Title-chasers Lairds fall to shock defeat

11:11am Thursday 6th March 2008

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Stocksbridge Parks Steels . . . 2 Cammell Laird . . . 0

CAMMELL Laird limped back over the Woodhead Pass after a frustrating Saturday in South Yorkshire.

Despite having the bulk of play, they succumbed to a Steels side who were evidently out to avenge their two defeats in the Unibond Northern Premier League Division One South to the Birkenhead men earlier on in the season.

Second-placed Lairds hope to get back to winning ways tonight (Wednesday) when they play host to local rivals Warrington Town at Kirklands, Rock Ferry (kick-off 7.45pm).

A repeat of the 6-1 drubbing handed out to the Wires at the Cantilever Stadium in October would be well received by the Lairds faithful, but three points is the main aim in their quest to overhaul leaders Retford United for the title.

There is a free weekend for Lairds on Saturday - they were due to play host to fellow promotion hopefuls Goole AFC, but with the East Yorkshire club being in the UniBond League Presidents Cup the fixture has been moved to next Wednesday (March 12, kick-off 7.45pm).

Both teams had to contend with a swirling wind at Stocksbridge. Lairds were straight out of the blocks and looking to use the conditions to their advantage, but Steels managed to soak up all the pressure piled on them by the visitors with a back four establishing a none shall pass' rearguard that continually frustrated Thomas Rooney and Alex Hay in the Lairds frontline.

Lady Luck then truly spat her dummy out at the Lairdsmen when, against the run of play, Jamie Vardy split the defence to allow Carl Fothersgill to give Steels the advantage.

The Lairds onslaught continued to the break with Chris Adamson and Anthony Sheehan going close without fruit for their labours.

The visitors' misery was wrapped up two minutes from time when Vardy had an empty net to bag the second goal.

The result leaves Lairds eight points behind Retford United with a game in hand - the title race is certainly not over yet, but Lairds know that they will have to dig deep to keep the pressure on the Nottinghamshire side.