Alsager Town 0 Bacup Borough 1
DEFENDER Wayne Brotherton could become a striker on Saturday after his shot-shy teammates failed to turn domination into goals against Bacup Borough.
Greg Clowes' men dictated play from start to finish against the sixth-placed outfit, but could not find the net. Brotherton, who has bagged 16 goals from the back this season, was sent up front for the final 20 minutes.
Although his attempts to salvage a point were in vain, the big man may have done enough to start this weekend's vital clash at Atherton LR, who lie one point and one place above Town, as a striker.
Clowes said: 'I think we may play Wayne Brotherton up front. He didn't score on Saturday but he won his flick-ons and looked a threat, and he knows how to take a goal.
'This Alsager team is two players short of being a really good side. We haven't got two strikers who will cause havoc to a defence, and top sides need that.
'But I can't be too upset because it was one-way traffic. They came with a plan to defend and hit us on the break with one up front, and it worked to be fair.
'But they had just one shot and scored while we missed a lot of chances. Everything we hit seemed to go straight at the keeper.'
Steve Elks almost put Alsager ahead in the first five minutes, but his header drifted wide. Bacup's ex-Bolton keeper David Felgate then pulled off a great save from an Ian Verow free-kick.
Phil Parkinson, Paul Macari and Carl Espley all went close, but Bacup midfielder Taylor's strike on the hour was enough to claim three points.
Clowes said: 'I warned them about Taylor at half-time but they didn't take heed. Now we have a big game at Atherton LR on Saturday.
'We can go one of two ways now. We can either put a good run together, or we go on a slide. I think we're too good to slide.'
