Report: Lancaster 0-0 Colls

The Dolly Blues and the black n white stripes played out a reasonably pleasant on the eye August Bank Holiday fixture. Brad Cooke shuffled his pack and gave debuts and full debuts for young Bolton guns Arran Pettifer and Finlay Lockett respectively. Skipper Danny Lafferty felt a twinge in warm up and exited stage left. Luca DH took over the armband. The hosts were by buoyed by a belting 2-0 win at Gainsborough Trinity last time out and started proceedings as clear favourites with the bookies. The game started at a quick pace with both sides looking confident. Ollie Brown’s rampaging runs from the right back berth were causing problems for the hosts while Nico DH produced a top drawer low save to deny Kyle Brownhill his name up in lights. Marcus Cusani was cautioned for backchat after the stripes were denied a perfunctory free-kick on the edge of the City box. A modicum of sympathy for Marcus there as a Colls Mon was left nursing a hangover after an agricultural aerial challenge. A free-kick all day long if it’s in the middle of the park. Cusani shot from distance forced an off his line Curtis Anderson into a panicky save even though the ball was clearly heading into the Neil Marshall Stand. Luca DH headed wide from a corner as the half came to an end. The second half continued on a similar trajectory to the first with both teams cancelling each other out. The sides also had played in sustained heat forty-eight hours earlier and you didn’t have to be Hercule Poiret to appreciate their energy levels would eventually regress. Mark Fell’s team were afforded a couple of free headers in the Colls area which upon analysis will think they should have done better. Ed Ikpakwu forced a super stop from Nico DH whose handling was exemplary all afternoon. Colls had a couple of dangerous looking free-kicks which came to nowt and continued to edge possession but came up against determined opposition. All in all, a point apiece was a fair result. Their second Pitching In NPL Premier Division Giant Axe 0-0 stalemate of 2022. Every player in a black n white striped shirt gave their all for the cause and the endeavour was appreciated at the end by the travelling support. Now time to rest up and prepare for the weekend’s FA Cup clash at Stocksbridge Park Steels. KO 3pm Colls: Nico Defreitas Hansen, Ollie Brown, Joel Amado, Arran Pettifer, Adam Rooney, Luca Defreitas-Hansen, Aaron Smith, Jack Lenehan, Marcus Cusani, Jay Fitzmartin (Scott Bakkor 67’), Finlay Lockett - Unused Subs: Oli Roberts, Luke Nicholls, Evan Cunningham Man of the Match: Nico Defreitas-Hansen, Sponsored by Paul’s Workshop Supplies