Lairds in close encounter with league leaders and title favorites Chasetown (From Wirral Globe)

Lairds in close encounter with league leaders and title favorites Chasetown

12:08pm Monday 1st February 2010

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LAIRDS travelled down to Chasetown hoping to get their own push for promotion back on track with a tough game at Chasetown on Saturday, however they were undone in a 2-1 defeat on a semi-frozen pitch in the midlands.

Having travelled down with a bare minimum squad, Alex Hay's team selection was done no favours by an injury sustained in the warm-up by Tony Rendell.

Before the game got under way there were also a series of discussions between both managers and the match officials before the start of proceeding with the state of the pitch clearly a concern for all, but it was agreed to press on and the game commenced.

It was not the best of starts for Lairds either as they went behind as early as the third minute when after tentative approach play the ball broke loose on the edge of the area to Gary Birch, who beat the first defender and struck a shot just inside the post to put the home side in front.

For the next thirty minutes another tense tactical battle ensued with Lairds matching Chasetown for sorties forward but both defences seemed fairly rigid and capable of dealing with everything that went towards them.

Lairds best chances in the half came towards the end when Danny Andrews forced a good save from Price and shortly after Stewy Jones also made the keeper work to block a headed effort.

In the second half, Lairds always seemed capable of creating chances despite Chasetown having more territorial advantage and when a swift passing move on 65 minutes ended with Danny Andrews thumping in an effort to the far post it was deserved.

Both sides did not sit back. They were clearly going for the points but it was Chasetown who was able to score another goal when after a run down the right flank, the ball was over-lapped to Daniel Smith for Scott Embrey to strike home a neat effort past Palethorpe for what turned out to be the winning goal.

Speaking after the game, Laird's Manager Alex Hay gave more details on the game.

"We were unlucky there today, we seem to have lost a bit of momentum since the enforced winter break and that’s not a major cause for concern but it is something that we need to address sooner rather than later.

"We came down here today and saw the state of the pitch and were a bit dubious about it, as were Chasetown and the officials, we all had a good look at it and the main parts that concerned us were a stretch on the flanks and near the goal, but we'd travelled a fair way down and were willing to give it a go, the officials were ok with it and we got started.

"Overall we put in a good performance, that was a game that we could have won today and the Chasetown coaching staff went out of their way after the match to tell us that we were one of the better teams they’d faced this season which was a nice gesture."

"Chasetown win the plaudits for their style of footbal and we play in a very similar way to them which is probably why we ran them very close on their own ground today.

"We lost Tony Rendell in the warm up today and prior to the game we lost Stephen Owen for 6-7 weeks with another injury.

"So the squad situation is quite tight at the moment but we have to play to our strengths with what we have and with a tough game against Glapwell away on Tuesday night followed by another good team in Shepshed heading to Kirklands on Saturday it’s all to play for."

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