Lancashire Evening Post:

McEvilly’s header has Burscough celebrating

Published on Wednesday 1 August 2001

Burscough 1

Southport 0

A 37th minute header from Lee McEvilly last night gave Burscough their first-ever Liverpool Senior Cup triumph.

The UniBond Premier Division club – three times before finalists – secured the silverware but they had to withstand some incessant pressure from Southport at their Victoria Park ground.

McEvilly’s goal came as the result of a misjudgement by Port keeper Steve Dickinson. The young striker forced a corner on the right, Tommy Molloy played it short to Lee Furlong. The winger, playing against his former club, saw his attempted cross rebound off the back of Brian McGorry, leaving Molloy to centre.

Dickinson came off his line but just failed to get a decisive touch and McEvilly was able to head into the unguarded net.

Stuart Whittaker might have equalised for the Nationwide Conference side a couple of minutes into injury time but his volley crashed instead into defender Neil Hanson.

Port stepped up a gear with the introduction of substitutes Tony Sullivan and Lee Elam eleven minutes into the second half. McGorry just failed to get a proper connection to an effort on the turn from six-yards after Sullivan had made a raid down the right.

The ex-Stalybridge Celtic winger then forced a top rate reflex save from keeper Matty Taylor who did well to beat away his volley, Elam then firing wide with the rebound.

Port took their corner count into double figures with Gary Bauress seeing one of his inswingers headed off the line by Ged Nolan midway through the half.

But, despite pressuring for most of the second period, they failed to get the goal to take the final – held over from last season – into extra time.

Bauress took another corner in injury time, this time Shaun Teale heading down for McGorry to volley just wide on the turn.

Then, with virtually the last kick, Simon Parke tried a snap shot from 25 yards which brought a scrambling save from the young keeper.

“This must be one of the best moments in the club’s history”, said Burscough manager John Davison afterwards. “Hopefully it will give the lads confidence for the season ahead.

“There are a lot of young players in our side and I thought they stood up well to an experienced team.

“It was a difficult game for both teams coming so early I thought we defended very well – stoutly.”