Colne embarked on another cup run on Tuesday night at the Sovereign Play Stadium seeing off the challenge of North West Counties side Bacup Borough with a resounding 5-0 win in the Lancashire FA Trophy. The Reds took the opportunity to give Morgan Homson-Smith his first start for the club and to rediscover their shooting boots in front of goal.
Colne made a good start with some promising attacks and Bacup keeper Peter Monteith saw plenty of the ball in the opening stages clearing a series of balls into his penalty area. But the keeper was relieved to see Sefton Gonzales’ narrow angle shot fly just wide of the far post after 13 minutes. And as the pressure continued, Colne took the lead one minute later when Lee Pugh’s low cross found Max Hazeldine in the goalmouth and Bacup defender Oliver Crewe’s attempted clearance ricocheted back into the net off Hazeldine’s head.
Colne looked to increase their lead as Hazeldine forced a good save from Monteith with a well struck shot. While at the other end, a diagonal free kick by Ryan Siddle was punched away at the far post by Hakan Burton with a vital save. And Matty Makinson cleared the danger from a left wing cross as Bacup looked for an equaliser.
Joe Coveney lifted his shot over the bar from a good opening provided by Homson-Smith and Monteith did well to punch a high cross away off Pugh’s head in a series of Colne attacks. After 32 minutes, Billy Hasler-Cregg cut into the penalty area from the right wing and unleashed a diagonal shot that beat Monteith all the way but crashed against the crossbar of the Bacup goal.
Four minutes later, Hazeldine beat defenders on his run before finding the bottom corner of the net with a well struck shot to double Colne’s lead at 2-0.
After 39 minutes, Homson-Smith sent Tony Donaldson on a run through the middle but Monteith was off his line quickly to block the shot.
As the second half began, Colne continued to create chances and after 56 minutes, Monteith got down well to save Gonzales’ low shot and recovered quickly to save the follow-up by Donaldson.
After 72 minutes, a long diagonal ball found Homson-Smith on the right wing and his low cross gave Aidan Chippendale a chance from close range and as Monteith blocked his shot, the rebound fell to Gonzales to knock home for Colne’s third goal. Two minutes later, a similar diagonal ball found Alex Coleman on the right wing and he took the ball past the last defender before scoring with a perfect lob over the keeper into the far corner of the net to put Colne four goals ahead.
In the closing stages, Colne continued to press and in the last minute Chippendale’s run to the bye line and low cross into the goalmouth found Gonzales who scored from close range to round off the scoring at 5-0 on a successful night for the Reds.