Nostell bow out of FA Vase

Nostell Miners Welfare fell at their first hurdle in the FA Vase, losing 2-0 at North West Counties Premier Division side St Helens Town in the second qualifying round clash.
Darren Holmes’ Nostell lacked quality in the final third and although there were few chances in the game, St Helens took theirs.
A strike on the stroke of half-time from Andy Gillespie set the home side on their way and Karl Bergqvist’s late goal booked their place in today’s first round draw.
Nostell were hit by a few absences due to players having other commitments from work to christenings (Richard Dawley).
Holmes also lost main striker Danny Critchlow in midweek to Handsworth Parramore so he was forced into playing a makeshift forward line of Matthew Semley and Adam Hayton.
To be fair to Toolstation NCEL Premier Division bottom-placed side, they did start well.
Jamie Allsop should have done better with a close range which goalkeeper Rory Crowther was able to save inside the opening three minutes.
That’s when the game started to unravel for Nostell. St Helens had multiple chances to go ahead as a lethargic performance from the visitors began to be displayed for all to see.

Only the excellent goalkeeping from top stopper Ben Saynor kept St Helens out.
Bergqvist hit the crossbar and also pulled a couple of saves out of Saynor. The former Farsley Celtic and Glasshoughton goalkeeper also prevented Gareth Grant and Gillespie from scoring.
As half-time approached, Nostell appeared to have rode the storm and looked set to go into the break at 0-0.
That when was until they failed to clear their lines and Gillespie found space to rifle a superb strike into the top corner which even Saynor could get nowhere near.
The situation did not improve by any stretch in the second half for Nostell. There was some build-up play, but nothing which ended with Crowther being tested.
St Helens were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure. The home side did step up a gear towards the end and with 15 minutes remaining, they got the second goal.
Subsiture Chad Whyte had only been on the pitch a minute when he exposed Nostell’s back four and forced a save from Saynor point blank range.
Nostell had at least two attempts to clear the danger, but failed to do so and the goal dropped kindly for Bergqvist to volley home and secure a deserved win for his side.
Nostell’s Jermaine Moyce did hit the post in stoppage time with a fine shot, but it too late anyway.

Nostell Miners Welfare manager Darren Holmes said: “I’m disappointed with the first half-time performance because we are a lot better than that.
“The main thing for us is to survive in the league and we’re concentrating mainly on the league so all I wanted from today was a good performance.
“We didn’t get that in the first half. We were a little better in the second half. We were unlucky with a few deflections that didn’t go our way.
“We wanted a good performance to take it into the league next week, no matter what the score was. I just think the lads have let themselves down a little bit.
“They can play better than that and they know they can and they’re really disappointed and we should have to try and lift their spirits for next week (for the visit of Cleethorpes Town).”

St Helens Town: Crowther, Duffy, Morris, Falconer, Ogden, McKay, Saleh, Grant (Harrison 74), Cook-Hannah (Whyte 74), Bergqvist (Lightboy 87), Gillespie (captain). Sub unused: Saunders.
Nostell Miners Welfare: Saynor, Vamplow, Allsop (Moyce 81), Kane, Brook, Walton, Poole (captain), Moxon (Bayang 81), Semley, Hayton, Wimslow.
Referee: Gary Hilton (Warrington)
Ref Rating: 6/10
Attendance: 70
Man of the match: Ben Saynor (Nostell Miners Welfare)

The full album of match photos will be uploaded onto our Facebook page HERE during Monday afternoon.