Cheshire Senior Cup Semi-Final - Winsford United 1 Stockport Town 2
Tue 10th April 2018 | County Cup Competitions | By Bob Astles
Stockport Town booked their place in the final of the Cheshire Senior Cup with a 2-1 win over Winsford United at the St Luke’s Barton Stadium.
A goal by Ben Halfacre 15 minutes from time sealed victory for the Lions, ensuring an appearance in the final for the first time in their short history.
The game got off to a crackerjack start with three glaring misses by Winsford, Stockport making them pay with a goal on seven minutes, and then an equaliser came for Winsford just four minutes later.
With just four minutes on the clock, Declan Daniels broke clear but spurning his own shooting chance he crossed it for Perry Bircumshaw but with a goal looking certain goalkeeper Kyle Haslam managed to force the ball away for a corner.
One minute later Bircumshaw was presented with an easier chance but once again Haslam came the rescue. The resulting corner saw Will Foster miss at the far post.
Winsford regretted their misses on seven minutes when Reece Skelton broke clear down the right and Aaron Dwyer scored from a narrow angle to put the Lions ahead.
Three minutes later a second goal almost came, with Matthew Green having to make a smart save from Ruben Gonçalves de Abreu.
But a minute later a neat ball through was collected by Bircumshaw and this time there was no mistake as he slid the ball under the advancing Haslam and into the net.
Ben Halfacre then forced the back-pedalling Green in the Winsford goal into a smart save, before a poor back pass by the visitor’s defence saw Callum Gardner hit the post from the narrowest of angles.
The game blew up on 32 minutes when Stockport’s Aaron Dwyer and Winsford’s Dean Clarke were red carded, but the teams went into the break on level terms.
The second period opened with Winsford’s Ryan Hopper trying his luck from distance and Gardner doing likewise but neither effort troubled the goalkeeper.
Bircumshaw broke clear on 56 minutes but once again he was denied by Town keeper Haslam, who seemed to be getting every part of his body in the way of the ball.
There was another turning point on 69 minutes when Bircumshaw was brought down by Haslam and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Dead ball expert Gardner stepped up, but Haslam anticipated well and pushed the ball away.
One minute later there looked to be an even more obvious foul by Haslam but this time the man in the middle waved play on.
Town then took the lead on 75 minutes when a corner from the right was headed home by the unmarked Halfacre.
Winsford still looked as though they were capable of getting something out of the game, with Hopper’s cross missing Bircumshaw’s outstretched leg by inches and Daniels putting his header wide of the target as the game moved into the closing stages.
On 90 minutes Winsford wound up a miserable evening with Scott Taylor picking up a second yellow card and he joined Clarke in the changing room, and with almost the last kick of the match, James Rothwell blasted a shot straight at Haslam.
Moments later the final whistle blew and the visitors’ celebrations began.
Cheshire Senior Cup Semi-Final - Winsford United 1 Stockport Town 2
Tue 10th April 2018 | County Cup Competitions
By Bob Astles
Stockport Town booked their place in the final of the Cheshire Senior Cup with a 2-1 win over Winsford United at the St Luke’s Barton Stadium.
A goal by Ben Halfacre 15 minutes from time sealed victory for the Lions, ensuring an appearance in the final for the first time in their short history.
The game got off to a crackerjack start with three glaring misses by Winsford, Stockport making them pay with a goal on seven minutes, and then an equaliser came for Winsford just four minutes later.
With just four minutes on the clock, Declan Daniels broke clear but spurning his own shooting chance he crossed it for Perry Bircumshaw but with a goal looking certain goalkeeper Kyle Haslam managed to force the ball away for a corner.
One minute later Bircumshaw was presented with an easier chance but once again Haslam came the rescue. The resulting corner saw Will Foster miss at the far post.
Winsford regretted their misses on seven minutes when Reece Skelton broke clear down the right and Aaron Dwyer scored from a narrow angle to put the Lions ahead.
Three minutes later a second goal almost came, with Matthew Green having to make a smart save from Ruben Gonçalves de Abreu.
But a minute later a neat ball through was collected by Bircumshaw and this time there was no mistake as he slid the ball under the advancing Haslam and into the net.
Ben Halfacre then forced the back-pedalling Green in the Winsford goal into a smart save, before a poor back pass by the visitor’s defence saw Callum Gardner hit the post from the narrowest of angles.
The game blew up on 32 minutes when Stockport’s Aaron Dwyer and Winsford’s Dean Clarke were red carded, but the teams went into the break on level terms.
The second period opened with Winsford’s Ryan Hopper trying his luck from distance and Gardner doing likewise but neither effort troubled the goalkeeper.
Bircumshaw broke clear on 56 minutes but once again he was denied by Town keeper Haslam, who seemed to be getting every part of his body in the way of the ball.
There was another turning point on 69 minutes when Bircumshaw was brought down by Haslam and the referee had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Dead ball expert Gardner stepped up, but Haslam anticipated well and pushed the ball away.
One minute later there looked to be an even more obvious foul by Haslam but this time the man in the middle waved play on.
Town then took the lead on 75 minutes when a corner from the right was headed home by the unmarked Halfacre.
Winsford still looked as though they were capable of getting something out of the game, with Hopper’s cross missing Bircumshaw’s outstretched leg by inches and Daniels putting his header wide of the target as the game moved into the closing stages.
On 90 minutes Winsford wound up a miserable evening with Scott Taylor picking up a second yellow card and he joined Clarke in the changing room, and with almost the last kick of the match, James Rothwell blasted a shot straight at Haslam.
Moments later the final whistle blew and the visitors’ celebrations began.
