Lancaster City frustrated by Atherton Collieries at Giant Axe

The Dolly Blues were unable to open their win account on home soil as they were held by Atherton Collieries 0-0 on bank holiday Monday. (writes James Wilson)
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Lancaster have drawn their opening three league games of the NPL Premier Division at Giant axe and they were left frustrated by a stubborn performance from the visitors.

Boss Mark Fell praised another tight defensive performance as young centre-back Calen Gallagher-Allison picked up the man-of-the-match on the way to City’s fourth clean sheet from six games.

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However, the manager acknowledged that, “We can’t keep saying that and drawing every game”.

Lancaster City boss Mark Fell (photo: Phil Dawson)Lancaster City boss Mark Fell (photo: Phil Dawson)
Lancaster City boss Mark Fell (photo: Phil Dawson)

City’s problems remain at the top end of the pitch, owing to an injury crisis.

Dom Lawson, Nico Evangelinos, Enock Likoy and Jake Connelly have been or are all carrying injuries and knocks, upsetting the balance of the side and increasing the workload on the likes of David Norris and Charlie Bailey.

The game was a largely balanced affair, with neither goalkeeper tested excessively, though Colls keeper Nico Defreitas-Hansen had to produce a smart stop to deny Kyle Brownhill’s dangerous downward header.

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“It was a hard fought Northern Premier League game, we were far too long in the first half, we tried to shorten it a little in the second half”, Fell said.

He replaced the evergreen Norris with Ed Elewa-Ikpakwu in order to shorten the distance to City’s striker, though the substitute himself nearly made the breakthrough as his shot from the edge of the box with 15 minutes to go forced a fantastic save from Defreitas-Hansen.

It set up a tense final stage of the game, but a decisive strike never arrived, leaving Colls the happier of the two sides and the Dollies still in need of goals to turn draws into wins.

Fell added: “Credit to their manager Brad Cooke, they came to match us up, they came to compete.

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“We travelled to Gainsborough and I think it took a massive amount out of us and we just have not got the numbers to refresh the team.”

City have accumulated seven points from their opening six games, winning only game but they have lost just once.