Lancaster City exit FA Trophy following defeat at Prescot Cables

After a superb start to the league campaign, the Dolly Blues turned their attention to cup football in midweek.

City had an early chance: inside two minutes, Lewis Coulton picked out Lewis Mansell with a low ball from the left across the goalmouth but last season’s top scorer couldn’t turn it in.

Some great defending from Toby Oliver prevented a chance of an early Prescot goal following a dangerous cross, before Nathan Caine’s blistering run down the other end set up Bobby Bjork, but the ball was intercepted.

It was, all in all, a fairly attritional first half contested mainly in the midfield, the most noteworthy chances of which after those included Peter Clarke of Prescot - making his 1,000th appearance - heading well wide from a corner, and Bjork’s 20-yard piledriver being booted away by a Cables man.

Brad Kelly did so well on half an hour to stop Ben Elliott from opening the scoring in a one on one situation, the ‘keeper briefly down hurt after such brave rearguard work.

Kelly came up with more heroics with nine minutes to go until the half time whistle, outstretching his left hand to make a diving save, tipping John Murphy’s effort round the post.

The hosts had the ball in the back of the net two minutes after the restart but Tony Donaldson was judged to be in an offside position.

Just before the hour mark, Dom Lawson single handedly created his team’s best opportunity of the game up until that point, weaving his way past the Cables backline before unleashing a curling and deceptive effort from 25 yards out which Calvin Hare did well to tip over his bar.

A couple of minutes later, though, and the home side were ahead. A powerful and arguably unstoppable towering header from substitute Charley Doyle gave them the lead.

Cables then added a second on 64 minutes from a free kick, which was quickly taken down the line, leading to Ben Elliott receiving the ball and cooly finishing at Kelly’s near post.

City rung the changes after the two concessions and one of the substitutes Charlie Bailey had a decent pop at goal from inside the box, left of centre, but his effort was charged down by Clarke.

Cables sub Finlay Cross-Adair could have secured their place in the first round proper but his lofted effort, under pressure from Toby Oliver, found the wrong side of the post.

A Sam Bailey free kick found Dom Lawson but his attempt only forced Hare into a comfortable save, before Kelly had to be alert to a corner that almost found the net direct from its delivery.

The final attacking action of the game saw Hare produce some impressive reflexes to keep out Steven Yawson on the half volley.

Lancaster City return to league action this Saturday (October 11) as they travel to Leek Town’s F Ball Community Stadium with a 3pm kickoff.