FLEETWOOD, Lancs, 14 December, 2008

Fleetwood Town Res 5-1 Burscough Res
Lancit Haulage League
Friday 12th December 2008

Fleetwood finished the year off with a comfortable victory against a young Burscough side. It was thought that with the first team not having a game the following day the game would be used as at training session by them but this was not the case and only five of the squad started the game.

Warren Beattie started his first Reserve game of the season, Danny Penswick returned and Shaun Beeley continued at right back. Steve Foster  (pictured) started up front and turned his best game of the season, scoring two in the process. Phil Doughty came into the side after injury, starting his first game for a month.

Town started the better of the two sides but a long ball from Burscough caught the Town defence square and the Burscough forward skipped around keeper Nathan Thompson only for the custodian to trip the forward. A penalty was awarded but as the Burscough player was running away from the goal no further action was required. The penalty was smashed down the middle of the goal to give the visitors the lead with less than ten minutes played. Fleetwood responded immediately with a Steve Foster goal. Following a pass from Stuart Danson, Foster stepped inside the defender and swept a shot into the top corner for the equaliser. The home side were playing some fine football and the young Burscough side were given a lesson in keeping possession. For all their neat passing the final ball should have been better from Fleetwood and moves were constantly breaking down around the edge of the box. The second goal for Town was scored on the half mark following a corner. Danson connected with a header but the ball was stopped on the line but the Fleetwood skipper was first to the ball and he crashed the ball in from all of a yard.

The second half was more of the same, Fleetwood played well up to the edge of the box but letting themselves down with a sloppy final pass. When they did produce the killer pass the goals came. The third was a somewhat fortunate own goal but there plenty of Fleetwood players waiting to score if the fullback not launched the ball into his centre half’s backside. The fourth, with 20 minutes remaining, was a penalty rightly awarded, when Jason Rawcliffe was sent tumbling in the box, as he was about to score. Beattie took the responsibility and sent the keeper the wrong way. The last goal was the best of the night. Anthony Warwick danced down the wing and played the ball to Rawcliffe.He drove to the by line and his pinpoint cross-found Foster who scored from close range.

In winning the game Fleetwood increased their lead at the top of the table to 11 points over nearest challengers Barrow, although the Cumbrians do have 3 games in hand. With only one of their remaining games to be played away from home the title is well within Fleetwood’s grasp but you can be assured no one is counting their chickens just yet!

Team – Thompson, Beeley, Harris (Mulligan75) Eden (Wilson 50), Doughty (Rawcliffe 46), Danson, Penswick, Beattie, Foster, Dawson, Warwick.