SATURDAY 29th DECEMBER 2007

VAUXHALL MOTORS 2 v 0 BURSCOUGH

BLUE SQUARE NORTH

Vauxhall striker Mark Reed ended a spell of inactivity by becoming their match-winner in this Blue Square North derby, which was severely affected as a spectacle by the strong winds and driving rain, to ease Andy Mutch’s Motormen to a comfortable and much-needed victory.

Playing against the fierce conditions in the opening half, Reed produced a great strike on 20 minutes to steer Motors in front, his right foot shot being placed well out of reach of the stranded Tony McMillan in the Linnets goal and went in off the inside of the far upright.  Burscough for all their territorial advantage, rarely looked threatening, although Ciaran Kilheeney brought a smart save out of Andrew Murphy in the home goal shortly after.

Such was the ferocity of the conditions all the players raced off the field when the referee ended the first half for the quiet sanctuary of their dressing rooms!

After the break, Motors dominated for long spells and might well have added to that early strike but for some fine keeping by McMillan.  He denied Reed at his near post with a smart save from the strikers instant left foot drive, took the sting out of Peter Heler’s fierce shot while substitute Stuart Whittaker was genuinely unlucky, when the keeper made a superb save with his fingertips with the shot arrowing just inside the far post.  Murphy had to be alert to dent Kilheeney their best chance of the second half from close range soon after, before Reed struck again to effectively wrap up the points nine minutes from time.

Taking a fine through ball from Tom Field in his stride, Reed dinked the ball over McMillan and into the empty net, to round off a thoroughly deserved victory, to underline his predatory instincts.

Vauxhall: Murphy, Owens, Dames, Field, Holmes, Brannan, Hitchen, Griffiths, Reed, Heler (Egerton 82), Taylor (Whittaker 70).  Sub not used: Wright, Clarke, Carney.