Steeton lose enjoyable cup battle against in-form Nelson

In a pulsating end-to-end encounter at Marley, the Chevrons continued to show signs of their improvement over the past few weeks, but in the end were undone by two goals in six second half minutes.

Despite defeat, manager Roy Mason took the positives from the performance against an in-form team heading into a free weekend.

Steeton return to North West Counties Football League First Division North action in a relegation six-pointer at Garstang a week on Saturday.

The Chevrons came firing out of the traps the other night and almost took the lead in the opening seconds of the encounter.

Feeding the ball down the right channel, Macca Smith drove into the box and saw a strike hit the underside of the crossbar and bounce back away from goal.

Just minutes later, the home side found the breakthrough their fast start deserved.

Taking possession inside the Nelson half, Harvey Green unlocked the Nelson defensive line with an exquisite through ball into the path of Smith.

The right back whipped a ball across the face of goal towards the far post, where Josh Debenham lost his man and tapped the ball into the back of the net.

Continuing on the front foot, the Chevrons nearly doubled their lead as Smith broke the offside trap.

His chip over the onrushing Nelson keeper looked to be going in, but instead it bounced agonisingly wide of the far post.

Being on the back foot for the game’s opening 20 minutes, the visitors found an equaliser against the run of play.

Working the ball into the Steeton box, a momentary lapse in concentration allowed Jamie Edwards through on goal to finish and bring the sides level.

Now on the backfoot, Mason’s side found themselves temporarily reduced to 10 men when Dan Illingworth’s protests against the awarding of a corner resulting in the defender being sin binned for dissent.

After a bright start, Roy Mason (right) saw his Steeton side suffer a couple of real setbacks. (Image: Ian Meachin.)

The second half almost began with a dream start for the away side but with an open goal at their mercy, the ball was somehow fired over the crossbar from the edge of the six-yard box.

Nelson looked to take the lead again soon after, but were denied by a phenomenal Brad Emmerson save.

An attempted block deflected into the path of Charlie Frost, whose shot from point blank range was somehow turned away by the powerful hand of Emmerson.

This proved to be temporary respite, as the visitors produced a decisive double burst.

The first of those two goals mirrored the Nelson equaliser, as the Steeton defence was caught napping, allowing Jack Doherty to take full advantage and put the ball away from close range.

Jude Entwistle then ended the game as a contest with Nelson’s third goal.

Freshly introduced off the bench, the England youth international turned home a cross from the right channel despite the best efforts of Illingworth to clear.

With the game petering out, a challenge from Lewis Gartland lit the fuse as the two sets of players came together in the corner.

That resulted in Gartland being shown a yellow card, just minutes after a trip also saw fellow substitute Emerson Mitchell pick up a booking.

Lewis Gartland was one of two Steeton players booked in quick succession late on, as the home side's frustrations took hold. (Image: Ian Meachin.)

Deep into injury time, Lewis Shillito was felled inside the Nelson area as two visiting defenders came across the forward, looking to block the shot after he made a marauding run towards goal.

The referee eventually pointed to the spot after a moment’s hesitation.

Josh Coe took possession of the ball and sent the keeper the wrong way, but it proved too little and too late for Steeton.