Skelmersdale United's injury crisis gets worse

Oct 2 2008 by Philip Kirkbride, Skelmersdale Advertiser

TOMMY Lawson has admitted that his young guns were given a rude awakening in the demands of non-league football this week.

With Skelmersdale United in the midst of an injury crisis, Lawson was once again forced to field a highly inexperienced starting 11 in the games at Chorley and Trafford.

Lawson believes the 4-1 defeat at Chorley on Saturday taught his young players some valuable lessons - and ones they took on board in Tuesday night’s 3-1 victory at Trafford in the UniBond League Cup.

As Skem’s list of absentees grows by the game, Lawson will call on the same players to repeat the trick against Shepshed Dynamo on Saturday and Formby on Tuesday.

Lawson said: “I was bitterly disappointed with the Chorley game on Saturday and in the first-half, with seven players missing, the quality was not there. But we said that if the lads are signed on with us - even if they are kids - we expect more effort.

“They may be learning their way in the first rung of non-league football but the fact still remains, you have got to put your heart and soul into it.

“We had a good array of supporters follow us and they were a credit to the club, but we let them down in the first half. But in the second, we had two or three chances, hit the bar and the keeper made some outrageous saves.

“On Tuesday night Sean Foster, Steve Brockley and Paul McNally were out and so we had to field a team with an average age of 20, which for this standard of football is unheard of. Some players were making their debut and to be fair, Trafford boasted the leading goal scorer and the lads didn’t give him much. We had to change the pattern of our play but we came out of it with a win which was born out of honest endeavour.”

Much to the frustration of Lawson, United will not be given the opportunity to get their league campaign back on track this week as the FA Trophy and Liverpool Senior Cup take precedent.

The boss admits that he is still hurting after the 4-1 Chorley loss.

He said: “To suffer the first league defeat was bitterly disappointing, especially with all the cup games coming up because even though we have games in hand it is still important to keep picking up points.

“It is a concern that we have so many missing at the moment - it’s just not normal. I’m hoping Sean Foster will be available, Michael Duffy is back from suspension and Adam Birchall will have a late fitness test. But we are likely to be without Paul McNally, Steve Brockley, Michael White, Phil Holland, Chris Almond, Lee Kelly and Steve Akrigg.”