Bacup Borough 6-0 Widnes

Widnes FC had a day to forget on Saturday as six first half goals were the difference as Steve Hill’s side were comfortably beaten 6-0 away at Bacup Borough in stormy conditions in Lancashire.

Following a 5-0 victory over Eccleshall last time out, manager Hill welcomed back key players such as Tom Hackett and Luke Edwards to the side as Widnes shuffled to a 3-5-2 formation against a Bacup Borough side who Widnes ran out 5-2 winners against in both sides’ first game of 2016 in early January.

However, poor weather conditions and a sloping pitch proved too difficult for Widnes to adapt to and a horror showing in the first half which included a 7-minute capitulation ensured that the game was dead and buried at half time.

Anthony Hall and a penalty from Matthew Barlow ensured that Borough held a 2-0 lead in the opening 20 minutes before the hosts added four further goals in the last seven minutes of the half as Hall added two strikes to record a first-half hat-trick whilst Kelvin Trippier and Michael Gervin also added to Widnes’ woes.

Widnes actually began the game well and should have taken the lead in the opening stages. Luke Edwards floated a corner into the 6-yard area that deflected off the body of skipper Tom Mitchell and into the path of Elliot Toner who should have marked his first start for Widnes with a goal but couldn’t divert his effort over the bar on the volley.

Bacup soon punished Widnes and took the lead on the 10-minute mark. Michael Gervin dispossessed Mitchell on the half-way line and proceeded to advance forward for the home side. Gervin eventually picked out Anthony Hall on the far side who got the better of George McGrogan before slotting his side into an early lead.

Widnes never recovered from the early deficit and Bacup should have had a second shortly afterwards. Goalscorer Hall swung a cross into the area that was only half-cleared by Mitchell into the path of Kelvin Trippier who fired an effort wide.

Borough doubled their lead 10 minutes after finding an opener. It came from the penalty spot as Matthew Barlow threaded a ball through to Gervin who was brought down by Widnes keeper Ben Morrow as the former attempted to round the oncoming Widnes shot-stopper. Barlow stepped up and scored, only for referee Jason Jarrett to order a re-take. Barlow again made no mistake on the second attempt, as he stuttered on his run-up before rolling the ball into the back of the net.

Widnes did have their share of chances in the opening 45 minutes and had they taken them, the scoreline could have been very different. Paul Carney played a well-weighted through ball to Tom Hackett who awkwardly volleyed over from outside the area. Hackett later had a goal ruled out for offside on the half-hour mark as Widnes pushed to pull a goal back.

Bacup increased their lead 7 minutes prior to the halftime break. Captain Shane Birtles got in behind the Widnes backline before squaring the ball to Hall who had again got the better of McGrogan to confidently turn the cross home for his second goal of the afternoon.

Widnes capitulated from this point onwards. Borough continued to target the heavily exposed McGrogan on the visitors’ right-hand side as this time Barlow got the better of the Widnes man before finding Kelvin Trippier in the middle who converted his chance from close-range.

Less than 90 seconds later, it was 5-0. Widnes were at sixes and sevens defensively as Michael Gervin waltzed his way into the area before deftly chipping the ball over the stranded Morrow and in despite Paul Carney’s best efforts to head the ball off the line.

Seconds prior to the halftime whistle, Bacup added a sixth. Anthony Hall completed a first half hat-trick as Barlow completed the offside trap before squaring the ball to Hall in acres of space who drilled his effort into the roof of the net to cap a dreadful first half from Widnes’ point-of-view.

Halftime: Bacup Borough 6-0 Widnes

With nothing to lose, manager Hill used all three substitutions available as Antoine Reciac, Ronnie McCarthy and Liam Davidson were introduced in favour of George McGrogan, Elliot Toner and Tom Hackett.

The three substitutes added a surge of energy to a Widnes side devoid of confidence. Reciac headed a ball across the face of goal that just evaded the outstretched leg of Owolabi before Danny Wilson and Luke Edwards both missed the target with long-range efforts.

The weather soon began to reflect the mood of the Widnes faithful and players as the heavens well and truly opened as monsoon-like conditions hit the South Pennines. This lead to a quality of play on show drastically dropping as both sides struggled on the increasingly deteriorating playing surface.

Ronnie McCarthy rattled the bar following the hour-mark for the visitors, curling a delightful 30-yard free-kick up and over the wall, beating Bacup keeper Josh Harris but not the crossbar, which was left shaking by McCarthy before Tunde Owolabi somehow headed wide for Widnes from inside the 6-yard area on the rebound.

Increasingly poor conditions meant that chances were hard to come by, with Jamil Campbell-Joseph and Carney missing further efforts for the visitors who were relatively pleased to hear the final whistle come fulltime.

Fulltime: Bacup Borough 6-0 Widnes

Widnes will be keen to forget and move on from this result with six important games left to play in their North West Counties Football League First Division campaign.

Next up for Hill’s side is a home game with Atherton Laburnum Rovers on Saturday 2nd April. That game kicks-off at 3pm.

Widnes: Morrow, McGrogan (Reciac 46), Mitchell (C), Carney, Wilson, Lomax, Campbell-Joseph, Toner (McCarthy 46), Owolabi, Hackett (Davidson 46), Edwards.

Subs not used: Amor