Pilkington 3-2 Emley

Emley suffered a heartbreaking 3-2 loss at Pilkington, after leading 2-0 at half time in a match that was the proverbial game of two halves.
Once again, Emley's frailties were there for all to see as they frustrated their management team and supporters by failing to pick up any points from their trip to St Helens, when they really ought to have sealed a win against the team next to bottom.
There was no inkling of the drama to come as Emley, as is becoming customary started brightly and caused their hosts plenty of problems from the off, with strong running and a good passing game, it was one of those strong runs which brought about a free kick in the 2nd minute, from which Rob Bordman crashed home a thunderous shot that had the keeper beaten all ends up.
The opening 15 minutes was all Emley, and they could have doubled their lead after just 10 minutes, Declan Dawson's shot was parried and Danny Farrar fired wide.
Pilkington then had their best spell of the game so far, good build up play led to a shot that went wide and then George Clarke had to be alert as a shot looked to have beaten him and was heading in before it luckily hit a post and bounced into the Emley keepers grateful hands, but that was about all the home side mustered in the first half as the Pewits piled the pressure on.
Within a few minutes of that lucky break, Emley were 2 up, good work by Farrar to keep the ball alive, a chipped ball into the area and James Stafford was there to guide it into the bottom corner.
Declan Dawson then tried his hardest to get on the scoresheet, first he planted a header just wide, then after a corner was only half cleared, he fired a shot just over, almost the same trajectory as the rugby ball from the neighbouring pitch that came over the stand onto the pitch, Tom Rose had the last action of the half, as he also shot over.
H/T 0-2
The second half couldn't have got off to a worse start for Emley, as within a couple of minutes of the restart, they had conceded a clumsy penalty, which was clinically dispatched by Marsh, that goal gave the home side a massive lift as they dominated the next 10-15 minutes, but the Emley back line held firm, that is until Clarke was called upon to make a great save from an equally good shot.
Bordman then tried his luck with another free kick but it was parried by the keeper and cleared.
Emley couldn't get any kind of grip on the game and it was probably no surprise that Pilks found an equaliser and a good one at that, Sephton crashed a left foot volley in off the post from 20 yards, Clarke had no chance with it.
Bordman almost put Emley back in the lead a minute later with a neat shot from inside the area, but the keeper did well to save it and turn it away for a corner, but again, the Pewits were pegged back by the men in green.
This time, a neat ball through the middle caught Emley napping and although it was well controlled on his chest, the forward couldn't quite execute the finish and it went wide.
With Emley trying to find a way back into the game, it became tetchy and scrappy, with yellow cards dished out, mainly in frustration, and that frustration got stronger for Emley when they had a great chance to get back into lead and possibly take all 3 points, a great ball inside the defence saw Danny Farrar with space and time to look up and pick out 2 or 3 blue shirts in the area, but he inexplicably tried a shot that he dragged well wide, it seemed to everyone that he should have squared it but took the shot on instead.
And as almost always happens, it proved costly, with the game running into injury time, Pilkington found a winner, and again, all credit to them, it was a good goal, another good passing move, a cross from the right and a firmly planted header by Sephton left Clarke with no chance, delight and no doubt relief from the home supporters but head shaking and depair for those of a claret and blue persuasion, yet again, Emley had not being able to finish a game off, but credit to Pilkington, they scored 2 very good goals to win the game, and probably just about deserved it, disapppointment though for Emley after a great midweek win at Burscough in the Vase, which is where focus turns to next, Winterton Rangers are the visitors to the Fantastic Media Welfare Ground on Friday (8pm) in the 2nd qualifying round of the FA Vase.
F/T 3-2
EMLEY- Clarke, Nicholson, Gibson, Price, Stafford, Dawson, Rose, Coker, Bordman, Farrar, Metcalfe; Subs used- Wilson, Glavin: Unused- Cahill, Walker
Goals- Bordman (2) Stafford (28)
Attendance - 97
Hepworth Group Man of the Match- Sam Gibson