Colne came out on top in an action packed end-to-end derby at Padiham on Saturday. Second half goals by Luke Stowe and Lucas Weaver clinched the win for the Reds and some outstanding saves by Colne keeper Hakan Burton denied the Storks any reply despite a series of good chances.
Padiham got off to a bright start with some good attacking moves but the Colne defence looked confident and soon began to prompt some good counterattacks. The Reds won a free kick after 13 minutes when Craig Carney was brought down on the edge of the Storks penalty area and Owen Watkinson’s well struck free kick was deflected off a defender for a corner. Two minutes later, another free kick for the Reds was fired just wide of the goal by Carney as Colne threatened again.
A quick break by the Storks after 20 minutes stretched the Colne defence and only a vital clearance by Matty Kardacz at the far post prevented an opening goal. And as play swung to the other end, Cormack Noel’s cross found Jack Doherty for a glancing header at the near post which flew across the face of the Padiham goal.
After 26 minutes, a quick counterattack by the Storks looked sure to produce an opening goal with the Colne defence again stretched but once again Kardacz read the situation well to clear the danger with a vital clearance. And in a subsequent attack by Padiham, Harry Winstanley blocked a goal-bound shot by the Storks centre forward as he bore down on goal.
But Colne looked the more likely to open the scoring with Watkinson chipping the ball just over the bar with a sight of goal and Doherty seeing his shot pushed round the post with a good save by the Padiham keeper just before half time.
Colne pushed forward in the second half and took the lead after two minutes when Watkinson’s through ball released Stowe into the Padiham area and he found the net with a low shot through the keeper’s legs while evading a desperate tackle by a defender to give the Reds the lead.
Colne doubled their lead after 54 minutes when Stowe’s corner fell to Weaver at the near post who back-heeled the ball into the net past the helpless Padiham defence.
As the Storks looked for a quick reply, a dangerous corner was headed away by Glenn Steel before Joel Melia blasted the ball over the bar from the follow-up. And within a minute, Burton made a great diving save on his goal-line to keep out a goal-bound header.
Colne still looked to increase their lead and the Storks keeper was in action to turn a free kick from just outside the area over his crossbar with a flying save. Then it was the turn of Burton in the Colne goal to prevent a goal with a great save to keep out a close range bullet header from a Padiham forward.
Both sides will be satisfied with their performance in an entertaining game as they build towards the coming season.
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