North West Counties League Division Two

STAND ATHLETIC 2 BOOTLE 0

STAND remain top of the league after a whirlwind first half performance blew away a ragged Bootle side.

The pace, passing and movement bedazzled the Scouse visitors, and deserved a lot more than the two goals they scored in a one-sided first period.

The first goal came from good work down the right by Stuart Telfer to cut the ball back, and there was Micky Bartholomew to connect perfectly and put them one up after 20 minutes.

Steve Carroll made amends for two earlier misses by scoring in emphatic style.

His 20-yard free-kick flew in like a rocket, as everyone else, including the Bootle keeper, looked on spellbound by the connection that Carroll had made.

Stand sat back in the second half, happy to soak up the visitors' pressure, and Bootle ran out of ideas. It would have been a travesty of justice had Bootle got back into the game, but Stand held firm to go away with the points in the bag.

ASHTON TOWN...0

STAND ATHLETIC...4

STAND made it six straight wins at Edge Green Street last Saturday. And with rivals Nelson and Formby dropping points, Stands quest for a top spot looks even stronger.

Latics scored after five minutes, centre half Steve Davis rising superbly at the back post to head home Mark Denham's corner from the right. The goal was the only highlight of the next half hour as Stand showed only spurts of the football they can produce. Maybe it was the strong winds or Ashton's workrate which stifled Stands play, but even so it was the home side's captain Les Bailey who finally turned the game on its head.

First he rattled the Stand bar on a rare Ashton attack, then on 40 minutes later he managed to rattle his own net, when he deflected Alan Dixon's low free kick past his despairing keeper.

Two-nil was about right at half-time, and Stand approached the second half with a more vigour.

Despite the rain, substitute Steve Carrol brought a ray of sunshine hitting the Ashton cross bar with a brilliant long range shot.

Full-back Lee Anderson's forward run saw him play a one-two with Stuart Telfer which allowed him to break into the box. His first shot was blocked by Flatery in the Ashton goal, but he was alert enough to slott home the rebound for a classic Stand goal.

It wasn't all the visitors though. Ashton had a ten minute purple patch, which saw Tommy Allen produce a fine save from forward Lee Cunliffe.

But Carroll had the last laugh, curling a free kick from the left hand side of the penalty box over Flatery into the top right hand corner. It wasn't vintage Stand but it was good enough.

TEAM: Allen 7, Anderson 7, Dixon 7, Davis 7, Channon 7, Telfer 7, Stott 7, Denham C 7, Bartholomew 7, Denham M 7, Brown 6. Sub: Carroll (for Brown) 8.

STAND take another leap forward in their brief history when they travel to Hull-based Northern Counties East League outfit Hall Road Rangers in the second qualifying round of the Carlsberg sponsored FA Vase.

Stand's next league match is again on Tuesday night (September 25) when they make a much shorter trip than Saturday's with a visit to Chadderton who play at Andrew Street, Chadderton. Kick of 7.45pm. Stand have Simon Hannan back from suspension for both these games.