Skip to main content

Winstanley St Aidans v Pemberton

6.15pm  13 April 2016

Wigan and District Amateur League, Premier Division
Winstanley St Aidans 3 Pemberton 2 (att 10)

Getting to early evening games through rush hour traffic can be tricky, and I arrived at Little Lane in Wigan about 60 seconds before this game got underway.

It was just as well I wasn't late, as Winstanley St Aidans went ahead straight from the start. I don't have a stop watch but it was well inside 10 seconds and was quite possibly the quickest goal I've ever seen.

The home side went into this game having won all 15 previous league fixtures, so having made a start like that I expected them to score a few more and win easily. Local rivals Pemberton weren't going to let that happen though, and matched their hosts to keep the score to 1-0 at half time.

Early in second half the game turned completely, as two quick goals gave the visitors the lead. By that stage they were good value for it and looked capable of inflicting further damage. St Aidans rallied through, levelling late on before getting a very late winner. I was probably the only neutral watching the game, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Little Lane is effectively a public park, shared with division one side Winstanley Warriors. In fact Warriors were also a home on an adjacent pitch that looked in better condition, and certainly had a better set of goalposts, than that used by St Aidans. There's a building next to the pitches which bears the Warriors name, so at some point I'll probably return to "tick" their pitch.








Comments