Two goals each from John Sanderson and Carl Grimshaw gave Charnock a well deserved 5-2 home victory against Lostock St Gerards. Jordan Wilson scored the fifth goal in the closing minutes.
Charnock Richard 5 Lostock St Gerards 2
Saturday 6th March 2010, West Lancs Premier Division.
CHARNOCK RICHARD 5
LOSTOCK ST GERARDS 2
Scorers : Sanderson, C.Grimshaw
TEAM: Kevin Baldwin, Damian Dashti, Andy Battersby, Liam Hayton, Jimmy King, Phil Jackson, Andy Roberts, Alex Randell (George Craddock 88), Chris Robinson, John Sanderson (David Prout 90), Carl Grimshaw (Jordan Wilson 78). SUB: (Not Used) Mark Kerr.
Charnock Richard completed the double over promoted Lostock St Gerards with this convincing 5-2 victory. Their 2-0 win at Lostock back in September being the only defeat that Lostock suffered in the first half of the season. Charnock produced some excellent football and took an early lead only to be pegged back by a fine individual goal. However, two further Charnock goals gave them a comfortable interval lead. Lostock, who looked more dangerous in the second half pulled a goal back, before Charnock added another two goals to complete the win.
The Charnock starting eleven saw only one change from the side that drew at Eagley the previous week, Jimmy King starting in place of David Prout who was on the bench. King was on the right with Charnock again playing with a three man defensive back line.
It was a grey, cold day as Charnock started playing towards the Mawdesley Plantation End and they immediately took the game to the visitors. Some neat man-to-man football saw Lostock on the back foot. Charnock took the lead after only five minutes, a Lostock free kick on the edge of the home penalty area was cleared and when the defender failed to control the ball Randell was on to it and he raced into the right hand side of the penalty area, his pull back found Roberts but he was forced wide but when his cross came in SANDERSON turned the ball into the net. Charnock continued to play the ball around well and the struggling visitors resorted to some hefty challenges as they tried to get back into the game. Grimshaw went clear after 12 minutes on a through ball but the referee called the game back for a Charnock free kick, way back in their own half. The visiting defence was being opened up with considerable ease by the home attack and Randell had a chance but his shot was wide. Through Sunday football, both John Sanderson and Damian Dashti have strong connections with Lostock and both players were up for this game. John Sanderson turned in a convincing performance using his superb ball control to be a constant threat to the visiting defence whilst Dashti never really put a foot wrong and his pace at the back enabled him to make several vital tackles. Lostock, other than two corners, had not really been seen as an attacking force until the 22nd minute. Richie Allen, who has played for AFC Fylde and Bamber Bridge this season, went on the jinxing run down the left before cutting in on goal. He left Hayton and Dashti floundering in his wake and although Baldwin got a hand on the ball he could not stop it bouncing back for Allen to equalise. The goal did not in any way affect the home team and they kept up their pressure. On 28 minutes SANDERSON was played clear down the right hand channel and from the right hand side of the penalty area his shot found the far corner of the net. Four minutes later a wild challenge on Sanderson saw both players booked, the later for retaliation. Randell took the free kick and CARL GRIMSHAW rose to power a thundering header into the net. The half finished with Charnock in control with little having been seen of the visitor’s attack.
Charnock were kicking into a slight breeze for the second half but they were soon back on the attack. Lostock were lucky to keep their goal intact in one attack as several goal bound shots were blocked. Lostock, however, began to put together some more threatening attacks with Allen always looking likely to bring them back into the game. It was, however, Johnson who reduced the arrears after 63 minutes. Several attacks from the visitors had seen the home defence fully stretched as Lostock had what was to be their best period in the game. The goal came when a cross to the back post was hit past Baldwin to give Lostock hope of maybe snatching a point after being under the cosh for most of the game. Manager Andy Westwell then, however, moved King to left back and Charnock reverted to a straight back four. The only time from then on that they looked in any danger of losing another goal was when the ever lively Allen hit the bar with a cross shot. At the other end Charnock soon killed the game off, Randell and Robinson exchanged passes after a short corner and when Randell finally delivered the ball GRIMSHAW at the near post headed his second goal of the game. Charnock maintained the pressure and Jordan Wilson came on up front for Grimshaw. When he was brought down from behind on the edge of the area with a clear run on goal the referee, who had a disappointing game, awarded a free kick but failed to show any cards at all. Justice was done however from the Roberts free kick after the ball hit the wall WILSON ran the ball home from close range to complete the scoring.
It had been another tough game as most local derby matches are but Charnock had continued to play their football despite some over enthusiastic tackling from the visitors. For once Charnock had capitalised on all their good football and had been rewarded by scoring five goals.
