If ever a match was decided by a single incident then the outcome of this game came very close to it. The final score line of 4-0 to the Blackpool Wren Rovers was well deserved and they were worthy winners. However this doesn't tell the full story as they could have been down to 10 men, without a recognised goalkeeper from the 4th minute and be 3 goals down by the 20th minute.

Manager James Smith made just one change from the side that put six past Eagley the previous week with striker Richard Burns returning to the side following his honeymoon replacing Ian Dickinson who was in hospital recovering from a kidney infection.

We began the game were we left off last week and moved the ball quickly on the perfect Station Road pitch. In the 4th minute skipper Dan Birkby found himself clear of the Blackpool defence and he got to the bouncing ball first, lifting the ball over the advancing keeper before being clattered. The referee waited to see if the ball was going to cross the line but a defender managed to get back to clear the ball away and he immediately awarded a penalty. It was only then that the severity of the injury that Birkby had incurred from the high footed challenge from the keeper. It took several minutes for him to receive medical attention and to be carried off the field and to hospital were he required 20 stiches to patch up the large gash on his right thigh. Remarkably the referee only gave the keeper a yellow card when arguably he should have received red not just for serious foul play even though there appeared to be no intent but also being the last man therefore denying a goal scoring opportunity.

The outcome was that the resultant penalty was missed as Burn's strike hit an upright. On 17 minutes he had two chances to make amends when he also got clear of the defence but this time the keeper made a good save. From the resultant corner his header was cleared off the line. In the 24th minute Blackpool who had until then not been in the game opened the scoring with a looping header from Max Landless following a corner. Almost from the re-start David Hogg had a glorious chance to equalise although his first effort was well saved, the ball rebounded back to him but he dragged the ball wide of an open goal. The visitors increased their lead from another corner with central defender Jordan Douthwaite smashing home a loose ball through a crowd of players. So the visitors went in at the interval leading 2-0 when on another day they could have been down to 10 men, without a recognised goalkeeper and 3-0 down!

However Blackpool took the rub of the green and were dominant for most of the second half with centre forward Carl Eastwood helping himself to a couple of goals in the 53rd and 77th minute to run out worthy winners in the end.

This coming Saturday we have another tough fixture with a visit to high flying Longridge Town which kicks off at 3pm

Hesketh Bank AFC

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