Match report: Longridge Town 0 Garstang 2

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With the match having been moved to Fulwood Amateurs because of an unfit pitch at Longridge, Garstang almost took the lead inside 10 seconds but a last-ditch tackle denied Ric Coar.

This set the tone as Longridge keeper Lee Dovey used his legs to deny Alan Coar before Jake Salisbury looked to be brought down but the penalty appeals were waved away.

They should have gone ahead on 22 minutes when Salisbury pulled the ball back to Ric Coar, whose scuffed effort was straight at Dovey and Longridge breathed again.

In the next five minutes, Garstang peppered the Longridge goal with efforts from Jonny Hothersall and both Coar brothers but they could not get the ball past Dovey.

It was going to take something special to break the deadlock and it duly came on 37 minutes.

Alan Coar was fouled 25 yards out and Tom Entwistle stepped up to curl the free-kick into the top corner.

Tom Graham replaced the injured Jack Swindlehurst at half-time but the second half continued in the same vein with Garstang much quicker to the ball and creating chance after chance.

Alan Coar hit the outside of the post from 20 yards, Salisbury was denied by Dovey who then parried a drive from Hothersall and Kieran O’Conner scooped the ball over when well placed.

When Alan Coar muscled his way down the middle and hit the keeper’s legs, the Garstang supporters were beginning to wonder if all these missed chances would come back to haunt them.

However, with 10 minutes to go, Alan Coar put the game to bed when he chested a free-kick down and smashed a shot into the bottom corner.

Ryan Dodd’s effort was saved before Alan Coar was pulled back inside the box by George Melling for a penalty and a second yellow for the defender.

Entwistle stepped up and hit a firm shot but Dovey dived to his left and kept the ball out.