After a 2-0 win on Sat at home v Runcorn Town ( both goals from Chris Smith) we go top of the league! Well done lads, great stuff!

Flixton entertained Padiham for their first home game of the season and hoped to get back to winning ways. The match got off to a slow start with neither keeper being particularly troubled. Padiham failed to convert a couple of chances, early on, from balls put into the danger area from the flanks: Slaven attempted a volley but saw it sail over the Flixton goal and Hulme’s attempt was put out for a corner. At the other end Matthews had a long attempt from a 30 yard free kick but the keeper comfortably gathered the ball. Matthews had an opportunity on 20 minutes but failed to connect properly and saw the ball trickle out of play.  Just afterwards, Smith, on his first start of the season since recovering from an injury, turned on the edge of the box and struck the ball low but Davis, the Padiham keeper, was well positioned to gather the ball. On 30 minutes, Smith made no mistake when he headed well from a corner leaving Davis no chance. 

Ten minutes afterwards Matthews cut in from the right and shot across the goal with his left foot – Davis got his fingers to the ball but the power of the shot beat him.

The Flixton faithful thought they had scored again just before half time but the referee spotted a handball from Matthews and disallowed the goal. In the second half Flixton remained in charge of the game and continued to press forward into the Padiham half; Doran collected a through ball but was denied by the keeper - Matthews picked up the loose ball but shot over. Padiham’s chances were limited and Flixton’s defence coped well with their attacks, which were mostly on the break. Haworth had a go for Padiham but hit the ball well over. Flixton’s Bailey attempted a long shot, which he struck well but Davis had plenty of time to set himself and saved comfortably.  Hulme had an opportunity at the other end but was cut out well by the Flixton defence. Flixton’s last chance of the game came when Matthews was brought down outside the box; Keogh took the free kick, which struck the side netting. The final score was 2 – 0 to Flixton, in a game which was not particularly exciting but from Flixton’s point of view it was good to pick up three points after their midweek loss. The game was marred by a bad ankle injury to Pat McFadden on the stroke of half time - It is hoped, by all at Flixton, that he has a swift recovery. 

This was always going to be a tough fixture as both sides were in the top 6 of the table with only goal difference giving Flixton the edge. Flixton bossed the game in the first 15 minutes, although there were few chances. On 16 minutes Keogh collected the ball just outside the Glossop penalty area, spun and with a touch of class, lobbed the Glossop keeper to give Flixton the lead. Glossop were now getting back into the game and almost immediately equalised but Jowsey pulled off a good save from the goal ward bound header from Elliot. Glossop’s number 7, Heaton, was looking dangerous on the right side because of the amount of space that he was allowed to occupy without being marked; however, the Glossop midfield also failed to notice him, regardless of him being, at times, in acres of space. On 25 minutes Keogh came close again when Matthews passed back to him and he struck the ball well but was denied by the Glossop custodian. Bailey was next to try to increase Flixton’s lead as he was put through on the right. The Assistant Referee’s flag stayed down but Bailey’s low drive struck the near post. Welbeck had a couple of chances but failed to properly connect. Just before half time, Heaton’s good positioning paid off for Glossop, as Jowsey saved but was unable to gather the ball and it fell to Heaton who was waiting on the far post to level the score.

The second half kicked off and things started to go awry for Flixton. On 48 minutes Hill attacked a Glossop corner and powerfully headed into the back of the Flixton goal. At the other end Keogh had a chance cleared off the line. Then on 61 minutes there was an experience of Deja vu when Hill again headed into the Flixton goal from another corner, although this time the ball deflected off the underside of the crossbar. On 67 minutes Gorton took over from Hill and headed Glossop further into the lead, this time from a free kick. Oakes extended Glossop’s lead from the penalty spot when Jowsey allegedly brought down Hind in the box. The previously well-drilled Flixton set up had by this time lost all composure and seemed to have run out of ideas. Things got even worse for Flixton when McDonnell was dismissed for bringing down Hartshorne, who the referee adjudged to be through on goal. Jowsey saved well from the free kick but could only palm the ball back into play and Knowles increased Glossop’s lead. Flixton’s misery was complete when Elliot rounded Jowsey and scored Glossop’s seventh goal of the night. This was definitely a game of two halves with Flixton paying the price for missed chances in the first half.