Premier Division Review 12th March 2016

BOTTOM club Lostock St. Gerards are still looking for their first home win of the season after being hit for six during a crazy first-half blitz at Wateringpool Lane from visiting Blackpool Wren Rovers (writes Howard Jones).
It was however only Saints third game of the season at home after drainage problems and then waterlogging thwarted their season but no one would have thought that they would concede six in front of their own fans and be five down inside 23 minutes.
Wrens hero in their early blitz was in-form striker Chris Glynn who notched a hat-trick for himself inside those 23 minutes with goals after 1, 4 and 23 minutes, while team mates Carl Eastwood (7) and Danny Pickering (16) made it a miserable afternoon for the Preston side.
Mind you they did surmount somewhat of a fightback in the second half pulling three goals back through two in a minute through Dee Edwards and Oli Evans after 57 minutes and then Gavin Edmunds popped in their third after 65 minutes as the Fylde side took their foot off the gas.
Indeed it was a bumper day for goals in the Premier Division as 34 went in in only six games for an average of nearly six per game.
While no one else matched the Lostock/Wrens nine goal thriller, leaders Fulwood grabbed six also at home to Vickerstown and led 3-1 at half-time thanks to a first-half hat-trick from Rick Coar and it took him only seven minutes to do it with strikes on 4,16 and 21 minutes.
Danny Keenan pulled a goal back for the Walney boys right on half-time with a penalty before Amateurs leading scorer Mitch Newsham added to his impressive goal tally at Lightfoot Lane with two in seven minutes on 70 and 77.
Keenan got his second goal from another spot kick seven minutes from time as Fulwood added to their impressive list of victories at home this season in this eight goal onslaught!
With nine and eight goals at Lostock and at Fulwood, Slyne’s game with Longridge came close too as the day’s top game as the two sides slugged it out with a seven goal thriller of their own at Bottomdale Road.
The visitors got their noses in front early courtesy of Brad Carsley’s 26th league goal of the season on 11 minutes, before Reece Pearce equalised for the home side on the half hour and just after the break Danny Dixon fired Slyne in front after 51 minutes.
But eight minutes later Carsley thumped in his second goal (and 27th of the season) from the edge of the box with a shot that nestled into the top far corner for Town’s equaliser.
Slyne though were back in front after 78 minutes when Pearce got his second after a mazy run saw him fire home a low shot to restore their advantage.
Then new Town signing Cory Bent tapped home Town’s third and equalising goal from Carsley’s cross after 84 minutes and when Bent again troubled the home defence with his control and pace he set up substitute Conor Linighan for the winner to finally sink Slyne’s brave attempt to thwart the league’s top side away from home.
At Coppull against Garstang and at Hesketh Bank against Burnley United the games ended all square at 2-2.
At Coppull Lewis Pilgrim gave the home side a 24th minute advantage, before Garstang’s Matty Poole netted after 37 minutes to pull the visitors level before the break.
After it a MItch Leece 68th minute spot kick looked to have clinched the points for the Chorley side - until that is Garstang’s Ben Roberts bagged an equaliser for the Lions four minutes from the whistle.
At Hesketh Bank David Hogg got the home side off and running after 29 minutes with a goal, before Burnley’s Mike Hodson equalised nine minutes later and when Oliver Wood netted eight minutes from time it looked odds-on a Burnley win - but Bank’s Jon Stead had other ideas equalising just four minutes from time.
In the days only other fixture home side Eagley failed to open their account against a lively visiting Thornton Cleveleys who are now sixth after two second-half goals from Mike McAlpine (56) and Brett Dawson (64) won it for the Wyre boys.
Elsewhere in the Richardson Cup, Charnock’s David Burrows secured their place in Round 2 with two second-half goals (45, 90) in their derby clash with near neighbours Euxton Villa at Runshaw Lane, while on Merseyside, Southport Hesketh booked their second round place with a 5-3 win on penalties against Crooklands Casuals after the two sides had shared six goals in a 3-3 thriller.
But it took a 90th minute equaliser from Brad Sherwood to take the tie to penalties after Dave Mansergh had fired the Cumbrians in front with his 89th minute spot kick in normal time.
The games other goals came from Connor Wright (26) and Jack McCluskey (38) for Hesketh, while Casuals got their two openers from Scott O’Reilly after 9 minutes and Steve Caskie after 53.