Match Report | Ian Wormleighton

After last week's mauling of Freckleton, Garstang's Reserve side had a more familiar look to it for the visit of league leaders Poulton Town, the side Garstang had knocked out of the Houston Cup in December. On Valentine's day there was certainly to be no love lost between these two local rivals. Swanwick, Twiname, Wormleighton, Hunt and Waite were all restored to the starting line up with points to prove.

Unfortunately for Garstang, the game started at a familiar pace. The intensity and work rate instructed by manager Bailey before kick off was forgotten and the home side were behind within ten minutes after some sloppy defending and a good leap on the far post by a Poulton midfielder. Garstang rarely troubled the visitors in the first half and were lucky not to fall further behind with only Maycock heroics once again to thank for keeping Poulton at bay. Time and time again the visiting side had space in possession and an age to pick a pass. Poulton doubled their lead ten minutes before half time with a lightning quick break culminating in their diminutive number 9 beating Miller for pace and finishing emphatically past Maycock.

The manager was disappointed at half time but the team talk was fairly calculated and restrained, and it certainly had the desired effect. Garstang finally awoke and produced a second half of passion, hard work and no little quality; everything that had been missing in the first half. Wormleighton set the tone early on with a series of crunching tackles in the middle of the park and suddenly the home side was a yard quicker all over the pitch. Hunt and Kippax were causing no end of trouble to the, all of a sudden, frail looking Poulton back four, Twiname was dominating the midfield, and Walton was having an increasing influence on the game. The back four of Southward, Miller, Baldwin and Swanwick, who had looked out of sorts against the Poulton little and large front pairing in the first half, were not giving an inch and a way back into the match looked moments away.

The first opening came within ten minutes after the restart when the impressive Hunt was crudely felled in the area with the referee pointing straight at the spot. Walton stepped up to take the penalty but unfortunately drove the ball wide of the right hand post. Over the last few weeks this would have signaled the end for the Reserves, heads would have dropped and there would have seemed little way back into the match but, instead, the lads continued to battle and could sense a goal coming soon. That goal came from the ever-reliable Kippax who broke through on goal only to see his shot saved by the 'keeper. Kippax was the first to react and looped a header over the floored Poulton keeper to improve the home side's already buoyant mood.

Wave after wave of Garstang attack came with Poulton only occasionally offering a threat on the counter attack; corners were being deflected everywhere, Hunt and Kippax had chances saved by the Poulton 'keeper, Taylor Jnr had a good effort from outside the area, and even Swanwick had a shot that went just past the post. Unfortunately all the effort had come a little too late and Poulton escaped happily with all three points to continue their assault on the title.

Another valuable lesson for the Reserves here; once again they matched and bettered one of the division's leading sides. The belief and confidence, not to mention the hard work and passion of the second half, must be applied for 90 minutes at a time. MoM sponsored by Collinson: Mark Kippax – always looked like something was going to happen when he was on the ball, great to have Kipper back.

Garstang: Maycock, Southward, Miller (c), J Baldwin, Swanwick, Walton, Wormleighton, Twiname, Kippax, Waite, Hunt
Substitutes: Maticheccia, Hewitt, Taylor Jnr