Sheffield FC4

Sep 12 2007 by James Maloney, Birkenhead News

Cammell Laird0

IT WAS a day when nothing went right for the Lairdsmen against the side they knocked out of the FA Cup seven days previously.

The game was turned on its head after 15 minutes when a seemingly innocuous challenge caused Robert Ward to collapse in a heap, giving the Yorkshire side a spot-kick that was duly dispatched.

Lairds went two-down at the start of the second half in bizarre fashion.

Responding to an offside signal by the assistant referee, Lairds keeper Leon Bimpson kicked the ball to free-kick specialist Anthony Lynch.

Unbeknown to the players, the referee had signalled the advantage and Sheffield’s Ward hoofed the ball from 40 yards into an empty net.

Ward completed his hat-trick before Chris Taylor saw red for fouling the last man, leaving the hosts to wrap up the game with a fourth goal five minutes from time.