Barnoldswick Town 1 Bootle 2

A LATE goal sentenced Barnoldswick Town to another Premier Division home defeat at the Silentnight Stadium on Saturday.

It was a cruel blow because Town had contributed fully to a close-fought encounter despite being without seven of their regular squad members.

Top scorer Joe Gaughan, Jake McEneaney, Elliott Firth, Stephen Hall, Matt Cavanagh and both the Britton Brothers Liam and Kieran were all missing.

And there was a further blow for Stewart Airdrie’s side when new signing Zack Dale, who had scored two goals in his first two games, had to limp off with a hamstring strain after 12 minutes.

It said much for the character of the Town side that they made Bootle fight all the way for the three points.

They had their moments of luck, like in the first minute, when a sloppy pass across the field was picked up by Bootle’s ace scorer Ryan Cox who shot wide from eight yards out.

Both teams hit the woodwork in the first half, Ben Gorman hitting the outside of Ryan Jones’ right hand post when he should have really have put Town in front.

Despite dominating the last 20 minutes of the first half, Town allowed Carl Peers to put the visitors ahead two minutes before the break.

Liam Loughlin’s superb through ball released Cox who coolly played in Peers who finished into the empty net.

Town were stung by the goal and forced a superb save from Jones early in the second half after Mark Threlfall had collected the ball with his back to goal, turned and let fly with a right-footed effort.

Harry Thompson had a shot pushed away by Jones before Barnoldswick equalised just after the hour mark. Gorman’s cross from the left found the head of substitute John Beckwith who nodded home.

Town almost took the lead minutes later. Threlfall unleashed a stunning volley from outside the box which rattled he crossbar.

The deciding goal came in the 84th minute. Cox crossed to the far post where Kieran Halligan dived forward and placed the ball wide of Jordan Gidley.