The league table

Team Name P W D L F A GD Pts
1 Eastwood Town 10 7 1 2 19 6 13 22
2 Bradford Park Avenue 10 7 1 2 17 8 9 22
3 Buxton 8 6 2 0 13 5 8 20
4 Clitheroe 9 6 0 3 18 7 11 18
5 Cammell Laird 9 5 3 1 20 10 10 18
6 Stocksbridge Park Steels 11 5 2 4 11 10 1 17
7 Colwyn Bay 9 5 2 2 12 15 -3 17
8 Alsager Town 9 5 1 3 17 8 9 16
9 Ossett Albion 9 5 1 3 19 15 4 16
10 Woodley Sports 9 4 2 3 26 16 10 14
11 Harrogate Railway Athletic 9 4 1 4 15 13 2 13
12 Skelmersdale United 9 4 1 4 16 17 -1 13
13 Shepshed Dynamo 8 4 0 4 9 11 -2 12
14 Brigg Town 8 3 2 3 8 8 0 11
15 Belper Town 8 3 2 3 11 12 -1 11
16 Rossendale United 9 3 2 4 11 12 -1 11
17 Bamber Bridge 11 2 5 4 18 20 -2 11
18 Goole AFC 10 3 2 5 11 21 -10 11
19 Kidsgrove Athletic 7 3 1 3 7 8 -1 10
20 Gresley Rovers 9 3 1 5 12 14 -2 10
21 Warrington Town 7 2 0 5 11 17 -6 6
22 Bridlington Town 10 1 2 7 5 20 -15 5
23 Chorley 8 1 0 7 4 18 -14 3
24 Wakefield FC 10 0 0 10 3 22 -19 0

Not looking good for the old Bambers although looking worse for wakefield, wakey wakeyyyyyyyyyyy

Not looking good for my other local side Chorley either they got smashed 6-0 at home last night by Alsager Town.

Ouch!

As you can see my cousin Ryan hasnt played for the last 2 games

Was speaking to him today and he has a shoulder injury which has bothered him before he has had laser treatment on it already.

Any idea when he will be back in the team?

he is hoping to be back for the game tomorrow if all is well.

gdgd, I'll look out for salmon on soccer saturday then

I may go and play for Wakefield,they could do with some new players by the looks of it

Bamber Bridge 2 Brigg Town 3

NPL 1st Division
30th September 2006

By Dave Rowland



North Lincolnshire side Brigg Town extended their unbeaten run to three games after overcoming their Lancashire hosts by 3-2 at Irongate. Bamber Bridge continued their recent trend of outplaying their opponents only to squander the points due to dreadful finishing. Missing the proverbial barn-door from five yards, constantly came to mind, especially in the second-half when so many chances went begging.

Bamber Bridge were hoping to maintain the form which had seen them take a point at Cammell Laird during the week when a last minute goal by the Birkenhead club had robbed them of a deserving victory. Meanwhile, Brigg Town were hoping to extend their unbeaten run to three games following a 1-0 win at home to Skelmersdale United on the previous Saturday and a scoreless draw at Shepshed Dynamo during the week.

There was three changes to Andy Whittaker’s line-up which started the game at Cammell Laird. Robin Myers returned at full-back replacing Allan Fleming, Jamie Squires took over from the suspended Ross Bain in the centre of defence and Ryan Salmon replaced Neil Spencer at centre-forward.

The visitors were into their stride first, when, and straight from the kick-off, John Borland shot just wide after Craig Lill had forced his way through the home defence.

Not to be outdone, the homesters responded quickly and Ryan Salmon came close with two half-chances. His first effort was blocked following some good approach play by midfielders Danny Mahoney and Steve Brown and then he saw his header fly over the crossbar from a Brown corner-kick.

The game really came to life after 11 minutes with each side grabbing a goal apiece.

An Alex Porter corner evaded the ‘Zebras’ rearguard and Bridge midfielder Steve Brown fired home a low shot from the right hand edge of the penalty box to give Town goalkeeper Damian Steer little chance. The visitors responded immediately and equalised straight from the re-start when Borland lofted the ball in towards Paul Grimes who lobbed over home goalkeeper David Newnes and into the empty net on 12 minutes.

The set-back though, seemed to stir Bamber Bridge into action and some fine inventive play by Danny Mahoney and Steve Brown kept the visitors continually on the back foot. Porter and King were also menacing down the left flank as the visitors looked like they were about to be overwhelmed.

It was no surprise therefore, when the Irongate side got their noses back in front when on 32 minutes, man-of-the-match Steve Brown, carved his way through a static ‘Zebras’ defence and placed a fine low shot past Steer’s outstretched hands for his second goal of the game.

Salmon should have increased Brig’s lead on 39 minutes when he scuffed his shot wide of the mark when well placed. This was the prelude to a succession of missed opportunities as the half-time whistle approached. Noon shot wide twice, first from a Brown cross, and then blazed over a Porter pass from close in on goal. When Salmon did eventually find the net, the goal was ruled out for offside.

Bamber Bridge totally dominated the second period, but just as they have done in so many games this season, they once again pressed the self-destruct button.

Playing with great resolution, the home team tore into their visitors with a bombardment of crosses by King and Porter from the left and from the immaculate Steve Brown on the right. At this stage there was little seen of the visitors as an attacking force and they hung on grimly as the tidal wave threatened to wash them away.

Brig substitute Greg Brickell played Salmon in on goal after 50 minutes but the young striker sliced his shot hopelessly wide with Steer exposed at his near post. Steer came to his side’s rescue shortly afterwards denying Brickell when bravely diving at the in-rushing strikers feet after yet another telling ball from Brown which had unlocked the ‘Zebras’ defence.

The visitors broke on 69 minutes, and, out-of-the-blue, pulled the sucker punch on their opponents after surviving the constant barrage of missed opportunities by the Lancashire side.

Karl Slack found room on the right and his well directed pass put in long-serving Brigg Town veteran Simon Roach who made no mistake firing home from close range. The home side were stunned but worse was to follow.

The goal galvanised the visitors and following another flurry of poor marksmanship by the home team they won the game with a penalty in the 89th minute after Bamber Bridge full-back Jimmy King needlessly upended Steve Housham just inside the area.

Housham dusted himself down and confidently fired home the resultant spot-kick, powerfully blasting home past Newnes.

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Myers, King, Squires, K Brown, Reynolds, S Brown, Mahoney (Fletcher 45mins), Salmon, Noon (Brickell 61mins), Porter. Unused sub : Ince.


Attendance: 157

Oh Dear Steve, although I see Salmon played

Yeah he played with his shoulder strapped up he did ok but missed a few sitters

Shame, hope he gets better though mate, send him my regards

Cheers mate will do The team played really well and it was letting in silly goals that have cost them the defernce looked suspect all the first half

Obviously need me to come and sort the defence out then

I think that it needs sorting out good and proper they have some good defenders but they lasped far to often as you could see on saturday Bamber Bridge scored on 11 mins then Brigg town scored on 12 mins cant defend a lead.

Right do the bizzo with the manager and I will fly to the rescue

Brig have a tough game tonight against Twmcats Colwyn Bay who have had a fairly good start to the season but if Brigs talented squad want to acheive a playoff place then they need to start picking up the points and less draws.

Colwyn Bay 0 Bamber Bridge 1

NPL 1st Division
3rd October 2006

By Dave Rowland



Bamber Bridge avenged the 0-1 defeat suffered at the hands of the Welshmen at Irongate in September with a single goal victory in North Wales last night. By so doing the South Ribble side maintained their excellent record at Colwyn Bay having now won four and drawn four of their previous ten visits to Llanelian Road.

A Greg Brickell strike on 23 minutes was enough to settle this evenly balanced game for the visitors although the Lancastrians had to work tremendously hard in the second half to stem a determined Colwyn Bay onslaught. The game was played at a frantic pace throughout on a showery evening which did not impede the entertainment.

Bamber Bridge arrived at Llanelian Road looking to get back on track following a poor run in which the club have taken just two points from their previous six games in the First Division. Colwyn Bay also were hoping for a return to better times having lost their last two games by 0-4 at Woodley Sports last week and 2-3 at Shepshed Dynamo on Saturday.

There was two changes to the Brig team which started the game against Brigg Town on Saturday. Greg Brickell was selected to lead the front line instead of Karl Noon who took his place on the bench and Mike Fletcher replaced the injured Danny Mahoney in midfield.

The teams came out of the blocks like their lives depended on the result with a chance at either end in the opening minutes. Brig goalkeeper David Newnes saved a snap-shot by Darren Wright almost straight from the kick-off, whilst at the other end a low drive from distance by Neil Reynolds fizzed past the goalpost with ‘Seagulls’ goalkeeper Ryan Brookfield well beaten.

The game lacked a little cohesion early on with both sides playing at breakneck speed with passes going astray on the slippery surface.

However, Steve Brown completely opened up the Colwyn Bay defence with a superb 25 yard angled through-ball from deep on the right which found Brickell on the left-hand edge of the penalty area. The Bamber Bridge striker rounded his marker and rammed a low drive into the bottom corner of the ‘Seagulls’ net, giving Brookfield no chance to save.

The visitors had their tails up and a smart move down the left flank involving full-back Jimmy King, Alex Porter and Greg Brickell carved open the Welsh rearguard before excellent defending by Kyle Jones nullified the threat.

A fine pass by Bay full-back John Boardman set up Wright after 27 minutes but the home striker sliced wide from a good position.

Bamber Bridge should have increased their lead five minutes later when Brickell’s endeavours gave Porter a guilt-edge chance but the opportunity was lost when Brookfield bravely saved at his feet.

Colwyn Bay really began to put their game together ten minutes before the interval in a determined bid to find an equaliser and Newnes was called upon to deny Wright near his right hand post as the striker moved in for the kill as the ball was swept in with pace from the wing. Chris Adamson then fired narrowly over as the home team’s inventive play created problems for the Brig defence.

On the stroke of half-time the visitors should have had a penalty when Brookfield brought down Salmon as the young Brig striker homed in on goal, but referee Mr Bonney waved away the vociferous protests.

Peter Davenport’s side came out with all guns blazing after the interval and Brig were made to defend stubbornly.

Chris Priest headed over a Martin Crowder corner on 47 minutes to open the inevitably expected onslaught and Adamson shot just past a post with Newnes beaten. Bamber Bridge however, remained unmoved by this early flush of activity and stood their ground well.

Indeed, the Lancastrians showed plenty of spirit and almost caught the Welsh side out with a quick breakaway on 59 minutes when Salmon fired just wide after latching on to a long clearance.

Chris O’Brien headed over the Brig bar from a Boardman cross as the pressure began to mount. Brig now had to dig-in. The polish they had displayed in the first 45 minutes was replaced by a more steely determined performance. In this they were well served by resolute centre-backs Jamie Squires and Kevin Brown and by Steve Brown who worked even harder as the link between defence and attack.

Newnes was now the busier of the two keepers and saved well from Kenny Burgess on 65 minutes. Bamber Bridge fought hard and sometimes desperately to stem the tide as the home team pushed relentlessly on in search of parity.

Indeed, Brig’s back line led a charmed life when at one point the ball pinged about the penalty area, but to their credit the defenders stuck grimly to their task.

The home team’s efforts became even more desperate as first Priest, and then Wright came close to scoring as the minutes ticked away. But they ran out of time and Bamber Bridge deservedly trooped off victorious at the end much to the delight of their hardy group of followers.

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Myers (Bain 59mins), King, Squires, K Brown, Reynolds, S Brown, Fletcher, Salmon (Noon 85nins), Brickell, Porter. unused sub : Ince.


Attendance: 224

Good result there Steve, u must be proud and another game under salmons belt, top work