Lancaster City rue missed chances in Emley defeat

Lancaster City missed the chance to go level on points with the sides in the Northern Premier League play-offs as a solitary goal away at Emley was enough for the hosts to take the win.

As Storm Austen turned into Storm Boelo, the driving wind and rain made for very challenging conditions for both sides, and it took a while for the first chance of the game. Joe Amison's shot from the edge of the box was saved by Ben Bottomley.

Evangelinos found space in the box on 14 minutes and his shot was just over the bar and the best effort of the game so far, Charlie Bailey forcing Bottomley into an expert save to turn it for a corner.

The hosts grew into the game, half chances followed in by a shot by Hayden Lindley which needed saving by Brad Kelly. It would be a familiar story for the only goal of the game. It was a long ball up field for Lewis Gould, who broke away from Dylan Thompson to round Kelly and slot on the eventual winner.

The second half started with Dylan Thompson firing over on 47 minutes, before both Emley and Lancaster had the ball in the net, for them to be ruled out for offside.

Emley were looking for a second, with Haswell looking dangerous making Kelly pull off another save and Conan Bird curling an effort wide.

With time running out, Lancaster went on the offensive. Steven Yawson seeing a shot go wide on the hour mark, Bottomley sparing the blushes of the defender off a Charlie Bailey cross on 70 minutes. The Pewits keeper making a double save on 78 minutes, and again four minutes later as Charlie Bailey was looking dangerous in the box.

As the pressure mounted Emley almost scored a carbon copy of the first, this time Kelly saved the shot from Gould.

More blocked efforts from Charlie Bailey and Nathan Caine followed but it wasn't enough and it saw Lancaster City fall to defeat for the second league game in a row.

Next up is another away trip, this time to FC United of Manchester on Saturday 31st October, 3pm kick off.

Lancaster City: Kelly, Amison, Brownhill, D. Moonan, Oliver, Thompson (Lawson 60'), Tweedley, Fofana (Caine 65'), Evangelinos (C) (Nolan 85'), C. Bailey, Yawson (J. Bailey 76') Subs not used: B. Moonan

Emley AFC: Bottomley, Heaton, Ejupi (Hanson 5'), Stacey, Lindley, Sheppeard, Bird (Farrar 86'), O'Connor, Gould, Haswell (Stepehenson 72'), De Girolamo (C) (Clegg 72') Subs not used: Devine