Report from George Clandon

Burscough Richmond ended this game against the Barrow side Vickerstown lucky to gain a point.

A 3-1 advantage to the hosts at half time combined with the sending off of the visitor's goalkeeper and a point saving stop at the death by the home sides keeper Mike Lowe just gave Richmond a face saving point.

The ten men from the north of the county, deserved their point and played like they had 12 men on the park for the second half and not 10.

Richmond in their defence were once again with a completely changed side, eight players missing for one reason or another, but with a two goal advantage the players could and should have gone on to win this match, but the second half from the home sides perspective was unbelievably disappointing.

Richmond kicked the game off on a grey overcast but dry day, ideal for football, the pitch in excellent condition.

It was the visitor's who went closest to scoring in the first five minutes, the ball zipping inches wide of Richmond’s keeper Mike Lowe's post.

On the 38th minute after a game that had been very even, the home team conceded an unnecessary goal - central defender Anthony Murt dispossessed in a killer position just outside his own penalty area ... Vickerstown forward Beach was quick off the mark and opened the scoring.

Jordan Lorde levelled on 40 minutes, after good build up play by wing back and man of the match Jimmy Hanson.

Lorde gave Richmond the lead via a penalty taken with confidence after being flattened by the visitor's keeper Ireland, the keeper being shown a straight red for violent conduct by referee Thomson.

Richmond score a third in time added on, a Ryan Giller shot leaving the stand in keeper flat footed as the well struck shot finds the corner of the net, the visitors reeling at this stage of the game from the loss of their keeper.

That is were the game ended for the home side, the second half totally dominated by the opposition and their will not to let the game go, albeit with ten men.

Another goal by Palfyman and the equaliser by Beach gave the away side an excellent point, but for Lowe's heroics late on in the game, it may have been three.

Good first half for Richmond, definitely a better second for Vickerstown!