Yeah he is doing really well at the moment Dazza the goal sounded like a good one will have to ask him about that at the weekend

It really seems it as well Ste lad, u should get him on here so we can get the red carpet out

On Tuesday the 23rd January Phil Entwistle, who has been acting as caretaker manager at Irongate, was appointed as first team boss, taking over from Andy Whittaker who resigned on Boxing day.

The move comes after a marked improvement in results since he took charge at Christmas, with the club remaining undefeated in the league having won three and drawing one of the four games played.

Phil has enjoyed a long association with Bamber Bridge and as assistant to Andy Whittaker was in his second spell as number two at Irongate after serving with Tony Greenwood during the clubs successful period in the late 1990’s. He left for a short spell with Accrington Stanley and then with West Lancashire League side Fulwood Amateurs before rejoining Bamber Bridge at the start of the 2004-05 season. He was appointed Joint Manager alongside Andy Whittaker in November 2004.

Neil Crowe has been promoted from the second-string management team as Phil’s assistant.

These appointments continue the club’s policy of promoting from within over recent years, the last two managers, Paul Byron and Andy Whittaker were also appointed via this route.

Lets hope he can roust the lads and push them on up the table

Bamber Bridge 0 Stocksbridge Park Steels 3

NPL 1st Division
27th January 2007

By Dave Rowland

Promotion hopefuls Stocksbridge Park Steels completed the league-double over Bamber Bridge at Irongate on Saturday with three second-half goals. The home side were reduced to ten men after only ten minutes when goalkeeper David Newnes was sent off. As so often happens in such cases, the ten men somehow raised their game to play with great gusto for the rest of the half, but were undone after the break when Steels made the extra man count with a powerful and decisive performance.

Bamber Bridge were hoping to consolidate their run of good form in the First Division since Christmas which has seen the South Ribble side win three and draw one of the four games played. It was also Phil Entwistle’s first game in charge after being appointed as first team boss at Irongate during the week. Phil had taken over the reigns in a caretaker capacity on Boxing day after the resignation of Andy Whittaker. First Division high-flyers Stocksbridge Park Steels were hoping to put their season back on track after a poor run recently which has seen the Yorkshiremen lose a bit of ground in the promotion race, having won only one of their last eight games.

Phil Entwistle made just one change to his successful line-up at Rossendale United the previous week bringing in Tom Ince to replace suspended Neil Spencer.

The game opened in lively fashion with Steels taking the initiative and after going close twice Micky Goddard was put through on goal just outside the left hand corner of the penalty box after 9 minutes. Newnes came quickly out to bring the Steels striker to ground as his shot struck the far upright. Referee Mr Simpson had little choice but to send the keeper off.

Substitute Robin Myers replaced wingman Tom Ince and took over the goalkeeping duties for the home side. He was to have a superb game between the sticks, handling well and denying the Yorkshire side with some great saves.

Bamber Bridge stepped up a gear despite this early set-back but the Yorkshire side should really have got their noses in front on 28 minutes when Ben Walker hit the crossbar from close in when it looked easier to have scored.

At the other end the visitors had a let-off when full-back James Colliver almost headed through his own goal, goalkeeper Steve Hodgson managing to scramble the ball over for a corner.

Whilst the first period had been an evenly fought contest the visitors made the extra man count after the break.

They showed their intent early on, going straight on the offensive with a flurry of raids and took the lead after 56 minutes. A Steve Hawes corner on the left was not properly cleared by the home defence and Dave Cockerill headed home inside the unguarded back post.

The goal galvanised the visitors and six minutes later they were two goals to the good when Ian Richards side footed home a delicate Curtis Bernard cross.

The South Ribble side came very close to pulling a goal back on 70 minutes when Hodgson saved with his knees following a worthy effort from Ryan Salmon after a neat one-two with Alex Porter had split open the visiting defence.

Myers was excelling in goal for Brig and denied the Yorkshiremen with a couple of top drawer saves. Firstly, he bravely denied the inrushing Bernard with his feet and then expertly tipped over a fierce drive from Andy Smith.

Bamber Bridge strove manfully to get back into the game but were completely undone on 88 minutes when Bernard forced his way through the home rearguard and found Andy Ring in space and the substitute scrambled the ball home from close range.

The game became a little ill tempered as both sides showed plenty of commitment.

Steels were pushing forward at every opportunity and Ring was just wide with a header from a Hawes free-kick in time added on.

At the end of the day Bamber Bridge had not been able to overcome the disadvantage of playing with a man short for so long in the game against one of the leading lights in the First Division. Indeed, it was a case of what might have been!

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Nay, Fleming, Melling, Williams, Smith (S Brown 69mins), Ince (Myers 9mins), Mahoney, Lloyd (Fletcher 69mins), Salmon, Porter.

Attendance: 182

so this is somewhere for you two to get your post count up then

What a shame about the defeat and nah Tom it ain't just for us although it seems we are the only people interested

Yeah it was harsh on Brig to lose the keeper so early but the lad Myers did himself no harm he had a good game for someone that isnt a goalkeeper by trade.
would have loved to have seen the game at 11 vs 11 i reckon Brig might have won it.

Brigg Town 2 Bamber Bridge 1

NPL 1st Division
3rd February 2007

By Dave Rowland

Brigg Town completed the ‘league-double’ over Bamber Bridge in this battle of the ‘Brigs’ at the Hawthorns on Saturday. The South Ribble side were desperately unlucky not to have had a share of the spoils after a fine performance which saw them dominate for long periods of the game. They went down to a narrow 1-2 defeat after conceding two very sloppy goals just prior to the interval and despite sustained efforts to rescue the situation, they were unable to break down a resolute ‘Zebras’ defence.

Bamber Bridge made the long trip to North Lincolnshire hoping for some reward following their 0-3 reverse last weekend at home to First Division high-flyers Stocksbridge Park Steels. It was the South Ribble side’s first defeat in the league since manager Phil Entwistle took over first team duties on Boxing Day following the resignation of Andy Whittaker. Their hosts were looking for their third win on the bounce following recent wins over Alsager Town and Clitheroe. ‘The Zebras’ lay in 13th position in the First Division table, one point ahead and two places above Brig, but with four games in hand on the Irongate side.

Brig boss Phil Entwistle kept faith with his starting line-up from the Stocksbridge game with Neil Spencer, who had returned from a one match ban, named as one of the substitutes.

After a somewhat leisurely start in the fine Lincolnshire sunshine, the game sprung to life when ‘Zebras’ John Borland narrowly fired over David Newnes crossbar from distance after 10 minutes.

The visitors almost took the lead five minutes later when Paul Lloyd shot just past the goalpost following an excellent interchange of passes between Alex Porter and Ryan Salmon. Porter was involved again shortly afterwards feeding Smith, who had found some room for himself on the edge of Town’s penalty-box, but the young midfielder just failed to connect.

Brig were calling all the shots and began to push forward with authority and looked far more threatening than their hosts. Salmon fired over the crossbar when put in on goal after a lofted Tom Ince through-ball had caught the home defence completely square on 27 minutes.

Brigg Town pulled themselves together and began to make inroads on the visitors goal. Indeed, they should have got their noses in front when Asa Ingall headed past the far post following a finely executed cross on the right by John Borland.

A superb Bamber Bridge move, involving at least six players, ended when Steve Williams found Ince in space, but an excellent tackle in the nick of time, by Lee Warren, thwarted the former Burnley man.

All the visitors fine endeavours were completely undone in the 37th and 41st minutes when a couple of sloppy defensive lapses saw them go two goals down.

An innocuous looking ball, lofted high into the heart of the Brig defence by Borland, caught the visiting back-line at six’s and seven’s and Karl Slack easily brushed aside a Steve Williams challenge before deftly flicking his shot over the advancing Newnes.

Brig hardly had time to recover before they were caught out again four minutes later. A Stuart Ainsley corner-kick from the right somehow found its way though a tightly packed six-yard box. Slack, who was completely unmarked at the back post, applied the finishing touch with a simple touch-in for his second of the afternoon.

Despite this double set-back the visitors responded quickly and pulled a goal back on the stroke of half-time.

Danny Mahoney put Ince away down the right with a superb chip over the home defence and the Brig wingman took the ball down to the bye-line before sending in a low hard cross which was converted by Jonathon Smith almost on the goal-line for his first goal for the club.

The visitors opened the second period with determination and a Lloyd effort was tipped around the post by ‘Zebras’ goalkeeper Damien Steer on 47 minutes.

After a worthy effort by Slack had gone narrowly wide following a good Town build-up and a fine Newnes save that denied Borland, Bamber Bridge went in search of parity with a vengeance. Indeed, Brig became encamped in the Town half with the homesters reduced to sporadic raiding on the break.

As the pressure mounted Bamber Bridge were desperately unlucky on 68 minutes when Steer’s goal seemed to lead a charmed life. A rocket-shot by Mahoney from the edge of the penalty-box was cleared from the goal-line by a defender and the follow-up by Ince met with the same fate.

Alex Porter was inches off target, firing over from a Lloyd cross on 80 minutes with the home defence caught spread-eagled.

Despite the pressure Town continued to play some neat football but their efforts lacked penetration. However, they nearly breached the visitors defence on 85 minutes when a fine cross by Ingall found Ian Ward and the midfielder’s shot flashed very close to Newnes left hand post.

An almighty scramble ensued in the Brigg Town six-yard box as the minutes ticked away but the home defence managed to clear the danger and their relief was palpable as the final whistle blew.

Bamber Bridge: Newnes, Nay (Fletcher 75mins), Fleming, Melling, Williams, Smith, Ince (Spencer 75mins), Mahoney, Lloyd, Salmon, Porter. Unused sub : Myers

Attendance: 148

What a shame!

Alright Dazza just to let you know mate that our Ryan finished the season with 22 goals to his name.

Sorry i havent been around to post the match reports

I have missed them Ste, Congrats to Ryan and the rest of the lads and good luck for the forthcoming season