Formby 4 – Abbey Hey 0
Formby put their F.A Vase exit disappointment behind them to record an easy victory over Vodkat League first division basement side Abbey Hey, with Martyn Wilson leading the way with two first half goals.
Joint manager’s Peter Henerty and Ian Campbell made one change to the side which lost at Stanway Rovers the previous Saturday, with Rob Dutton replacing the absent Steve Cavanagh upfront. Although Abbey Hey battled hard throughout the game, they were no match for the Squirrels, who controlled the game from the start and could have won by a much greater margin.
They made their intentions clear straight from kick off with Rob Dutton breaking into the visitors box on the left but his layoff to the edge of the six-yard box evaded his Formby colleagues.
They took the lead on 5 minutes when Tim Craig did well down the right wing and crossed into the area. Winger Martyn Wilson was the only Formby player in the area and looked to be tightly marked by two defenders, however somehow he managed to out jump both of them and directed his looping header past the helpless Ellison.
On 11 minutes Wilson had another opportunity when he received the ball on the edge of the area after a good one-two between Dermott and Craig, but his half-volley dropped narrowly wide of goal.
Formby striker Paul Lamb broke through on the Abbey Hey goal on 18 minutes running from midfield. He ran into the area but just as he was about to fire past Ellison, defender Karl Vernon managed to put in a goal saving challenge.
Abbey Hey’s first opportunity of the game came two minutes later when Pearson tried a speculative effort which failed to trouble Gunnion in the Formby goal.
The Squirrels’ second goal came with ten minutes of the half remaining when Martyn Wilson rifled the ball home from close range after latching onto a cross into the area after some good build up play.
They could have gone further infront a minute into the second half when a Wilson corner from the left fell to Paul Lamb at the far post. Lamb brought the ball under control but fired into the side netting.
The visitors were lucky not to be reduced to ten men early in the half when Monaghan kicked out at Garnell after the two became entangled, but the referee sensibly gave him the benefit of doubt and only showed his a yellow card when many referee’s would have produced a red.
Formby killed the game off just after the hour mark when they scored their third. The goal came after a clever exchange between skipper John Garnell and Paul Lamb, which gave Garnell room inside the area. Garnell still had to beat his marked, but a deft flick opened up space for him to fire past the keeper.
Substitutes Ian Turner and Craig Howard both has subsequent opportunities to increase the lead but the fourth did not come until eight minutes from full time when Ellison picked up a backpass resulting in a freekick being awarded in the area. John Morley passed to defender Darren Jones who drove a shot from the edge of the area into the far corner of the net.
MATCH FACTS
GOALS: WILSON (6mins)1-0, WILSON (36mins)2-0, GARNELL (66mins)3-0, D.JONES (82mins)4-0.
FORMBY: GUNNION, CRAIG, D.JONES, ROSE, KERR, GARNELL (Sub. HOWARD 69mins), MORLEY, DERMOTT, DUTTON (Sub. P.JONES 69mins), LAMB (Sub. TURNER 69mins), WILSON. Subs not used: McMULLEN, ROBINSON.
ABBEY HEY: ELLISON, RISK, WEDGE, EDWARDS, VERNON, PEARSON, J.SINGLETON (Sub. SCOTT 58mins), MONAGHAN, MULLHOLLAND (Sub. TAKER 76mins), HOWELL-BLACK (Sub. BROWN 58mins), HEFERNAN. Subs not used: MARSDEN, C.SINGLETON.
REFEREE: MR G.HILTON of WIGAN.
ATTENDANCE: 70.
MAN OF THE MATCH: MARTYN WILSON.
Report by Paul Lawler