Basford Well Beaten At Colls

Atherton Collieries 3-0 Basford United (Northern Premier League) 21.08.21

Marcus Cusani scored twice as Basford United’s winless start to the season continued with defeat at Atherton.

Jack Lenehan gave Collieries the lead after only ten minutes before Cusani struck twice late on to condemn United to a second successive loss.

‘We’re obviously extremely disappointed,” manager Steve Chettle said. “First half I didn’t think we were great, and they’ve scored a goal by a mistake we’ve caused by losing the ball in the midfield.

“Second half I thought we re-started the game really well. We’ve had three really good opportunities and their ‘keeper has made three equally good saves.

“But, after that, one of the main objectives on the board before the game is the minimise mistakes. When you give teams goals – two goals – it’s difficult to get yourself back in the game.

“We can set everything out on the training ground and on the boards inside but when it comes to somebody in possession of the ball, they need to make as many good decisions as they can, and another two mistakes have severely cost us.

“We had a bit of a heart-to-heart with the players at the end,” Chettle added. “I told them my expectations and I’ve asked them of their expectation and whether they’re meeting my expectations at the moment.

“It was a bit of an open shop and there weren’t many takers of anybody wanting to say anything else, so overall a disappointing afternoon.

The visitors made two changes from Tuesday’s 2-1 defeat at Matlock Town. Rev James replaced Nathaniel Peters and Aaron O’Connor’s groin injury in the warm-up enforced Chettle to call on Niall Towle for his first start of the season. Youngster Jordan Haywood took Towle’s place on the bench.

It was the home side who began the brighter and went in front when Lenehan – pouncing on a loose pass by Ryan Wilson and breaking the tackles of two – fired home with venom past Adam Collin from distance.

Basford’s best chance came on the half an hour – after weathering steady Colls pressure – and had Towle’s scuffed effort been struck more clean, they may have headed into the break all square.

It was as good as it got for Chettle’s men in the first half, however, and they were fortunate not to concede a penalty when Declan Dunn clumsily bundled Gaz Peet over in the area and they began to find home ‘keeper Luke Hutchinson in an inspired mood.

The Bolton Wanderers loanee did well to swat Wilson’s cross-cum-shot away ten minutes before the break, preceding an even better save within seconds of the restart when he blocked Alex Howes’ shot after the he danced between Niall Battersby and Joel Amado.

From the melee that ensued, defender Stef Galinksi – rising highest from Howes’ mazy run and cross – headed downwards and the 18-year-old parried to safety with an outstretched hand.

But Hutchinson left his best until last when, on the hour, his fingertipped save from James Clifton’s corner-bound hit deservedly drew applause from the home crowd, only weeks after signing from Ian Evatt’s Trotters.

On the contrary, any newfound United threat quickly subsided and any way back into the tie was completely lost in three calamitous minutes.

Firstly, Owen Betts’ under hit back pass held up and Cusani nipped in ahead of Collin to set himself and slide home Collieries’ second despite Galinksi’s best efforts to retreat.

Moments later, Collin’s goal-kick, intended for Clifton, was intercepted on the edge of the area and the former Warrington striker duly dispatched into the top corner to add to Basford woes.

Cusani nearly completed his personal treble seven minutes from time but could only flick Elliot Rokka’s low cross into the side netting.

Marcus Marshall’s late header may have added a scant consolation for his side from Betts’ driven cross, but United’s attention now turns to Stafford Rangers at Greenwich Avenue on Tuesday night (August 24), before Witton Albion make the trip from Cheshire on Saturday (August 28).

“If one of the chances we had goes in maybe the game’s different,” Chettle rounded off. “But we shoot ourselves in the foot by making poor, poor decisions with the ball and bad errors, and it’s tough when you’re making bad errors like those.

“We’ve got a different group from the last two seasons, or so, and we’re missing important players from that group, and I said inside that all teams miss players at times, but you have to adjust and be better.

“I asked them at full-time “have you ran as hard as you can?”, “were your outcomes that you were meant to get out of the games met?” and most of them weren’t.

“The players have got to work harder to shut down teams. You saw Atherton in the last minute and they’re working as hard as they can, so I’ve said that they must do more – as a group and as a collective to get results.

“Nobody gives you a God-given right to any points before the game. You’ve got to go and earn everything in football and lift itself and we’ve got to stand up and be better.

“They’re personal errors that we’re making, and we need to stop doing them.”

Atherton Collieries: Luke Hutchinson, Clive Smith, Gaz Peet (C), Niall Battersby, Luca Defreitas-Hansen, Joel Amado, Ethan Kershaw (Ben Conway 87), Scott Sephton, Dylan Glass (Elliot Rokka 60), Jack Lenehan, Marcus Cusani (Liam Martin 84).

Basford United: Adam Collin, Dom Roma, Ryan Wilson, Brad Gascoigne (Owen Betts 45), Steff Galinksi (C), Declan Dunn (Nathaniel Peters 45), James Clifton, Alex Howes, Marcus Marshall, Niall Towle, Rev James.

Venue: Alder House (201)