WORTHINGTON CHALLENGE CUP

Second round

Colne 2 Stand Athletic 1

STAND travelled to Colne looking to avenge a league defeat there just three weeks ago.

In that match, Stand had overwhelming control of the game, but couldn't capitalise and went down to a breakaway goal.

The match started brightly, with Stand creating the early chances. Brendan O'Shaughnessy went close in the 10th minute and Dave Gardener shot just over the bar three minutes later.

For most of the first half, however, the Colne defence were untroubled as Stand struggled to control the ball, with a fierce following wind compounding the difficulties of the steep downward slope.

As half-time approached, Stand should have gone ahead as the ball cannoned around the Colne goalmouth following a Neil Dawes corner. The home home defence worked manfully to block a series of close range shots before eventually clearing.

Another chance fell to Simon Hannon, stretching to reach another Dawes corner, but he was only able to lift the ball over the bar from close range.

Colne's attacking chances had been restricted to long balls punted over the Stand back-line for the speedy Carl Barton and James Webster to run on to.

Peter Gibbons had reacted quickly to all of these and coped well on his return, but he was unable to do anything in the 45th minute as both forwards found themselves in open space.

Somehow the linesman was unable to spot that they were both at least five yards offside, and Gibbons was forced to try to block Barton's shooting chances, with the threat of a pass to the unmarked Webster also in his mind.

In the end, Barton decided to shoot and the ball rolled into the bottom left corner of the goal, beyond Gibbon's reach.

Stand came out of the blocks quickly in the second half and Gardener went close from 30 yards. His shot found a way through the crowded area, but rolled agonisingly wide of the post.

He made amends in the 49th minute, as Neil Dawes played a free-kick to his feet as he stood on the penalty spot. He received the ball with his back to goal, but controlled it and spun to shoot low into the goal.

There followed a series of corners for Stand, but the imposing figure of Gary Dalton and the even taller goalie, Ross Baxter, made easy work of defending these.

With Stand in control, there was a surprising and disappointing goal for Colne on the hour. Bernard Morley, who had just signed from Stand, tried a speculative shot from just inside the Stand half. The shot careered off Hannan and rolled into the net, with Gibbons totally tricked by the deflection.

Stand continued to press for an equaliser for the remainder of the game, but some outrageous decisions from the linesman frustrated many of their attacks.

The best moment of the second half came from another Dawes corner in the 69th minute. Avoiding Dalton and Baxter, he played the ball to Hannon on the edge of the box. His screamer of a shot was heading directly into the top left hand corner of the goal, but Baxter produced the save of the season. Diving at full stretch, he not only reached the shot, but caught it.

Baxter's long arms were useful again two minutes later. Gardener evaded the linesman's flag for once and raced goalwards. He shot low and hard inside the box, but Baxter managed to get a hand to the ball with sufficient strength to just stop it. Unfortunately, nobody had followed in on Gardener's run to take advantage and another chance went begging.

STAND ATHLETIC: Gibbons, Peters, Riley, Rhodes (c), Hannan, O'Shaughnessy, Dawes, McKenzie; Gardener, Airey. Substitutes: Byrne, Dickinson, Calderwood.

Tomorrow Stand return to league football with a re-arranged home fixture against Bacup Borough (kick-off 3pm).