Division 3 Horwich St Marys Home

The first half, Amberswood kicked off and for the first ten minutes the game was a bit scrappy with both teams guilty of giving the ball back to the opposition, but it was Amberswood struck the first goal as the ball was played through and Dean Ainscough raced clear on the right hand side as he came into the box on the angle, the Horwich St Marys keeper came to meet him, he hit a thunderbolt of a shot towards the top far corner of the net, but the keeper managed to get a hand to it and push it wide if the target, only for the incoming Jihn Warburton to finish it off and place the ball into an empty net from about five yards out.

Within minutes Horwich St Marys were on equal terms as Amberswood and especially Carl Stocks got casual, with what should have been a comfortable ball down the line, was intercepted by the Horwich St Marys winger who raced into the box and squared the ball across the face of goal for the incoming striker to place the ball into the net. After that it was all Amberswood and they soon converted goal two, three and four before half time, this time Dean Ainscough received the ball just inside the Horwich St Marys half and with one pass over the top sent Craig Gilligan clean through who allowed a Horwich St Marys defender to get back before cutting the ball back inside the defender and placing the ball with his left foot into the bottom left hand corner of the net. With Amberswood well on top at this point with Chris Cunniffe, Shane Clark and Sammer Ahmed having the midfield sewn up, Amberswood piled the pressure on and the third goal came, courteousy of a corner kick, as Craig Gilligan floated the ball in towards the goalkeeper and as John Warburton challenged the Horwich St Marys goalkeeeper, all the goalkeeper could do was punch the ball against John Warburton's head and the ball fell into the net. After that it was all Amberswood for the rest of the first half and when Amberswood played a long ball forward, John Warburton rose highest to flick the ball on to send Craig Gilligan clean through for his second goal of the game placing he ball into the opposite corner of the net past the advancing goalkeeper.Before the break Amberswood had a couple more chances most notably Shane Clarks thirty yard effort that went for a throw in.

At half time Amberswood manager Phil Atherton said same again, except for the one mistake that cost them the goal and early in the second half Amberswoods Craig Gilligan and John Warburton should both have completed their hat-tricks, but failed to hit the target when clean through. Horwich St Marys started to come back into it and had a series of corner kicks testing Danny Hilton to his full potential as the hit a couple of shots, which Danny Hilton produced fantastic saves from, but as Amberswood new the result was never in jeopardy decided to make some changes, taking off Ben Stocks, Craig Gilligan and John Warburton for Dean Scouler, Barry Jones and Antony Whitton. Still Amberswood piled forward with fullback Carl Stocks playing more like a right winger and other fullback Steven Bannister more often than not in the oppositions half, ther were still more chances for Amberswood, as striker Dean scouler went clean through, but could'nt find the finish and Steven Bannister put a ball through and either Dean Ainscough or Antony Whitton could have taken the ball on. Dean Ainscough decided to take on the responsibility, putting the ball wide with only the keeper to beat and then as Dean Ainscough received the ball on the left hand side he knocked the past the fullback and advanced into the area, wher he was clearly fouled, but the referee adjudged it was outside the area, when you could clearly see the skid mark where Dean Ainscough collided with the floor about three yards inside the area. From the free kick Barry Jones had a header saved by the keeper.

Final Score Amberswood 4 Horwich St Marys 1 A well deserved victory for Amberswood who could easily have had six or seven.

Man Of The Match Danny Hilton who made about three or four world class saves.