Reds clinch final spot after scrap

ACCRINGTON STANLEY 1 BAMBER BRIDGE 0
 
ACCRINGTON  Stanley reached the final of the LFA Marsden Cup - but made hard work of it against the UniBond Premier Division side.

It looked like the promotion-chasing Reds would see off the strugglers with ease when Chris Butler chipped the ball over the keeper and into the top of the net with just two minutes on the clock.

However that was it and former Northwich and Altrincham player Peter Wright had four clear-cut chances to win it for Bamber Bridge but all his efforts were high and wide.

"The only saving grace is that we are in the final," said boss John Coleman who kept his players locked in their dressing room for 20 minutes after the game.

"That is not good enough and if we play like that on Saturday against Forest Green in the league we will have problems.

"The best team lost - there is no hiding that fact. We had a dream start and that was it. It was their cup final but we made it extremely difficult for ourselves. We were too cocky on the ball, there were too many errors and we didn't give them the respect they deserved."

Stanley made their dream start as left back Butler scored his first goal for the club he joined in the summer. The Reds had a more or less full strength side with Jonathan Smith coming into the centre of defence and Paul Howarth the right side of midfield.

It seemed they would overrun Bridge but then Peter Wright and Chris Ward - a former Birmingham City player - carved open chance after chance as the Stanley defence struggled to cope with them.

Luckily for the Reds, some wayward shooting and Danny Alcock kept them out and Stanley held on. as they bid to reclaim the trophy they last won in 2002. Burscough and Skelmersdale play in the other semi-final on Wednesday night.