TAKING a break from the task of acquiring league points, Walshaw Sports travelled to Culcheth to take on Daten in the first round of the Lancashire Shield.

An entertaining 2-2 draw sent the tie to a penalty shootout and, sadly for Walshaw, the Cheshire League side won 4-2.

Both sides spent the early part of the game testing each other out with no clear chances created.

When Daten did have the first opening, from a break down the right, the centre forward’s near-post finish brought a wonderful save from keeper Josh Dalton and, although the ball fell to another home striker, his effort cannoned off the crossbar.

This stung Walshaw into action and Lee Gaskell fired a free kick straight at the Daten keeper, who also denied him with a save from a goalbound chip.

During this spell of pressure Mike Whitehead ghosted in to collect a knock-down from a corner but his effort hit the post.

The first goal was Gaskell at his best, blasting a free kick into the top corner, giving the keeper no chance.

Walshaw pressed forward, with efforts from Whitehead and Lewis Benson well saved by the Daten keeper.

And after he had kept his side in the game Daten equalised. A free kick was floated to the far post, Dalton hesitated and the forward, allowed a free header, capitalised to make it 1-1.

Walshaw survived the ensuing pressure from Daten and produced good efforts from Jamie Hart and Josh Steadman which brought the best out of the keeper.

The hosts started the second half on the front foot, though it was Walshaw who went close when Richard Woodward put Whitehead in, his finish hitting the side netting, before a quick Daten break led to them taking the lead, an unmarked man in the box having an easy finish.

The game began to get tetchy with several yellow cards shown as tempers flared.

Another quick Daten break was halted by a robust challenge, with the home forward sent off for taking his protests to the official too far.

But instead of using the extra man to tire out the hosts, Walshaw went direct with their long balls easily dealt with.

The Daten keeper just got a toe to a Chris Denham finish and Whitehead nodded the resulting corner over the bar.

The teams were evened up when Dalton was dismissed after he rushed from his line and felled a striker with a high boot.

Keith Melvin took the gloves and saved the resulting free kick.

Walshaw got a deserved equaliser when Denham was brought down by the keeper in the box. With the keeper sin-binned for dissent, Gaskell smashed the penalty wide of the sub goalie.

The game ended almost immediately and went straight to penalties but Walshaw’s two missed spot-kicks saw them make an early exit from the competition.