Match Report | Les Taylor

A strong wind didn't help both teams who spent more time retrieving the ball from out of play than playing football for the first 20 minutes.

There hadn't been a lot of good football, and certainly no chances, until a long range effort from Cropper on 25 minutes was comfortably saved by Coppull keeper Almond. With half an hour gone, Garstang were let off the hook when Fairclough whipped in a low cross that went across the goal without any of the home team getting the final touch. Geoff Wilson, who was back in the side following his honeymoon, did well scapping for the ball on the edge of the Coppull penalty box, before feeding Kilifin who unleashed a terrific shot that Almond had to go full length to save. The keeper did well again to pluck the ball out of the air for what looked like a cross-cum-shot from Baldwin. Coppull did have a good opportunity to score on 40 minutes when a goal bound effort from Grimshaw was deflected over the bar by a saving tackle by Kilifin.

The deadlock was eventually broken three minutes before half time. Garstang won a freekick just outside the box. Under instruction from the bench, up stepped Matty Baldwin to stroke the most exquisite of freekicks in to the top corner of the net to give the visitors a half time lead.

Within minutes of the re-start Garstang should have doubled their score. Cropper did well to put Cox through on goal but the winger delayed his shot and was disposessed. Things got worse for Coppull in the 61st minute when Cooper was dismissed for dissent. Garstang were unable to take advantage of the extra man, however, and conceeded in the 74th minute when a tired looking Baldwin, who had worked extremely hard, failed to close down midfielder, Grimshaw, who promptly put the ball into the visitors box. It was Coppull's substitute, Dewitt, who reacted first heading past Brindle.

As the game drew to a close, Garstang did have another good chance to secure all three points but it was not to be. It was testamony to the Garstang players that Coppull were more satisfied with a point than they were.

Garstang: Brindle, Kilifin, Ireland, Baker, Fawcett, R. Wilson, Williams, Cropper,
M Baldwin, G. Wilson, Cox
Substitutes: Kippax, McEvoy, Porter.

Coppull: Almond, Darbyshire, Eyes, Duckworth, Cooper, Grimshaw, Barton, Masterson, McCloud, Fairclough, Vaughan
Substitutes: Fletcher, Rimmer, Dewitt