacker unmarked. Our next change came when Pendlebury suffered an ankle injury (I am thinking of installing a conveyor belt – so many of our lads come off injured these days) and in the time it took me to organise a sub we had equalised. Luke Taylor escaped his marker yet again and his perfect pass was finished by Yates. 2 minutes later we were ahead and Yates turned provider when a fast turn and shot hit the bar / post and Sean Cummins was fastest to react. A half time score of 2-1 was certainly mertited as time and again our dynamic attacking play fashioned chances. The second half was an ill tempered affair though almost all the aggravation came from the opposition. Broughton showed considerable restraint and continued to defend well and launch effective attacks. Yates put us 3-1 up and could have had more and that should have been that, but for 15 minutes in the middle of the half Ribble took the initiative and we seemed incapable of stopping attacks coming through the middle of the park. Ribble scored and for a short period threatened more, but our lead was extended by the tireless Yates who pressured a defender into a mistake then took it on to round the keeper. db
Sat. 29th Oct 2016 LFA Cup Rd 3	V	Prestwich (h) 2 - 1 (ht.0-0) scorers : J. Yates, L.Taylor
		LANCASHIRE FA - AMATEUR CUP Round 3 The look on the face of the Prestwich manager when in the last minute Luke Taylor picked up the ball on the edge of the box, dipped his shoulder, went past and curled the ball into the top corner – was a picture ! To be honest I had a degree of sympathy, because if the game was scored on points rather than goals then it's clear that they would have edged it. The thing is though that despite having general control over much of midfield they didn’t make it count - and making it count is the key. That they didn’t was down to a very determined defensive effort from Alasi, Horns x 2, Gilly and Monks though everybody from front to back played a major part. A slightly makeshift midfield 3 of Cummins, Tasis and Andy Horn started the game well, but started to get over-run as a very talented and hard running Prestwich side. We struggled to keep things in check and as a result Pendlebury found himself isolated. We did have some chances from fast counter attacks. Taylor and Yates almost combined twice and Cummins had a shot that went close, but mainly the game was played in our half and that meant that discipline was key. We were pleased to welcome back Alston and he came on to add a bit of steel at half time. John Sharples also made his debut for the second half and almost immediately started to make an impact down the right and with Yates and Taylor pushing on our pace started to trouble a previously untroubled Prestwich back 4. Having created a number of chances we then (again) succumbed to a counter attack as again we got outpaced and found ourselves a goal down and to be honest it could have been 2 had Hayhurst not stood tall when faced with a one on one. 5 minutes later we were lucky to survive when a 2 against Hayhurst situation was salvaged by a mixture of good keeping and greed. After that however things started to swing our way as we changed formation a couple of times and started to find ways through the Prestwich defence. The equaliser came 5 minutes from the end when Tasis won the ball on the right, fed Taylor and his long cross was met by Cummins on the back post. The ball bounced invitingly into the 6 yard box – and Yates continued his impressive recent scoring run. Thoughts started to turn to the impending penalty trial – and then TAYLOR did his thing. db
Sat. 5th Nov. 2016	V	Southport & Ainsdale Ams (a) 0 - 5 (ht.0-5) scorers : -
		The visit to Southport is always a difficult affair and with the opposition record of 6 and 0 so far this season, we knew that this week wouldn’t be any different. Add to that a list of absentees that would make the complexity of the current ITV hit “the missing“ look like a walk in the park, and you would see why we went with only 12. So, when our only remaining forward went off injured after 20 seconds – one could only laugh a sardonic chuckle. Southport started at a high tempo and stayed there for the whole of the first half. The pitch had scorch marks down either flank where their 2 fast wingers caused chaos at every touch – and by the time management had sorted out the defensive problems we were 2 down – or was it 3 ? - it all happened so fast. Add to that a super well worked corner routine and a couple of defensive errors, then you had a very sorry half time scoreline of 0-5. By the time we got to the break we were on tactical plan F and none had worked. Happily I can report that plan G prevailed for the second half and that plan at least was effective. The talk at half time was about supporting each other and gaining some degree of respectability and I can report that we managed to carry that off. True we had to thank keeper Hayhurst for a couple of standout saves, but equally we did threaten on a number of occasions (hitting the bar twice) and we weren’t being pulled to shreds like we were for most of the first half. So we were able to leave with a degree of self respect salvaged and hopefully a few of our lads might turn up again next week. db
Sat. 12th Nov. 2016	V	Walmer Bridge (h) 3 - 0 (ht.1-0) scorers : L. Taylor, S. Boardman, S. Cummins
		With a nip in the air and Guy's Thatched Hamlet advertising their Santa's grotto, Christmas seemed to be in the air. However, Ebeneezer Stuooge and the Preston weather tried to dampen our Christmas spirit before we had even kicked off. In the absence of Doug (who was on a scouting mission in Italy), managerial duties fell to Pep Guardialston. After receiving a message from Stuey Horn telling me to bench him, my first act was to do just that. Stu was furious. The next dampener was the weather. The Myerscough pitch was soggy at best and this caused our continental right back great puzzlement: "'ow do you stand ooop?" He cried, wearing his moulded studs. "We cannot posseeblee play in dis!" His eyes then went very wide as he noticed the metal on the bottom of Gilly's boots. "And what are dey?!" He said, pointing to Gilly's studs. "Studs, mate," was the gruff reply. "Ah 'ave never seen deese! We do not have dose in Southern Spain!" So the talk beforehand was about managing the conditions and pressing the opposition from the start. And 30 seconds in, this instruction produced our opening goal. After Pendle and Jamie (or Lazarus as he is also known) closed down the Walmer Bridge back 4, their centre half was feeling very Christmassy and handed a gift-wrapped present straight to Taylor. He had aeons to compose himself, pick his spot and lash the ball in. 1-0. For the next 20 minutes, we looked dangerous at every opportunity. Our wingers, Boardy and Taylor, caused havoc down the flanks, Pendle's touch was like velvet and Stu Garry and the back 4 looked solid and kept any counter attacks at bay. Only a combination of poor choices and sloppy finishes meant the score remained the same. However, we slipped back into bad habits and allowed Walmer Bridge to threaten. We were too anxious to bypass midfield and get the ball forward too quickly. This meant we kept handing possession back to Walmer Bridge and kept dropping deeper to deal with it. It stayed like this for the rest of the half and this was what we focused on at half time. We started the second half well and settled back into our passing rhythm. Andres, who adjusted well to the conditions and is beginning to understand why the England national team just whack the ball forward and run around swearing at each other, made way for Captain Horn, and he helped make sure we avoided hitting it forward, This meant Cumbo and Stu started to dictate play in the middle. The introduction of Ash soon brought our well deserved second. Passing out from the back, we found Ash on the left. He got his yard and delivered a stinging ball into the box. The ball rebounded to Taylor, and he caressed it into the path of Boardy, who calmly lobbed the on-rushing keeper. 2-0. We continued to boss the game from this point forwards, and we soon got a third. A beautiful sweeping move released Kev, who delivered an inch-perfect cross to Cumbo. His point blank volley was unbelievably saved by their keeper, but he managed to nod in the rebound for 3-0 and it was all over. At the end, all talk was how this was a very dominant display, and you can tell we must have played well as Kev Nev didn't get one mention for man of the match. This went to Monksy, who was very solid all game and is "playing the best football of his career" (Dennis). Worst moment was Andres for not knowing what a stud was. And soon talk in the pub turned to the Christmas Do. Pencil the Saturday 17th December in. Woof. - RA
Sat. 26th Nov 2016 LFA Cup Rd 4	V	Little Lever SC (h) 1 - 2 (ht.1-0) scorers : L. Taylor
		LANCASHIRE FA - AMATEUR CUP Round 4 Visions of glory shone as strongly as the Winter sun for most of this game but then were dashed in a sloppy 10 minutes as the aforementioned sun set in the West. The first 30 minutes were probably as good as we have been this season and reflect the improving form that we have been showing of late. Garry and Cummins had control of midfield and the combined pace threat of Sharples, Taylor and Yates gave the Lever defence little rest. Unfortunately we failed to really capitalise of that 30 minute spell of pressure. Taylor did put us ahead by forcing the keeper into a mistake - and Yates and Pendle went close, but a slightly more clinical approach was lacking. After the initial half hour Lever began to come into the match and suddenly midfield was on the back foot – which exposed our defence. We survived (just on occasions) but it seemed something needed to be done. This led to a vigorous discussion about tactical changes at the half time break and as a result (though probably not with unanimous approval) changes were made. The effect was to kill the game as a spectacle and kill our free flowing attacking, but it certainly made us defensively stronger. Half way through the 2nd half a change back to the original formation to try to improve our “shape” was probably, in retrospect, the bigger mistake. We did threaten again, but equally we suddenly started to look more exposed and conceded 2 clear cut chances in the last 10 minutes - though the final goal was mostly self destruct. Which was the correct formation – well who knows ? db
Sat. 3rd Dec. 2016	V	Fleetwood Hesketh (a) 6 - 3 (ht.2-1) scorers : K. Cummins, J. Yates, L. Taylor 2, T. Barnes, J. Sharples
		The excellent facilities at Hesketh had rooms for a full complement of 5 subs to be seated and covered – clearly they hadn’t read these match reports - if they had they would know that room for just 1 sub is usually sufficient. So it was today, though to be fair the Hesketh manager also reported a number of players were AWOL. We did have a decent starting 11 however though you wouldn’t know it as for the first 10 minutes we struggled to piece things together. This start wasn’t helped as we again went into self destruct mode and having had a number of chances to clear the ball we presented it once again to the Hesketh forwards – and one of them finished decisively. A bit of super last ditch defending and a couple of good saves were needed to keep the score to just one Eventually we sparked into life and with Garry Barnes and Alston combining well we started to create space for the pacy trio of Yates, Taylor and Sharples. Sharples especially turned his marker inside out and it was from one of his crosses that the equaliser came, Garry got the first touch and Taylor following up headed the ball in. For the rest of the half we dominated with Garry especially providing a link between back to front, yet infact everybody played a meaningful role of the “total football” approach. Eventually Sharples provided a stunning volleyed finish to Taylors cross and we proceeded to dominate without applying enough of a finishing touch. The 2nd half followed a similar pattern as Hesketh started the stronger, but then faded as Broughtons passing game again started to bypass the Hesketh midfield. Kev Cummins was next on the teamsheet as a slow return to defensive duties after a corner turned to our advantage as Sharples regained the ball and picked out our pocket dynamo on the edge of the 6 yard box. By now we were stringing together some excellent passing moves and Taylor and Yates each found themselves in the right place at the right time to extend our tally to 5. Barnes made it 6 with a goal from a corner and with 20 mins left we relaxed. Too much however, as relaxed football became sloppy football. Hesketh got two back and while this hardly threatened the victory, it was an annoying way to end an otherwise satisfying afternoon.db
Sat. 10th Dec. 2016	V	Preston Wanderers (h) 0 - 5 (ht.0-1) scorers : -
		Regular readers will be used to me whinging about missing players - so I won't disappoint you this week. 8 missing including 5 of last weeks team isn’t a record, but is pretty close. Lewis Tannock was welcomed back and we had a debut for Mikey - so at least we have some positives. We had 2 subs – which was just as well as Lewis’s return lasted all of 5 minutes and Andy Horn followed him into crocks corner 10 minutes later - altogether not the greatest start. Matthias did make a very positive impression on his first senior game and we need to keep hold of these new lads. 15 minutes in a long shot from outside the box zipped off a very wet surface. Hayhurst got his body behind it but it spilled away – and sadly spun directly to the only Wanderers forward for miles around and we were 1 down Wanderers had the bulk of the positional play but we did work hard and kept the score down to just that single goal at the break. With no reserves and only 1 forward - the others on our books being scattered far and wide in various non-footballing activities/injured – the options for change were limited. We continued to show great spirit, but when Hayhurst was impeded in the box a Wanderers forward had a simple nod in. Sharples continued to work hard up front and could have had a reward with a close range header and midfield tried hard to combine dogged defence with some attacking intent, but it would be incorrect to claim that the second half was anything other than a losing battle. Nobody let themselves down, but we have the players in the club to be beating good teams like these. However it won't happen unless we get some continuity into training and availability to allow time to re-build a team structure. Sermon over. db
Sat. 14th Jan 2017	V	Newman College (a) 1 - 2 (ht.0-0) scorers : S. Horn
		A late-ish call of “game on” caught us all a bit by surprise – certainly the guy with the keys - but infact the pitch just about held up ok. We started with a record of 9 missing from what would be the 1st team squad- a number reduced to only 8 when Sean Cummins reported that he was now fully toothed up following a dental visit. Rick Murch provided a welcome addition to the squad and was a focal point of our midfield for the whole match - a great effort considering he last played 3 months ago. We started on the front foot with Andy Best probing their defensive frailties and Mikey finding some good spaces and touches just behind. The first chance came to Broughton after 15 minutes when Mikey collected the ball in space and laid the ball into Sean Cummins path as he broke forward. Cummins got a good strike on target but the Newman keeper stood strong. The keeper also saved well from another one on one just 10 minutes later. This time Best also provided a good strike to challenge the keeper but we would rue those missed opportunities later. The game settled into a stalemate – a state that was considerably livened when Sean Cummins launched a controversial tackle on a midfield opponent. If the tackle was poor then the resulting reaction from the far touchline was considerably worse and unhelpful in terms of the context of the game. 5 minutes later an equally poor tackle by a Newman player on Kev Cummins brought a strangely muted reaction from the baying hounds. The situation could have got out of hand , but an inspired bit of refereeing settled the situation down and the rest of the game was played in a competitive but fair manner. We took the lead 10 minutes into the 2nd half. A floated ball into the box was well won by Barnes and the unlikely personage of S Horn reacted first to slot the ball into the far corner. After that Newman started to increase the pressure and with 20 mins to go a long distance effort found its way over Hayhurst and into the far corner. From that point it always seemed that Newman would get the second and though the chance was partially created by our lack of concentration we couldn’t argue that Newman didn’t deserve the result on their 2nd half performance. db
Sat. 21st Jan. 2017 GH Cup Rd 2	V	Standish St. Wilfreds (a) 1 - 3 (ht.1-0) scorers : J. Yates
		GUILDHALL CUP ROUND 2 Against the team currently top of the league we approached this cup match with a degree of trepidation. Quite a lot of trepidation if I were to be perfectly honest and due to the 10 players missing, the choice of players and formation owed more to creative writing than any training that might be given to top level coaches. Not that the current management would claim to be any sort of top level management – a point made clearly by the sniggering around the changing room once the team and formation were announced. We defied all logic and perceived wisdom however with a super first half performance that combined effort, concentration and good football and went into the half time with a hard earned lead. The lone goal came from a whipped Russell free kick that was met perfectly by Yates. Yates and Butterworth combined 5 minutes later in a lightning fast counter attack that almost doubled the lead and other opportunities could have given the score a lop sided feel. At our end we needed a couple of missed chances and some last ditch defensive work to keep the score to zero. The second half didn’t go quite as well, though we continued to work hard. A couple of defensive semi lapses gave Standish the advantage though it wasn’t all one way. Joe Harrison was dynamic all game and came close to providing a classic finish to Murch’s defensive splitting pass as did Butterworth who suffered a bad bobble just as he prepared to let fire. We had some moments of excitement from a couple of corners which with a bit of luck could have fallen our way but our last effort fell to Stu Horn who for once found the silky skill missing and the shot posed more of a danger to passing seagulls than the Standish keeper. As we pushed and tired Standish began to look more dangerous and the third goal reflected the way the game finished. db
Sat. 4th Feb. 2017	V	Hoole Utd (h) 1 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : M. Pendlebury
		Overnight rain meant that the fixture had to be changed to the 4G pitch which is both good news and bad. Good in that we got a game on a sunny afternoon, bad in that the 4G pitch is twice the size of some grounds that we play on – and that clearly took is toll on some of the players not quite at their peak of fitness levels. All seemed jolly however as we adapted better to the artificial grass. Our first touch was generally poor throughout, but we generated enough possession to ensure that the ball was generally at their end and not ours. Murch was the dominant midfielder and his prompting, alongside Sean Cummins ,created chances for Yates and Pendlebury through the middle and Butterworth out right. The breakthrough came from a corner when after a sequence of failed shots and failed clearances, Pendlebury was just able to force the ball over the line. A free flowing move 5 minutes later ended with Yates breaking free and hammering the ball onto the underside of the bar and down onto the line. Sadly the liner wasn’t Russian and he ruled it no goal. Immediately after Butterworth set over a pearl of a cross and Ken Cummins headed just wide and it looked like it would only be a matter of time. Sadly however that spell of pressure was to be our best till almost the end of the game and for 20 minutes each side of the half time break Hoole managed to establish a rythem and it took stout defending and a couple of good Hayhurst saves to keep our advantage. It couldn’t last however and a moment of carelessness ended with a decisive Hoole finish. Most of the 2nd half was played in the midfield area as generally both defences were in charge and the keepers largely redundant but on a positive note we did end on the front foot (Training sessions do work !! ) and Alaci and Yates both had chances to take the points. db
Sat. 11th Feb. 2017	V	Penwortham Town (h) 6 - 1 (ht.3-0) scorers : L. Taylor 3, J. Sharples 2, A. Butterworth
		The return of Taylor and Sharples to the available squad was a big boost as evidenced by the list of scorers and along with Alston also returning from injury it more than compensated for the loss of Murch and club captain Stu Horn. In fact this was probably the strongest group to take to the field since the start of the season and we started on the front foot and very rarely lost that dominance. For the 1st 20 minutes we did struggle to make it count as great build up play failed to find a decisive finish. The breakthrough came in unusual circumstances as yet another corner whipped in by Taylor swirled into the far corner and having got his range - he then did it again 10 minutes later ! The only threat we had to an otherwise solid back four came when simple passes were too often mis-placed and the result tended to be a fast break through midfield. Luckily our tactical set up protected against what has been our achiles heel all season and Kev Cummins in particular from the midfield 3 provide cover for the defence. With that worry largely snubbed out Alston Cummin (S) and the front 3 of Taylor Pendle and Yates have licence to weave some magic. Taylor completed a first half treble to make the half time team talk a less stressful affair than some recently and we continued at the same level for the second half. Butterworth capped a strong game at full back with best goal of the game - a curling effort from outside the box and as the game progressed a strong bench allowed us the accommodate the usual run of injuries. Sharples in particular made an impact with a header and a tap in at the end of a 5 man passing move than ripped the Penwortham defence to pieces. The only annoying part of the game was the loss of a late goal - but it would be picky to feel anything other than upbeat about the afternoons work. db
Sat. 18th Feb. 2017	V	Standish St. Wilfreds (h) 2 - 2 (ht.0-2) scorers : J. Sharples, L. Taylor
		Like Clough with Forest, Pep with Barca and Ferguson with United, all great managerial stints have to come to an end at some point. So, with Nik Dawson agreeing to take over first team affairs, this was the last game of the Doug Birch era. It was only fitting that we tested ourselves against the league leaders. After last week's convincing win against Penwortham Town, Doug kept the personnel and formation pretty much the same. However, with Pendle's daily gym sessions matching the amount of cars he owns, his back was playing up so he dropped to the bench. This meant Sharples came in on the right wing and Jamie moved to the centre forward position. We started well and by playing through midfield, we began to impose ourselves on the opposition. However, as has happened before against strong opposition, we played the game at a furious pace and began to misplace passes. Without Pendle up front, we struggled to keep the ball and the game soon began to get scrappy. Despite this, we did have some good passages of play as Luke's pace threatened their back four and some good scampering runs from Andy Horn meant we started to push for an opener. Gilly and Monksy looked solid at the back and we began to build attacks confidently. But soon our old vulnerability to a breakaway was exposed and we found ourselves behind. Luke swung in a corner and, once it was cleared, they broke quickly and soon outnumbered us on the counter. The defence dealt with the first shot but their striker managed to back heel the ball in off the post. 1-0 against the run of play. For the next 10 minutes, we lost our shape and our full backs got exposed. Standish began to look dangerous and it took a Monkso special tackle to avoid them taking further advantage of all the space. But, we couldn't hold out much longer and we were soon 2-0 down. A cross was gently floated into the area and it somehow ended up crossing the line. At half time, Doug changed the shape to 4-4-2 to give our full backs more protection and make us more compact. This soon worked. Kev, who put in a typical man of the match performance, drove the team on and Standish began to panic on the ball. Soon, we hauled ourselves back into the game. Pendle shuffled down the right and from his whipped cross, chaos ensued. Both Luke and Pendle had shots saved before Cumbo arrived, as he always does, and smashed a shot goalwards. Their number 6 could only keep it out with his hands, and the referee pointed to the spot before showing their midfielder the red card. Up stepped Luke, and he coolly converted the spot kick. The mood lifted and suddenly the confidence started to flow as we pushed for an equaliser against 10 men. The new gaffer arrived after dashing from the Dingles in his sparkling white trainers, and the crowd began to sense the tide turning. However, this optimism was short-lived. Standish reorganised and began to frustrate us. We failed to use our extra man and instead of getting wide and stretching the play, we stayed too compact and dropped deep. We worked hard, but too often we ran into the wall of Standish players or centre halves speculatively shot from 50 yards. It was only when we started to use Ash more on the left that we began to push for the equaliser. After Doug swapped Ash and Sharples, we started to get the ball wide and deliver quality in the box. Standish tired and with 10 minutes left, we got a well-deserved equaliser. Pendle used his muscles to good effect and held the ball up for Cafu Horn. His dangerous cross wasn't dealt with, and the ball found it's way to the oldest looking 22 year old I have ever seen. Sharples, who must be following Grandy Horn's beauty regime, found himself, as he often does, in the right place at the right time and he lashed a left-footed strike low and hard past the goalkeeper. 2-2. The crowd then urged us forward to get a winner. However, it was Standish who nearly scored. Adam rolled the ball out to Monksy. His first touch was as refined and delicate as his chat up lines used to be at 4am in Popworld - before he got his girlfriend, children and dog - and their striker pounced on it. Luckily, the chance was wasted and we pressed for a winner. And it nearly came in the dying moments. Luke cut inside from the left and bent an exquisite curling right foot shot towards the corner. To everybody's disbelief, the keeper came out of nowhere and tipped it round the post. And that was the final chance of the match. 2-2 it finished, and it was testament to our attitude that we came off disappointed with the draw. So endeth the most recent Doug era. Without him and all the work he does behind the scenes, the team wouldn't be here as it would definitely have folded. We definitely owe him a massive debt of thanks (or at least a statue at Myerscough - Pendle could build one with all the time off work he'll be having soon). PS. MoM was Kev Nev and worst moment was Adam for trying the catch a ball in the style of a kitten chasing a ping pong ball. RA
Sat. 18th Mar. 2017	V	Ribble Wanderers (h) 1 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : L. Taylor
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Sat. 25th Mar. 2017	V	Eccleston & Heskin (a) 2 - 6 (ht.-) scorers : J. Yates 2
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Sat. 8th Apr. 2017	V	Bolton Utd (a) 2 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : J. Yates, P.Monks
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Wed. 12th Apr. 2017	V	Hoole Utd (a) 4 - 0 (ht.2-0) scorers : L. Burgess, J. Harrison, J. Yates 2
		After the weeks of rain, Wednesday's game was played in very dry conditions; dry in terms of the weather, the pitch, and Jamie's story about seeing Charlie Adam in Deepdale Costa Coffee and not-unbelievably-asking for a photo! The lads couldn't believe it! Anyway, after the good result on Saturday, the gaffer selected the same formation of 3-5-2. However, with 9 players unavailable, the personnel was a little different. All the talk before the game was of the terrible pitch-the sort of pitch that prompts comments of "I'd like to see Messi play on this": rock hard, bobbly and full of ankle-breaking divots in the corners. It was clear that the team who adapted to the conditions from the start would win the game. Thankfully it was us. The back three of Gilly, Joe and Kev Nev looked solid from the kick off and dealt easily with any long balls booted upfield. The midfield three of Cummins, Alston and Tony looked solid and began to control the game and bring in the wingbacks and forwards, and it was only a short while before we found ourselves in front. A floated ball from Alston was headed out of play for a corner after a good challenge from Mouse-Murdering Mark Pendlebury. From Lee's whipped delivery, Harrison made a Sheareresque front post run and expertly guided his low finish inside the front stick. 1-0. The movement and work rate continued after this and it wasn't long before it was 2-0. Cumbo floated a beautiful diagonal pass towards Lee, and after Much Hoole's defenders collided, the ball found itself to our wingback. He took it down, and after whispers of, "He's taken too many touches" from the sidelines, he drew the keeper and calmly slotted the ball in the net off the far post. After this, we did let the work rate drop for the last 15 minutes of the half, but we still created chances and our back three dealt with anything they threw at us. At half time, Nick's words were about exactly that: increase the work rate and movement and finish these off. Barnes came on for Tony and we set about putting Much Hoole to bed. Barnes got straight into the game, linking up well with the midfield, and despite the horrendous surface we started to pass the ball around well. Pendlebury, who once said, "Pendle doesn't do headers," carried on winning flick-ons from goal kicks, long balls and Lee's throws, and being generally unplayable. Jamie kept making runs in behind, which stretched their defence, and Sharples started to come into the game and began terrorising his full back. All that was missing was a goal. After 20 minutes of pressure, Much Hoole finally buckled, and we found ourselves 3-0 up. Pendle's fine performance continued as he rolled back the years and, Gazza-like, jinxed past three men. He laid it into the path of Yates, and from 12 yards out, his first effort came back off the keeper, but his sharpness meant he directed the rebound into the far corner. After that, we continued the learn the lessons from the first half and worked hard and moved well. This restricted Much Hoole to a few speculative efforts, and after they moved to three in the centre, we began to look dangerous down the wings again. And it was soon 4-0. Pendle, who was accused of being pumped up on steroids, shrugged off the attentions of their tall, thin, insecure striker and fed the ball through to Yates on the byline. He jinxed past one and then squeezed the ball inside the keeper's near post from a tight angle. Game over. We continued to work hard for the last 15 minutes and see out the game for a well-deserved win. In a game that we controlled from start to finish, talk was of how Much Hoole were above us. I suppose we have been hampered by various players missing at different times, but the past two games have given the first team some encouragement for next season. RA
Sat. 15th Apr. 2017	V	Fleetwood Hesketh (h) 3 - 0 (ht.2-0) scorers : J. Sharples, M. Pendlebury, T. Barnes
		With ten players injured or missing, one at the wrong venue and a bored Monksy on the sidelines, it is fair to say the gaffer had a few worries before the game. However, after drafting in a couple of last minute additions, directing Ash to the right pitch and having Seddy keep Monksy company, he could breathe easy at kick off. Nick stuck with the successful 3-5-2 formation and the various additions slotted in neatly. The windy conditions meant it was a difficult start to the game as both teams struggled to deal with the swirling crosswind (thanks to Seddy and the grass for this information). However, once the back three of Gilly, Aid and Jack snuffed out any early attacks, we began to assert our authority on the game. Again, the breakthrough came from getting the ball out wide and bringing in our wingbacks. This time Burgess was the provider and delivered a deep cross into the penalty area. Sharples, who was playing up front in Yates's absence (presumably because he was celeb spotting in Costa after his recent brush with fame), managed to retrieve it and lash the ball low and hard under the keeper. And soon it was two. After their defence messed around with it, the ball found its way to Pendle, who Fat Ronaldo-style Tommy Toepecked into the far corner. Fleetwood seemed to crumble soon after and Cummins, Bennett and Barnes took control of the midfield. There was still time for a Barnes horror tackle, an Aid horror pass and a Cumbo horror scream, but we safely saw out the half. The second half started much the same. Fleetwood huffed and puffed but we snuffed out any attacks and looked dangerous whenever we went forward. Alston replaced a tiring Bennett and we continued to build good attacks. However, for all our dominance we couldn't find a third goal. Various players went close, and Cumbo had a free kick just go over the bar after the wind got hold of it, but it was Barnes who got our third. After numerous last ditch challenges, the ball broke to our blonde bombshell, who calmly smashed it past the keeper. With the game in the bag, Porter came on for Burgess and went to right back, Monks and Seddy retired to the car 'to keep warm', and we saw out the game with little difficulty. There was time for a penalty miss though as Sharples got brought down by their centre half. He wanted to take the penalty, so he was given the opportunity to get his second. However, if only he had the experience that his looks suggests. He lost his bottle and smashed the penalty against the post, safely securing worst moment in the process. After the game Cumbo pointed out that he has a 100% record as skipper and talk turned to the end of season do and the last game. After the previous three results, the dressing room seemed buoyant, and it will be an interesting test against the league leaders for our final game of the season. RA
Sat. 22nd Apr. 2017	V	Southport & Ainsdale Ams (h) 1 - 8 (ht.-) scorers : T. Barnes
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2nd Team Results, Scorers and Match Reports (where submitted).
Broughton Score First.

Tue. 30th Aug 2016	V	Freckleton (a) 1 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : M . Ryan
Sat. 10th Sept 2016	V	AFC Preston (a) 2 - 7 (ht.-) scorers : U. Bux, I. Vohra
Sat. 17th Sept 2016	V	Eccleston & Heskin Res (h) 0 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : -
Sat. 24th Sept 2016	V	Charnock Richard Academy (a) 0 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : -
Sat. 8th Oct. 2016	V	Farrington Villa (h) 2 - 7 (ht.-) scorers : D. Ramsden, I. Vohra
Sat. 15th Oct. 2016	V	Southport Trinity Res (a) 1 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : A. Crossthwaite
Sat. 22nd Oct. 2016	V	Ribchester Rovers (h) 2 - 7 (ht.-) scorers : J. Harrison, E. Tsasis
Sat. 29th Oct. 2016	V	Chipping (a) 0 - 7 (ht.-) scorers : -
Sat. 5th Nov. 2016	V	Lostock St. Gerards (h) 2 - 10 (ht.0-4) scorers : M. Finney, I. Vohra
Sat. 12th Nov. 2016 Cup Rd 1	V	Ribby FC (h) 4 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : I. Vohra 2, J. Harrison, J. Robinson
		LANCASTRIAN BRIGADE CUP Round 1 We progress to next round as Ribby folded
Sat. 26th Nov. 2016	V	Ribchester Rovers (a) 1 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : o.g.
Sat. 3rd Dec. 2016	V	Chipping (h) 0 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : -
Sat. 7th Jan. 2017	V	Eccleston & Heskin Res (a) 4 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : A. Butterworth 2, I. Vohra 2
Sat. 21st Jan. 2017 Cup Rd 2	V	Chorley Athletic (h) 1 - 0 (ht.-) scorers : D. Ash
		LANCASTRIAN BRIGADE CUP Round 2 -
Sat. 11th Feb. 2017	V	New Longton Rovers (h) 0 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : -
Sat. 18th Feb. 2017 Cup Rd 3	V	New Longton Rovers Res (h) 2 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : S. Mitchell, I. Vohra
		LANCASTRIAN BRIGADE CUP Round 3 -
Sat. 4th Mar. 2017	V	AFC Preston (h) 0 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : -
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Sat. 25th Mar. 2017	V	Lostock St. Gerards (a) 0 - 3 (ht.0-1) scorers : -
		The 2nd team have had a rough season but are slowly starting to put things together a little as new players make an appearance and start to bed in. The previous game would surely have seen us secure a deserved point – derailed only by an unfortunate collision between keeper and centre mid (also our reserve keeper !) that saw both stretchered off. This week also saw a solid display which didn’t deserve the final score and some excellent performances to boot. New man at the back - Mourad Chenafi – looks like a “ find “ for the club and together with Harrington, Valdi and Rob Pom we put up a solid and relatively untroubled defensive display. This was aided by Aide Jones who after a shaky start started to grow in confidence as together with a non stop effort from Tom Barnes our midfield also looked solid. We started on the front foot and constant harrying by Tannock and Imi worried the Lostock defence into lapses that saw close efforts by Barnes and Pomfret. We were undone by the pitch (I use the term pitch in its loosest sense - green patch of divots and lumps might be more accurate) when after 30 mins a weak pass hit a series of the aforementioned and skipped past Valdi to let a surprised striker in on goal. We let this disturb us till halftime, but reorganised well and had a strong 2nd half. Imi went close with a header and a series of corners could have been converted with a little more luck. Pushing on we did leave ourselves more exposed and the 2 further goals were pure Wimbledon football - long kick, big chase - db
Sat. 8th Apr. 2017	V	Southport Trinity Res (h) 2 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : G. Gregory, A. Drey
		Some last minute team shuffling negotiations with the 3rd team saw both teams take to the filed with a team plus 1 sub – so thanks to Jay and Matt for their efforts. The 2nds had 9 at 11am on Sat morning so most of what transpired was something of a plus We started on a positive note with Imi and Balch in particular working hard to pressure the Southport defence. Ade Jones looks stronger each week and played the holding midfield to role effectively to give Gregory space to spread the play. We took the lead from a good move and telling pass to release Adabeyor behind the Southport defence. Drey got to the ball before the keeper and after his first effort was saved, the 2nd was kept out only by a defensive handball. Gregory stepped up to hammer the ball home and raise spirits. These were dashed in controversial circs when a seemingly well time tackle by Valdi was also penalised by a spot kick. Lopko got one hand to the effort, but just failed to keep it out. We were marginally on top for most of the rest of the half and deservedly took the lead when Balch broke free and into the box. His short cross was coolly controlled and netted by Drey. A change in formation at half time to add an extra body in midfield seemed to work for the first 15 mins after the break and we controlled the centre of the park and had a number of clear chances. Balch rattled the bar and we prob should have extended our lead during this period, but the balance of play swung dramatically as 2 long balls and 2 slight errors lead to 2 quick goals. Pommy and Newby had both had outstanding defensive games so it seems unfair that their only 2 small moments of hesitation should be penalised. db
Tue. 11th Apr. 2017	V	Wilbraham (h) 1 - 4 (ht.0-0) scorers : A. Drey
		This was almost a carbon copy of the previous game in which a lot of decent football was played, Broughton had the ascendency for large parts of the game, yet still we found a way to give it away towards the end. We should take the positives however as the general feeling was that we are playing enjoyable football and the results should come. We started well. Defensively with Ryan and Pommy at centre back we looked solid and Newby again looking strong at left back we were able to push with confidence – and on the odd occasion they got through Greg Lopko was on hand to save the day. The attacking play was controlled with Barnes at the core and new man Sakoh looking good on the wing but despite the control and the resultant chances created, our season long inability to put the ball in the net came back to haunt us. We could and probably should have gone into the break at least a goal to the good, but at 0-0 the game was still there to be won. The second of our weaknesses (the - lets all switch off for 10 minutes together symdrome) kicked in just after the hour and we conspired to go from 0-0 and threatening to take the lead, to 0-3 in the space of 15 minutes. Its nothing more than a bit more fitness and mental focus can’t solve but right now its killing us and we need to sort it Drey did net after good work by Harrison – and could have doubled his total 5 minutes later – but we really should have got something from this game - db
Sat. 15th Apr. 2017	V	Farrington Villa (a) 1 - 7 (ht.-) scorers : U. Bux
		A quick look at the score really tells the story - and it doesn’t lie. Having lost a couple to the Easter activities - and a couple to the 1sts who had most of the team on various activities - we again had to make a raft of changes. The recent progress in performance, if not results, came to a grinding halt as players tried to work out how to play with each other (and learn names in some cases). We again started competently though and for the first 30 minutes again looked reasonably sound. Todd and Valdie at full backs looked to have the flanks under control and Sankoh in midfield prompted the play. We never looked joined up however and so never really threatened their goal. Imi came close when he just failed to connect with a whipped corner but that was about it. After the half hour Farrington suddenly took the ascendency in the game and kept it for the next 30 minutes. In that time we began to get over-run in midfield and the pressure on the defence became too much. Some of the goals were very well crafted but some, frankly, were very poor from our point of view. Andy Holding was introduced at half time and after a slow start he began to use his experience to give midfield some direction. It's amazing what a little know how can do – just simply knowing where to stand and how to give simple passes. People around him started to join in and for the final 20 minutes we put up a good show. Umar Bux, last years U18 hot shot, made a welcome return and duly created and fashioned his own chance and goal and we did start to create some pressure on the Farrington goal, and whilst we are looking at “positives“ new signing Faiz Saleh looked promising at centre back. A controversial goal in the final seconds, left a somewhat disappointing final memory of the game but we go again. db
Sat. 22nd Apr. 2017	V	Wilbraham (a) 1 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : U. Bux
		Another day and another familiar result, but again there were a lot of positive things about the performance. Another re shuffle saw Rob Pom having to fill in in nets, Mourad back at centre back and Holding rolling back the years in centre mid. We started off positively with Umar Bux again looking threatening every time he is on the ball. Twice the ball was in the net though both times Bux was offside and for the first 25 minutes the game could have gone either way. Lewis Tannock headed just wide after more good work by Bux, then at our end Bell found a burst of speed not seen since his youth to just clear the ball away from an on coming Wilbraham forward. Slowly however Wilbraham exerted a little more control and though Pomfret made 2 good saves we managed to find ourselves 2 goals down at the break. A nasty injury to Valdi just before the break required yet another reshuffle and it seemed to effect us badly – the result of which saw us 4 down and struggling. A move to strengthen midfield saw Mourad move forward and Ade Jones move back, and the game again swung our way. For the final 25 minutes we again played good football – though without an end product that the play deserved. Bux and Holding both went close with freekicks but to no avail. Bux scored our goal and at least we ended in a positive manner. db
Tue. 25th Apr. 2017	V	New Longton Rovers (a) 3 - 3 (ht.0-2) scorers : U. Bux, T. Barnes, S. Cummins
		At last we got a reward from a game, having threatened to do so a few times recently but then having thrown it away. Quite the reverse this time on a bumpy, difficult pitch, in that we first threw it away – but then grabbed it back. The pre match talk about how to play was comprehensively ignored for the 1st half in what was a sloppy display lacking competitiveness, positivity and simplicity - all the things needed to play on a surface like this. As a result we were 5 yards off the pace across the whole team and put ourselves under pressure where non was needed. 2-0 down at half time looked grim and without any prospect of improvement. There was a full and frank exchange of views at half time. Management explained what was required in a fairly basic and direct style – and everybody responded brilliantly. It started badly when a rare mistake from Lopko allowed a high swirling ball to escape him. It hit a Longton forward on the left ear - whilst looking away from goal – and trickled in. Thereafter we were on top for most of the half. Harrison and Faiz in centre defence got tight to their forwards, Andres and Tannock closed down the flanks and midfield denied their boys the time to pick passes at leisure (as was the case 1st half). We played the ball forward early and suddenly it was the Longton defence under pressure and panicking. Our new talisman, Umar Bux, started the fightback with a perfectly weighted free kick into the top corner. Pendle woke up and had an outstanding 2nd half and his good work created space for Tom Barnes to slot home a shot from just inside the box and we drew level when a pin point cross from Alasi picked out Sean Cummins steaming into the 6 yard box. Quite what our left midfielder was doing on the right side of the 6 yard box is a moot point (total football ?) but we will take it. The last 10 minutes was a tense affair. Lopko saved brilliantly and Longton narrowly failed to convert from a narrow angle and Bux and Pendle were both denied when pressing for a winner. db
Sat. 29th Apr. 2017	V	Freckleton (h) 8 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : I. Voihra 4, U. Bux 3, S. Cummins
		The big news this weekend was the much anticipated annual appearance of Birch D. It was only for the last 7 minutes and only 3 touches (one of which was an embarrasing stumble into the path of an attacker), but it was the 44th season of senior football so there was an element of merit. More importantly there was an excellent performance against a team that had a good number of decent footballers, but who failed to match our spirit and team ethic. The first 20 minutes were fairly even, Freckleton probably having the balance of the attacking play, but defensively we stood strong and Lopko’s handling was back to its immaculate best. After 25 mins we started to perform and Bux and Voihra in particular started to pull the Freckleton defence to bits. A perfectly weighted pass from Bux to Imi created the first opportunity – which he duly hammered home. 5 minutes later Voihra got a second and the balance of play was firmly in our favour. Bux was by now almost unplayable and the 8 goals almost inevitable included him scoring or creating havoc. Bux scored 3 with a mix of long mazy runs and pin point shooting. Voihra linked up well and was the classic goal poacher and Sean Cummins got the final goal as a deserved reward for a great performance. Charlie Todd and Ade Jones performed well on the flanks , Lewis Tannock continued recent improvement and Tony Parr, Andy Holding and Mourad filled a number of positions without a dip in the team performance. Final mention in what has been a challenging season ( to say the least ) goes to Rob Pomfret. Rob has been present for practically every game and it sums up our season when we say that this game was his first win of his season. Without these guys the team and maybe club, would fold. Final, final, mention goes to Ian Hesketh who organised the team through the season in what has been a thankless and frankly stressful occupation. We nearly collapsed the team on a number of occasions this season and only his determination and persistence kept things going. All in all though we ended on a high, and we can remember the final 2 games with optimism for next year. db
Tue. 2nd May 2017	V	Charnock Richard Academy (h) 0 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : -
		-
2nd TEAM IXTURES TO BE ARRANGED :
TBA 2017	V	None (?) Kick off: ??pm (ht.-) scorers : -
		-

POS	2nd Team - Division One	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Ribchester Rovers	22	16	3	3	74	28	46	51
2	Chipping	22	15	4	3	60	27	33	49
3	Farrington Villa	22	15	3	4	68	44	24	48
4	Charnock Richard Academy	22	13	3	6	60	52	8	42
5	Wilbraham Club	22	12	2	8	65	48	17	38
6	Freckleton	22	9	1	12	75	69	6	28
7	Lostock St. Gerards	22	8	4	10	49	48	1	28
8	AFC Preston	22	6	4	12	57	63	-6	19*
9	New Longton Rovers	22	5	3	14	37	61	-24	18
10	Eccleston & Heskin Res	22	5	3	14	30	64	-34	18
11	Southport Trinity Res	22	8	5	9	48	58	-10	14*
12	Broughton Ams Res	22	2	1	19	31	92	-61	7
* = Points Adjustment

POS	3rd Team - Division Two	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Anchorsholme	22	19	1	2	112	34	78	58
2	Chorley Athletic	22	14	1	7	61	56	5	43
3	Springfields	22	12	6	4	73	46	27	42
4	Southport & Ainsdale Res	22	11	2	9	78	64	14	35
5	Canberra Corinthians	22	10	2	10	53	61	-8	32
6	Hoole Utd Res	22	11	2	9	53	54	-1	29*
7	FC Bolton	22	9	2	11	56	58	-2	29
8	Eagle	22	8	1	13	46	71	-25	25
9	Standish St. Wilfrids	22	6	4	12	45	65	-20	22
10	Lytham Town 'A'	22	6	3	13	50	63	-13	21
11	Broughton Ams 'A'	22	6	3	13	59	85	-26	21
12	Walmer Bridge Res	22	5	3	14	46	75	-29	18
* = Points Adjustment

Sat. 20th Aug 2016	V	Ribby FC (a) 1 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : I. Vohra
		Result removed from records as Ribby folded during season.
Tue. 23rd Aug 2016	V	Springfields (a) 2 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : A. Sprake, L. Tannock
Sat. 27th Aug 2016	V	Lytham Town 'A' (a) 4 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : I. Vohra, J. Harrison, E. Catterson, C. Pye
Wed. 31st Aug 2016	V	Hoole Utd Res (a) 1 - 8 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best
Sat. 3rd Sept 2016	V	Chorley Athletic (h) 1 - 6 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best
Sat. 10th Sept 2016	V	Standish St. Wilfreds Res (h) 2 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best, G. Keighley
Sat. 17th Sept 2016	V	Walmer Bridge Res (h) 5 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best 2, J. Sharples 2, M. Topping
Sat. 24th Sept 2016	V	FC Bolton (h) 3 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best, C Pye 2
Sat. 1st Oct 2016	V	Canberra Corinthians (a) 4 - 0 (ht.3-0) scorers : J. Sharples 2, A. Best, C. Pye
Sat. 8th Oct. 2016	V	Southport & Ainsdale Ams Res (a) 5 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best 2, J. Sharples 2, M. Ryan
Sat. 15th Oct. 2016	V	Lytham Town 'A' (h) 4 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best 2, N. Balch 2
Sat. 22nd Oct. 2016	V	Anchorsholme (a) 4 - 7 (ht.0-4) scorers : J. Sharples 4
Sat. 29th Oct. 2016	V	Eagle (h) 2 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best, K. Connolly
Sat. 5th Nov. 2016	V	Springfields (h) 2 - 7 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best, A. Connolly
Sat. 26th Nov. 2016	V	Hoole Utd Res (h) 1 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best
Sat. 3rd Dec. 2016	V	Standish St. Wilfreds Res (a) 3 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : N. Balch 2, A. Best
Sat. 11th Feb. 2017 Cup Rd 2	V	New Longton Rovers Res (a) 4 - 5 (AET ft.3-3) scorers : A. Best, K. Connolly 2, C. Pye
		LANCASTRIAN BRIGADE CUP Round 2
Sat. 18th Feb. 2017	V	Chorley Athletic (a) 1 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best
Sat. 11th Mar. 2017	V	FC Bolton (a) 3 - 6 (ht.2-3) scorers : A. Best, K. Connolly, J. Sharples
Sat. 25th Mar. 2016	V	Canberra Corinthians (h) 6 - 0 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best 2, N. Balch, K. Connolly, G. Gregory, M. Hubberstey
Sat. 8th Apr. 2016	V	Southport & Ainsdale Ams Res (h) 2 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best 2
Sat. 15th Apr. 2017	V	Walmer Bridge Res (a) 2 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best, G. Gregory
Sat. 22nd Apr. 2017	V	Anchorsholme (h) 2 - 8 (ht.-) scorers : A. Best 2
Sat. 29th Apr. 2017	V	Eagle (a) 0 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : -
		Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report.

POS	U18s - Youth Division Blue	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Lostock St. Gerards	22	20	2	0	117	11	106	62
2	AFC Fylde	22	18	0	4	116	47	69	54
3	Thornton Cleveleys	21	12	5	4	43	30	13	45*
4	Wyre Villa	22	11	5	6	70	50	20	40*
5	Mellor	22	11	2	9	84	59	25	35
6	Poulton	22	9	4	9	69	49	20	30*
7	Broughton Amateurs	22	9	3	10	66	75	-9	30
8	Garstang	22	7	6	9	49	47	2	27
9	Chipping	22	8	3	11	54	73	-19	27
10	Springfields	22	5	6	11	56	64	-8	19*
11	Penwortham St. Teresas	22	4	0	18	52	71	-19	12
12	Lancon	22	0	0	22	16	215	-199	0
* = Points Adjustment

Youth Team Results, Scorers and Match Reports, if submitted. Broughton Score First.
Sun. 4th Sept 2016	V	Chipping (a) 2 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : D. Khan, B. Lang
Sun. 11th Sept 2016	V	Garstang (a) 3 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : J. Marvill 3
Sun. 18th Sept 2016 Cup Rd 1	V	Copull Utd Blues (h) 3 - 6 (ht.-) scorers : J. Marvill, H. Moosa, og
		SYNDICATE TRUST YOUTH CUP - Round 1
Sun. 2nd Oct. 2016	V	Wyre Villa (h) 4 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : J. Marvill 2, M. Mathias, og.
Sun. 9th Oct. 2016	V	Lostock St. Gerards (a) 0 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : -
Sun. 16th Oct. 2016 LFA Rd 2	V	AFC Fylde (a) 0 - 13 (ht.-) scorers : -
		LFA SUNDAY TROPHY YOUTH - Round 2
Sun. 23rd Oct. 2016	V	AFC Fylde (a) 6 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : M. Mathias 4, D. Khan 2
Sun. 30th Oct 2016	V	Springfields (a) 3 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : M. Wignall, B. Ibraham, P. Shepherd
Sun 6th Nov 2016	V	Mellor (h) 8 - 6 (ht.-) scorers : J. Ryan, B. Ibrahim 4, D. Khan, M. Mathias 2
Sun. 27th Nov. 2016	V	Lancon (h) 9 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : J. Flaherty 3, J. Slater 4, D. Khan 2
Sun. 8th Jan. 2017	V	AFC Fylde (h) 1 - 8 (ht.-) scorers : G. Colclough
Sun. 22nd Jan. 2017	V	Poulton (a) 2 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : D. Khan, H. Moosa
Sun. 12th Feb. 2017	V	Springfields (h) 4 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : M. Mathias, J. Marvill, I. Kusaloka, D. Khan
Sun. 19th Feb. 2017 Trophy Rd 1	V	Croston (h) 3 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : J. O'Flaherty, J. King, D. Khan
		SYNDICATE TRUST YOUTH TROPHY - Round 1
Sun. 12th Mar. 2017	V	Lancon (a) 6 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : I. Kusaloka 3, H. Moosa 2, D. Khan
Sun. 2nd Apr. 2017	V	Garstang (h) 1 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : M. Wignall
Thu. 6th Apr. 2017	V	Lostock St. Gerards (h) 3 - 5 (ht.-) scorers : M. Mathias, J. King 2
Thu. 13th Mar. 2017	V	Thornton Cleveleys (a) 1 - 2 (ht.-) scorers : J. Tinsley
Thu. 20th Mar. 2017	V	Thornton Cleveleys (h) 1 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : M. Mathias
Thu. 27th Apr. 2017	V	Wyre Villa (a) 2 - 3 (ht.-) scorers : G.Colclough, D.Khan
		-
Sun. 30th Apr. 2017	V	Penwortham St. Theresas (h) 2 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : M. Mathias 2
		-
Thu. 4th May 2017	V	Mellor (a) 0 - 1 (ht.-) scorers : -
		Report to follow.
Thu. 18th May 2017	V	Chipping (h) 2 - 7 (ht.-) scorers : J. King, I. Kusaloka
Sun. 21st May 2017	V	Poulton (h) 5 - 4 (ht.-) scorers : M. Rezaei, J. King, M. Wignall, M. Mathias 2
FIXTURES TO BE ARRANGED :
None		Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report.

POS	1st Team - Prem Division	P	W	D	L	F	A	GD	PTS
1	Southport & Ainsdale Ams	22	19	1	2	92	26	66	58
2	Standish St. Wilfreds	22	15	3	4	73	28	45	48
3	Bolton United	22	14	3	5	73	37	36	45
4	Eccleston & Heskin	22	14	1	7	70	41	29	43
5	Preston Wanderers	22	12	3	7	73	46	27	39
6	Hoole United	22	7	6	9	39	46	-7	27
7	Ribble Wanderers	22	8	1	13	56	69	-13	25
8	Fleetwood Hesketh	22	9	4	8	51	70	-19	25*
9	Newman College	22	7	3	12	44	60	-16	24
10	Broughton Ams	22	6	6	10	46	63	-17	24
11	Walmer Bridge	22	3	1	18	40	70	-30	10
12	Penwortham Town	22	1	2	19	25	100	-100	5
* = Points Adjustment

PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY DATE TBA		Broughton v ?? (-) - scorers: -
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY DATE TBA		Broughton v ?? (-) - scorers: - Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report. Match Report.
PRE-SEASON FRIENDLY DATE TBA		Broughton v ?? (-) - scorers: -