Bamber Bridge moved back into The Northern Premier League play off positions with a fine 2-0 Victory at home to Atherton Collieries, at The Sir Tom Finney Stadium on Saturday afternoon. Goals either side of the break from Fin Sinclair-Smith and Paul Dawson were enough to lift Brig back into 5th place.

Bamber Bridge, attacking the Woodyard End in the first half made a lively start. A free kick 30 yards from goal in the 3^rd minute, was chipped into the box from the right side of the area, the visiting keeper was alert to the danger and was first to react gathering the ball as he dived forwards, Moments later the Colls keeper was in action again this time a Paul Dawson thunderbolt from 20 yards, Punching the ball skywards, he then back-pedalled to tip the ball over the bar for a corner.

Bamber Bridge were on top and it came as no surprise when on 20 minutes they took the lead, following a super passing move, the ball was played out wide left to Isaac Sinclair, hugging the touchline, Issac chested the ball down before laying off a terrific ball to Conor Stanley, who's cross was blocked, a richochet landing it at the feet of Fin Sinclair-Smith, who took a touch before curling a beauty of a shot over the despairing outstretched hand of the diving Colls keeper before nestling in the back of the net at the far post.

The goal signalled a response from the visitors, a spell of pressure saw Brig having to defend their goal, but The hosts were looking very sharp on the break and a ball through the centre of the pitch had Fin chasing it down, under a good defensive challenge the Brig striker got in a good low strike from the left corner of the penalty area, the keeper dropping to his left to make a comfortable save.


The game became a touch scrappy as half time approached, A free kick from the right which cleared the crossbar and a low Paul Dawson cross from the right which flashed across the 6 yard line was as near as Brig came to increasing their advantage. The visitors forced a series of corners but the Bamber Bridge backline dealt comfortably with the late pressure from The Greater Manchester side who had ended the first half on the front foot.


The second half began in similar fashion to the first, with Brig back in control. It took just 5 minutes of the second period for Bamber Bridge to double their lead. A great run into the box down the left by Fin, was halted by a solid defensive tackle, the ball being picked up by Isaac Sinclair, a second challenge saw the ball partly cleared, but Brig quickly regained possession and a pass down the left touchline found Fin was able to whip in a great cross to the near post, to be met by a wonderful diving header from Paul Dawson which flew past the keeper into the back of the net.


Brig were back in full flow and a cross from the right this time flashed across goal just requiring a touch, but evaded everyone and was cleared to safety by the Colls defence at the far post. Jamie Milligan made his first change of the game on the hour, Donovan Lescott replacing Isaac Sinclair, who looked to have taken a knock just moments earlier.


Atherton began to come back into the contest as they pushed Brig back midway through the second half, A corner from the left caused confusion in the penalty area, the ball zipping around with several deflections before it was hooked clear. A breakaway From the hosts led to a left sided corner, The curling dead ball kick was swung over towards the far post by Fin, the keeper having to reach at full stretch to push it over the bar at the back post.
A second Brig change 0n 70 minutes saw Danny Forbes enter the Frey, with Joe Robbins the man to be replaced. A pivotal moment arrived just 2 minutes later when Brig Captain, Macaulay Wilson was adjudged to have committed a “last man” challenge on the Colls striker, injuring himself in the process. The resulting red card seemed harsh from my view but in fairness to the referee, he was a lot closer to the action than I was. The free kick was bent around the wall and wide of the post, possibly clipping the upright on its way past.


Down to 10 men for the second weekend in a row, Brig were forced to dig in, as Colls sensed an opportunity to get back into the game. Bamber Bridge stood firm, keeping the visitors at arms length as the minutes ticked by. A third change for the home side lead to Chris Churchman taking his place in the defence for the remaining minutes. The visitors had their claims for a penalty waved away as the match moved into added time.


However it was Brig who came closest to adding to the scoreline when Fin Exchanged passes with Paul Dawson as they burst through the middle of the pitch, Daws' striking a fierce low shot just inches wide of the keepers right hand post. Brig comfortably saw out the remaining minutes of added time to claim all three points in what in the end was a comfortable victory. Back into the top five, Brig have the chance to cement their play off ambitions when they travel to struggling Liversedge on Tuesday evening for a re-arranged fixture.

Bamber Bridge and Atherton Collieries will cross swords again when they meet in the Semi Final of The Lancashire Challenge Trophy at The County Ground, Leyland in March.

Bamber Bridge’s nine match unbeaten run came to an end in a scrappy encounter at the Neuven Stadium in Radcliffe on Saturday afternoon. A twelfth minute sending off for Nathan Pond for what the referee saw as a dangerous tackle, was the difference in the end as two goals in the final 15 minutes of the match took all three points for Boro.
Brig had made one change to the starting eleven from Last weekends drawn fixture with Gainsborough Trinity, Rhys Tuner coming in for Harry Scarborough, who had been called back to his parent club, Chorley, earlier in the week. The match kicked off with Bamber Bridge winning the toss and opting to play up the slope in the first half. The first opportunity of the game came for the hosts though, A left wing corner met at the far post but the shot sailed over the bar.

In the 5^th minute, a long ball up field was chased down by Fin Sinclair-Smith but the home keeper reacted sharply and raced from his goal to get to the ball just ahead of Fin to clear the danger. Luke Mariette then took a knock and despite trying to carry on after receiving treatment, had to leave the field to be replaced by Paul Dawson.
The game changed considerably in the twelfth minute, a good break down the right wing by Paul Dawson had seen the Brig forward step inside before laying the ball square to Connor Stanley, who struck a fierce shot, that unfortunately hit Fin in the penalty area allowing the ball to be hooked clear. From the clearance Nathan Pond lunged in to a tackle close to the touch line, the referee deemed it to be dangerous play, produced the red card and sent Pondy for an early bath. With Brig now down to ten men and with some 75 minutes to play the game plan had to change as The Lancashire side were forced defend for large periods of the match.

Luke Hutchinson in the Brig goal who was to have a busy match made a fine save on twenty minutes saving with his legs from a low goal bound effort. Five minutes later and Bamber Bridge were almost gifted an equaliser, a back pass to the home keeper was completely mishit by the home stopper as he tried to clear up field, the ball scooping up off his foot and rolling just past the post for a corner. The keeper redeemed himself by claiming the ball high in his 6 yard box from the corner kick.
The home side were soon back on the offensive and a shot from the left following a fine weaving run was inches wide as it flew into the side netting. Boro were forced in to a change themselves on 25 minutes with ex Brigger Ewan Bange taking to the field. The hosts continued to enjoy the bulk of possession and a headed chance was deflected over for a corner before a second header cleared the bar by inches.

Luke Hutchinson was again involved with the half coming to a close, saving well from a low shot coming from the right edge of the penalty area. The half ended with a Brig corner, played back to Paul Dawson who struck it first time from the edge of the box, the shot was blocked and cleared. The referee deciding that that was enough for the first half.
The second half saw brig attacking down the slope with a stiff wind at their backs. But it was the hosts with the first chance, A deep cross from the left was was headed goalwards at the back post but well claimed by Luke in the Brig goal. A Brig free kick 30 yards from goal gave Fin the opportunity to test the home keeper, his low drive saved well by the keeper as he dived to his right to gather the ball. Fin had another good effort on goal minutes later, this time cutting inside from the left and unleashing a powerful drive, the home keeper again was well placed to make a comfortable save.

Brig were playing well and growing in confidence. A second substitution saw Rhys Turner replaced by Donovan Lescott. The hosts were soon to up the pressure again however as they tried to drive home their extra man advantage. Brig were defending with all they had, blocking shots and closing down the Radcliffe attacks. However, in the 76^th minute the home side eventually took the lead with a goal made in Bamber Bridge !!. Jake Thompson, another ex Brigger crossed from the right to find Ewan Bange who powered home a fine header from close range giving Luke Hutchinson no chance.
Five minutes later and Boro opted to substitute the substitute as Bange was replaced with the hosts looking to keep a tight hold on their lead. That lead was doubled in the 86^th minute when Jake Thompson was sent clear, the striker calmly rounding Luke Hutchinson before knocking the ball into the empty net. It could have been three but for another fine save from Luke, diving to his right to fingertip the ball away for a corner.
Five minutes of stoppage time were added which the hosts comfortably saw out to claim the three points. How different things would have been had it remained eleven against eleven we’ll never know. But the players had all put in a real shift and despite the defeat, can look back on a fine nine match unbeaten run and look forward to starting another one, begining next weekend when Atherton Collieries will be the visitors to the Sir Tom Finney Stadium.


Footnote:

The last 15 minutes of this match will not be remembered with any fondness from anyone with Bamber Bridge connections, after crowd trouble, instigated and orchestrated by  a group of Radcliffe "Supporters", who felt it necessarry to attack another group of supportres who had been standing alongside the Brig fans. No Bamber Bridge supporters were involved in the ugly scenes that followed. The Stewards in the ground were overwhelmed and unable to stop the mindless hooliganism of these so called supporters who have disgraced their own club.

It was “role reversal” for Bamber Bridge at The Sir Tom Finney Stadium on Saturday afternoon. On Tuesday Evening a last minute Stalybridge Celtic equaliser saw the visitors claim a point. Today it was Brig who were to grab the late point when a Donovan Lescott Header kept the home side in the play-off positions just as it looked as though Gainsborough Trinity were about to leapfrog us into 5^th place.

A healthy crowd of 641 were in attendance to see the 4^th and 5^th place sides at the start of play go head to head in a ding dong battle. Both defences were well on top in a first half that saw Brig play some superb passing football, while the Lincolnshire visitors were quick to counter attack whenever they had the opportunity. Clear cut chances were at a premium in the opening 45 minutes. Arron Skinner coming closest for the Lancashire side as he latched on to a delightful chipped ball into the box from Fin Sinclair-Smith on the right wing. His first time volley from 5 yards brought an instinctive reflex save from Trinity keeper Matt Yates, The ball squirming away but the keeper managed to grab it before it spun over the line.

Brig were knocking the ball around well, a move from right to left found Isaac Sinclair out wide, his cross was just inches too high fro Harry Scarborough and headed clear. Fin was constantly running at the Trinity back line, jinking left and right, but the visitors defending was resolute and twice the he had to settle for a corner when his crosses were blocked before reaching the danger area.

Bamber Bridge were defending with similar vigour at the other end and preventing Trinity from getting anything like a clear attempt on goal. The closest the visitors came was a 20 yard shot that flashed a yard or so wide. The half ended with a double Brig corner from the second one Pondy attempted an overhead kick, The Brig No.5 made a good connection but the ball sailed wide of the post.

The second half began with Gainsborough Trinity taking the lead within a minute, A ball down the right was fed across goal and stabbed home by Curtis Dunrose. Many Briggers returning to pitch side following their half time refreshment were completely oblivious to the fact the hosts were now a goal behind. In fact I’m quite sure one or two thought we scored a late winner instead of an equaliser !

Brig could and probably should have equalised just 5 minutes later, a ball from the right found the feet of Arron Skinner some 6 yards out in front of goal, the Brig No.3 didn’t quite get the connection he wanted allowing Yates in goal to get something on it and take enough pace of the ball to allow him to gather it in a the second attempt.
Luke Hutchinson in the Brig goal was then called into action diving low to make a fine save from a close range shot. The game was now opening up as Brig pushed forward looking for the leveller, Fin again with a jinking run down the right , squared the ball across the 6 yard line but alert defending cleared the danger. With the home side beginning to get on top, Manager Jamie Milligan made two changes, bringing on Paul Dawson and Rhys Turner for Harry Scarborough and Luke Mariette. A corner from the right saw Captain Macaulay Wilson climb high to meet the ball with a fine header but it was just too high and cleared the bar.

Rhys Turner then evaded two tackles on the left as he raced in to the box then along the the byline before firing in a low shot, Yates in the Trinity goal parried the ball and it ran across the goaline just needing a touch before it was cleared upfield. Donovan Lescott was introduced to proceedings in the 80^th minute, replacing Sheldon Green, This turned out to be the master stoke from Millie.

With the clock showing 90 minutes Brig attacked down the left, Aaron Skinners cross deflected out for a corner, Which was headed clear at the near post, The ball was returned in to the mixer were Donovan Lescott rose like a salmon to head a superb looping header over the keeper outstretched hand and into the back of then net, sending the Briggers behind the goal wild with delight.

Brig sniffed victory and pushed on looking for a very late winner, Isaac Sinclair cutting in from the right and looking to curl a shot into the far post, the ball flashing a yard wide. From the goal kick the referee blew the final whistle on what had been a fine game between two very good sides. A draw probably being a fair result on the balance of play. Brig will certainly see this as a point gained having grabbed the leveller in the last minute and in doing so keeping Trinity below them in the table.

Another tough encounter awaits next Weekend when its 4^th v 5^th again. This time 4^th placed Radcliffe hosting 5^th placed Bamber Bridge. A superb season so far just gets more exciting by the week.