LONGRIDGE TOWN 0, BAMBER BRIDGE 8

TOWN were hit for six in a second-half barrage against local rivals Bamber Bridge that squeezed the life out of the home defence as they conceded five goals in the final 10 minutes on Saturday (writes Howard Jones).

The goals simply rained-in (literally) as a huge downpour just after the break made conditions tricky underfoot.
But manager Lee Ashcroft didn’t blame the conditions for his sides late collapse.

He said: “I thought for the first 25 minutes we really gave them a game and we really could have been a couple of goals up. But they did to us what we want to do to sides in our division but in all fairness they have some very good players - some with football league experience.

The defeat won’t do us any harm. We’ve had a good pre-season all round and we can build on that. I had about five players out today which didn’t help against such a good side as Bamber Bridge. They will be there or thereabouts again this season l’m sure of that, but for us we are not downhearted.

Football’s always a learning curve and l’m sure at Wren Rovers next week we will look to play the sort of football which gave us three points there back in January.”

While Longridge clearly are preparing for their tilt at the West Lancs League Premier title starting August 8th, Ashcroft’s side had two early chances through striker Rick Coar which could have given Town a shock lead, but when former Blackpool legend Brett Ormerod bicycle kicked in the games opener on 35 minutes it was somewhat cruel to Longridge, who for long periods had contained their higher league opponents.

Two leagues and three divisions above the home side, Bamber Bridge always tried to open up the home defence but were denied for long spells by a string of fine saves from Town’s young ‘keeper Ryan White.

At times he performed heroics in the home goal but when the experienced and talented Jaimie Milligan slotted home number two right on half-time from a measured cross from Ormerod, Brig were clearly in the driving seat.

A goal from Michael Muscat on 58 minutes really put the final nail in the Longridge coffin but those five goals in the final 10 minutes, including a nine minutes hat-trick from winger Ali Waddecar and a Curtis Thompson strike gave the game a rather lopsided look which prompted one Bamber Bridge fan to say as the game came to its conclusion: “Longridge didn’t deserve that.”

Indeed they didn’t but as boss Ashcroft said, football’s a cruel game and a learning curve and it’s to be hoped Town take out of this game the fact that for 35 minutes they were nip and tuck with their local rivals.

TOWN: Ryan White, Jordan Tucker, Dan Walmsley, Troy Carsley, Stu Garry, Kieran Walmsley, Jordan Bowen, Rick Murch (Lennie Reid 55), Rick Coar (Leon McLoughlin 55), Brad Carsley, Joe Melling. Subs not used: Mattie Edgar, Scott Redhead, Lee Ashcroft.