Defences win plaudits at Victoria Park

Feb 4 2008 by Our Correspondent, Liverpool Daily Post

IT was a difficult day at Victoria Park on Saturday, the cold weather chilled the bone, but unfortunately the football didn’t do too much to warm up the crowd.

Two teams lacking fluency and attacking guile, hence the winners on the days were the respective teams’ defences.

Burscough’s goal was from a fine move down the right, striker Ciaran Kilheeney showing there is a lot more to him than mere goal-poacher. Alan Moogan won the ball off an eighth-minute Alfreton corner and supplied Kilheeney who shot down the wing with the ball, just as he looked to be directed up a cul-de-sac and cut the ball across the visitors’ penalty area to Allan Smart following up at the far-post, who had the simplest of tasks finding the net.

Chances were few, though two of Alfreton’s were ended in goal-line clearances from Burscough’s Adam Flynn and Matt McGinn.

In the second-half, Burscough could have sealed the game, but Smart shot straight at visiting keeper Kyle Sutcliffe after Matt Parry set him up in the 64th minute.

Credit must go to Alfreton number nine Brian Cusworth for the equaliser in the 76th minute.

He held up the ball then threaded it through the Linnets’ defence to give Paul Clayton the time and space to beat Burscough keeper Tony McMillan.

BURSCOUGH: McMillan, Tomlinson (Fitzhenry, 45), Clancy, Flynn, Roberts, Moogan B, McGinn, Moogan A, Smart (Dunn, 68), Kilheeney, Noone (Parry, 45), Subs: McIntosh, Booth.

ALFRETON TOWN: Sutcliffe, McFadzean, Barnard, Wilson L, Butler, Wilson M (Bowler, 89), Law (Knox, 71), Warne, Cusworth, Brown, Reet (Clayton, 54) Subs: Walton, Senior.

Referee: R Bartlett (South Manchester)

Att: 293.