Padiham 1 Whinney Hill 0

A SHOCK 1-3 home defeat against mid-table Hesketh Bank the previous Saturday should have been enough to remind Padiham that the title race is far from over.

But the warning seems to have been ignored as they stumbled through this game against local rivals, Whinney Hill, devoid of attacking ideas and with a severe lack of motivation.

Seemingly convinced that the afternoon's work was complete, the moment Shaun Kendall's 20 yard free kick thundered into the back of the net in the 12th minute, the home side retreated beyond the halfway line and remained there for the rest of the half, allowing Whinney Hill to take control.

Within minutes Whinney Hill should have equalised when Marvin Hoskin drove the ball low across the face of the goal and Mark Gray was only a fraction away from squeezing the ball home at the rear post.

Chris Grimshaw then tested Padiham's 18-year-old keeper David Kirk, playing his first league game for the club, with a snap shot that the youngster did well to hold.

The rookie keeper almost came unstuck when he fumbled Hoskin's powerful cross, but recovered quickly to save Gray's resulting shot. With his confidence growing by the minute, Kirk then produced a save at Hoskin's feet with all the assurance of a veteran.

Hoskin should have hit the target when Ian Pilkington found him in acres of space 15 yards from goal but instead cleared the bar by a similar margin. A bemused Padiham had player-manager Graham Howarth to thank when he first robbed Pilkington only feet away from the goalline and then headed clear a dipping Hoskin cross from under the bar as Baker threatened to score.

Things improved after the break for the home side who almost increased their lead when Whinney Hill keeper Graham Seedall kicked his rushed clearance against Antony McCluskey and the ball flew back over his head and only inches wide of the post.

McCluskey had two opportunities in quick succession, but both times hit his shot wide before play swung to the other side of the field and Hoskin flashed a shot narrowly wide from 20 yards out.

Vince Overson, having at last shrugged off his state of indifference to the afternoon's proceedings, powered a header from Garrison's corner just over the bar and then hit a 25 yard shot wide of Seedily's left hand post.

A good 40 yard run from Steve Yeoman saw him go past three defenders and he finished with a 20 yard shot that flashed past the wrong side of the post.

But at the final whistle, despite taking all three points, Padiham supporters left the ground far from convinced this was to be a championship season.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.