Alsager Town 3 Barnoldswick Town 2

BARNOLDSWICK Town were made to pay for a sloppy defensive display as relegation-threatened Alsager Town secured only their second win of the season.

The match-clinching goal was scored two minutes from time when Chris Smith was allowed to run clear and slip the ball past Jordan Gidley.

It meant that all the good work that Barnoldswick did in pulling back from 2-0 down was wasted.

Barnoldswick started brightly with Mark Threlfall and Matthew Simpson both going close.

Alsager began to come more into the match as the visitors repeatedly gave the ball away in midfield. with Town readily giving the ball away in midfield. Daniel Brown had a shot blocked and saw a chip drift wide before giving his side a 22nd minute lead.

A clearance by Gidley was immediately played forward by the Alsager defence. Hesitation in the Town ranks let Brown in and this time his lob over Gidley nestled in the net.

A Michael Machin free-kick saw Nico Kolodzyk and Brown just fail to apply the finishing touch.

The nearest Barnoldswick came to a goal was when keeper Matthew Johnson fisted the ball straight to James Crorken on the edge of his penalty area. His shot was tipped over his crossbar by the relieved keeper.

Alsager extended their lead right on half-time when Michael Lennon's corner was headed in at the near post by Tom Fogg.

There was a let off for Barnoldswick when Gidley saved a shot by Brown which bounced invitingly to Leigh Skellern who was denied by a last-ditch tackle from Chris Ridehalgh.

Top scorer Joe Gaughan gave the visitors a boost when he raced onto Threlfall's pass and blasted the ball into the net.

Barnoldswick were lifted by the goal and equalised soon after when Ben Gorman fired home after Threlfall's shot had rebounded off the bar.

Gaughan missed a golden chance when he elected to chip the ball rather than blast it into the net and saw his effort go wide.

Shaun Airey headed a dangerous cross from Alsager's Lennon clear when Kolodzyk was threatening before Gaughan screwed a shot across the face of goal as play switched from end to end.

Just when it looked as if the match was going to end in a draw, the Barnoldswick defence switched off and Smith snatched the winning goal.