Charnock beat Bolton Wyresdale 12 - 0 in the Goldline Trophy Group 4 game. Goalscorers: Carl Grimshaw 6, Chris Robinson 3, Dave Burrows, Andy Roberts and Matt Mawdesley (a new Goldline Trophy record).
TEAM: Kevin Baldwin, Liam Hayton (Andy Battersby 73), Craig Banks, Andy Pendlebury, Damian Dashti (Rob Howarth 58) David Prout (Andy Roberts 49), Mike Fletcher, John Sanderson (Matt Mawdesley 70), Carl Grimshaw (Jordan McFayden 67), David Burrows, Chris Robinson.
This was a record score for the Goldline Trophy competition and with the seven goals scored in the previous game at Atherton Town gave Charnock a total of 19 goals in the “goals for” column in the table. The win over Atherton Town by Atherton Collieries means that both Colls and Charnock have qualified for the quarter-finals of the competition. The team who have a home game in the next stage of the competition will be decided by the result of next Monday’s meeting of the clubs in the final Group 4 match. Charnock only require a draw to top the table. The game also featured a remarkable goalscoring feat by Carl Grimshaw who scored six goals, all in the first 45 minutes. Chris Robinson weighed in with a hat-trick and as usual Andy Roberts, who has been scoring in the competition for over ten years, came off the bench to score yet again. It was a testing evening for Wyresdale, newcomers to the competition, who had to face a second half already 8-0 down but they were a credit to football, no moaning or resorting to unfair tactics, they just continued to try to play football and accepted that they had been beaten by a fitter more skilful side. They suffered a major setback when their keeper was injured trying to prevent Charnock’s first goal after only 13 minutes, he struggled on to complete the game but his lack of mobility obviously seriously affected his performance.
There were two changes to the starting eleven from the win over Atherton Town; Andy Pendlebury, not available on the previous Wednesday, replaced Andy Battersby who was on the bench. John Sanderson replaced skipper Andy Roberts who was also on the bench. George Craddock carrying a minor injury was omitted so Rob Howarth, Jordan McFayden and Matt Mawdesley came in to complete the substitutes bench.
After a dull rainy day the evening turned out to be sunny and Charnock started kicking towards the Mawdesley Plantation End. Charnock started slowly with the defence not helping by producing a string of mis-placed passes. Wyresdale showed that they wanted to play through their midfield rather than hitting the ball long. David Burrows shot wide before Robinson tested the keeper from distance. Charnock took the lead after 13 minutes Mike Fletcher attempted to loft in a diagonal ball into the area but it was too strong and it hit the crossbar with the keeper struggling and GRIMSHAW pounced on the ball to score from close range. In attempting to deal with Fletcher’s cross the keeper injured himself and spent the remainder of the game carrying an injury. Charnock never really looked back after this early goal and it was a case of Wyresdale defending for most of the game. Baldwin in the home goal did not have a shot to save in the whole of the 90 minutes. Burrows had a great chance from a Robinson cross but put his header wide. The keeper pushed a Grimshaw shot on to the post and away for a corner that saw Charnock double their lead after 22 minutes. Robinson took the right wing corner and GRIMSHAW running towards the near post headed the ball back across the goal into the far corner of the net. Two minutes later it was GRIMSHAW completing his hat-trick when he was play in by Fletcher. Charnock continued to dominate and the fourth goal came on 32 minutes when Prout challenged the keeper and the ball spilt to ROBINSON who scored easily. Grimshaw had another near post header from a corner just past the post before four goals in the final six minutes of the first half saw Charnock take an unassailable lead in the tie. Burrows set up GRIMSHAW again and then Grimshaw sent Dashti clear down the right and BURROWS turned his centre home. Then in the 43rd and 44th minutes two headers from GRIMSHAW made the half time score 8-0.
Wyresdale returned for the second half and immediately almost pulled a goal back, a neat move created a good scoring opportunity but hesitation allowed the home defenders to recover and crowd out the chance. ROBINSON scored a fine individual goal after 59 minutes, he cut in from the left beat a couple of defenders and found the back of the net. Substitute ANDY ROBERTS joined the fray and immediately added the sixth goal breaking clear and going on to beat the advancing keeper after 61 minutes. Charnock continued to introduce their substitutes but maintained, understandably, their stranglehold on the game. Burrows fired over the bar from close range from a Grimshaw cross before ROBINSON added the eleventh goal on 73 minutes with a free kick from just outside the area. The keeper almost saved the shot but it trickled into the net. MATT MAWDESLY scored the final goal with three minutes remaining, after drifting into space on the edge of the area. There was just time for McFayden to hit a powerful shot just wide before the referee brought the game to a close exactly on the 90 minutes.
All four of the pre-season games have produced encouraging displays from Charnock the last two, in the Goldline Trophy competition, being particularly impressive. However, it is important not to read too much into these victories as the opposition, no disrespect to them, has not been anywhere near the standard we know that we will meet in the West Lancashire League. The tie against Atherton Collieries who are at Step 6 level will give a fairer assessment of the strength of the Charnock Richard squad.
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