Bamber Bridge progressed in to the 2nd Qualifying round of the FA Cup on Saturday afternoon in what turned out to be a comfortable 7-2 Victory at the East Palmersville Sports Pavilion, home of West Allotment Celtic FC.

The full time scoreline doesn’t tell the whole story as at half time the hosts were holding their Lancashire visitors from 3 Leagues higher in The National Pyramid at 1-1. The half time “team talk” from Brig boss Jamie Milligan certainly hit the sweet spot as Brig hammered in 6 second half goals to claim the the £2,250 prize money and a place in the next round.

Having arrived at Druids Park, only to find we where at the wrong venue, the players had about 45 minutes to prepare for the match on arrival at Palmersville Sports Pavilion. The first half started however with Brig well on top and controlling the tempo of the match. Ewan Bange was first to test the home keeper in the 5th minute, controlling the ball on his chest before turning to strike a shot that the home keeper spilled before it was cleared for a corner. Moments later and Ewan Bange played the ball in to Ryan White who saw his shot saved again by the keeper. 2 minutes later and Ryan White again, this time from the right hand side of the penalty area curled a shot just wide of the far post.

Brig were in control and the flow of the game was all one way. Cameron Gourley headed just wide of the post before Brig took a deserved lead. Ryan White whipped in a cross from the left, the ball bounced on the 6 yard line and Matt Dudley reacted quickly to beat the keeper to the ball and head home.

The expected onslaught however, failed to materialise as Bamber Bridge seemed to lower the tempo and the play became sloppy, allowing the home side back into the game. Sheldon Green shot wide just before the North Easterners grabbed an unlikely equaliser on 40 minutes. A shot form distance that initially looked to have taken a deflection curled away from Danny Roccia in the Brig goal and nestled in the back of the net. Brig were stunned and for the remainder of the half West Allotment Celtic, with their tails up pushed on looking for a 2nd. Without creating anything clear cut the hosts had done enough to show they were still right back in the tie. Half time 1-1

Bamber Bridge were back on the pitch a good 5 minutes before the home side came out for the 2nd period. The half time team Talk from Millie clearly must have hit the right notes as Brig dominated right from the kick off. With no changes made at half time, the onus was on the players on the pitch to raise their game, and they did just that. Ewan Bange was crowded out form getting in a shot before just moments later Brig retook the lead. A deep cross from the left was knocked back across the 6 yard line from beyond the back post and met by Craig Carney, whose deflected shot crept passed the keeper and rolled over the line.

This time Brig didn’t sit back on their lead but poured forward and just 5 minutes later made it 3-1 with a superb goal. Cameron Gourley sent Matt Thompson clear down the right wing with a superb pass, the Brig right Back whipped over a low cross and Ewan Bange met it first time sweeping a great shot into the bottom corner. Brig looked determined to make amends for the lacklustre end to the first half and Sheldon Green Made it 4-1 midway through the second half, meeting a Luke Higham free kick from the left and heading across the keeper in the bottom right hand corner of net.

Craig Carney made it 5-1 just a couple of minutes later as he glided into the penalty area, side stepped the keeper and slotted into the empty net. The home side’s spirits had dropped by this point and Bamber Bridge looked to capitalise.

Brig made 3 second half substitutions as firstly Rob Apter replaced Ryan White, followed by Chris Churchman and Danny Forbes coming on for Ewan Bange and Braydon Shaw. It was Rob Apter who made it 6-1 with a superb individual goal, picking the ball up some 40 yards from goal on the right, he drifted across the edge of the area side stepping 3 challenges before, drawing out the keeper and sliding the ball underneath him to find the bottom corner. No sooner had the home side kicked off again before Brig won the ball back played it out to the left and the low cross found Sheldon Green who slammed home his second and Bamber Bridge's 7th goal of the game from close range.

The home side to their credit continued to the end and scored the final goal of the match in the closing minutes. A shot initially blocked by Danny Roccia, but lifted over the keeper from the rebound.

Full time and a convincing 7-2 Victory for Bamber Bridge. It did however seem to need the half time intervention of the Brig Manager Jamie Milligan to get the performance back on track and claim the place in the 2nd Qualifying round of the FA Cup. We await the draw on Monday afternoon.

Full Time: West Allotment Celtic – 2 Bamber Bridge – 7

Bamber Bridge: Roccia, Thompson, Higham, Spooner (Capt.), Gourley, Carney, Green, Shaw, Bange, Dudley, White.

Subs: Forbes, Apter, Sinclair.

Att: 173

Match reporter: Alan Bateson
Photo courtesy of John Cadman. Full gallery available here: https://flic.kr/s/aHsmWygFDr