Tamworth 4, Burscough 2

Aug 13 2007 by Neil Leatherbarrow, Liverpool Daily Post

BURSCOUGH had a miserable first afternoon, though the memory of it will hopefully be quickly erased as the Blue Square North season progresses.

They found themselves 4-0 down inside 29 minutes, after going a goal down in the 21st second.

But the fact they had the tenacity to fight back and cut the margin of defeat was very much to the credit of Liam Watson’s newly- promoted side.

Captain Adie Smith, the only surviving member of Tamworth’s Villa Park team from another historic Linnets day, will no doubt have taken great pleasure in bagging a brace of crucial goals.

His unstoppable early volley left Linnets keeper Tony McMillan well beaten and Smith’s second in the 26th minute was another powerfully struck effort, this time aided by a deflection.

Sandwiched between Smith’s pair was a close range effort from Anthony Robinson in the eighth minute, before the killer fourth arrived in the 29th minute via Tony Thorpe.

Burscough did not roll over easily though, and keeping to their footballing principles they probably had more of the game after the interval, being rewarded with goals on 80 and 85 minute from Dave Roberts and Ciaran Kilheeney.

BURSCOUGH: McMillan, Roberts, McGinn Matt., Fitzhenry (Parry, 36), Kilbane, Morley (Bowen, 45), Booth (Carden, 76), Price, Robinson N., Kilheeney, Leadbetter Subs: Hibbert, Smart

REFEREE: JG Adcock (Long Eaton)

ATT: 1,218