Cammel Laird 2
Radcliffe Borough 1

Radcliffe Borough returned from the Wirral empty handed on Tuesday night after going down 2-1 to Cammel Laird in Evo-Stik Division One North, writes Alan Firth.

Radcliffe started the game strongly and should have opened the scoring but Elliott Rocca’s header slammed against the bar.

On 14 minutes Radcliffe’s Chris Cheetham kept them in the game denying Jamie Henders with a great save. Radcliffe responded by forcing a save from Langley. A minute later Cammel Laird took the lead with a Paul Foy header from close range.

Cheetham stopped Cammel doubling their lead in the first minute of the second half with yet another good save, while Radcliffe had a penalty appeal waved away by the referee.

Radcliffe’s Lambert and Robinson were denied by keeper Langley before Mark Ayres equalised for the visitors on 67 minutes with a shot from the edge of the box.

Five minutes later Cammel regained the lead when Henders headed in from six yards out.

Captain James Mullineux made a great tackle on the edge of the penalty area to keep Boro in the game before the visitors were awared a free-kick in the final minute of the game when Simon Carden was fouled. Robinson drilled the ball into the area but the Laird defence stood firm.

Although Radcliffe lost 4-1 against a strong Lancaster side on Saturday, the game will be remembered for a mass brawl involving players and supporters. Referee Steve Rudd had to stop the game with 10 minutes to go, when a fight started which was understood to be between supporters of Lancaster City and supporters and players of Ramsbottom United, whose game had been called off earlier. Several Lancaster players then ran over to join the melee.

Lancaster took the lead in the second minute through Tom Kilifin. Ryan Winder added a second with a shot from the edge of the box soon after. Gavin Clarke made it 3-0 on 16 minutes and Jordan Connerton slid the ball past Chris Cheetham in the Boro goal to make it 4-0 on 33 minutes.

Bevan Burey scored a consolation for Boro in the second half, his shot from 25 yards finding the bottom left-hand corner of the net.