Today was about grit. Determination. Effort - and everything else that comes with a local derby as big as this. In truth, the only two teams doing things in this division so far were the two teams from BL2 that were taking to the field today. Sure - today's hosts came to Moss Park a few weeks ago and took away the three points - but we then went to Old Blackburnians and brought home a victory so the result today could well have a massive impact on which side of the Bottom Bull the league title could be sitting come May...

It had been a case of two points lost last weekend as we managed to turn a 2-0 lead into a 3-3 draw - but the boys were in good form coming into this one and training had been good in midweek. This was our first trip to the new facilities at Radcliffe Moor Road and as we arrived, the pitch looked in good condition considering the rain that had fallen throughout the week. Both teams made their way to the dressing-rooms and with the speakers booming, the anticipation and excitement began to rise. This was a big one and everybody knew it...

As we made our way out to warm-up, it was obvious this was our first trip here - as we could see the massive Breightmet United flag being dismantled from one side of the field and walked across the other. At least we know where the away supporters go for next time now eh? The boys were put through their paces and as they stretched out, it became clear that Yatesy had not made it - so thankfully Spencer had made in back from Amsterdam and was quickly added to the team-sheet - and with the warm-up done, it was back into the changing-room to name the team...

There were to be two changes to the team that started against Old Blackburnians last weekend - with Nathan Bancroft back in at right-back and Robbo slotting into the middle of the park again - and with Chris back from his honeymoon, we had a full bench to call upon. The message from the gaffer was clear - this was about desire. It was about making sure that we did not give our opponents a second to look up and pick out a pass and it was about wanting to win this more than the man in front of you. We know we can play football so now we had to go out, concentrate for 90 minutes and make sure every decision we made was the right one. The lads looked up for it and as they made their way out onto the field, the mood was a good one. Shame it wasn't less than five minutes later...

The opening stages were played at a frenetic pace but it was the hosts that quickest to settle and with some good moves between the lines, we were looking at sixes and sevens as to who was picking up who. The referee - Mr P. Newby - was quick to assert his authority on the game and gave a couple of early free-kicks - and on 4 minutes, one of these saw the hosts take the lead. They had won a free-kick about 35 yards from goal and as the ball was lofted into the mixer, we tried to get it clear - but then came what is possibly one of the best goals you'll see at this level not only today but all season. The ball was dropping out of the sky and their midfielder Lacey managed to position himself to climb high, connect with a glorious overhead kick and as the ball hammered towards our goal, it looked as though Mitch had it covered - but the ball managed to hit the underside of the bar and fly over the line. In truth, it was a great finish and as he wheeled away in triumph, he and his team-mates knew it. 0-1 and they had drawn first-blood...

Now it was about how we responded and with plenty of time left to get back into this, we just had to relax and start playing our football. But we also had to be aware of their danger-men and we all know that Ellis Thomas is definitely that. So it is an absolute wonder as to why we gave him the freedom of our final third on 14 minutes - and with their midfield spotting him making the run, they duly obliged - sliding the ball through the gap in our back-line to see their striker clean through on goal. Mitch came out to narrow the angle - but Ells managed to direct it wide of our No.1 and as it nestled into the bottom corner of our net, that was 0-2! We hadn't even started yet and the game was slipping away from us already. We had to wake up - and wake up soon - as this was men against boys right now...

Thankfully we did and as we started to get our foot on the ball, we started to create chances. Ben and Ste were creating space out wide and when they were getting past their markers, they were driving forward and making things happen. Charlie forced a great save out of their keeper when he cut in from the right and curled a great effort towards the top-corner - but their No.1 was equal to it and sprung cat-like across his box to finger-tip it wide for a corner. Next up saw a good ball play Ste inside his full-back but for some reason, he tried to curl it towards goal with the outside of his boot and got it all wrong, putting the ball into the side-netting instead. When asked about it later, he said he had a 'vision' - but he must have been the only one...

And on 39 minutes, we thought we were back in it. Another good run by Ste saw us win a throw over on the right and as Ben launched it in, Keegie was able to get in front of his marker to flick his header backwards - and it floated over their despairing keeper before dropping under the crossbar and into the back of the net. The United fans went wild as Keegie's team-mates rushed to congratulate him - and with the score now at 1-2, we had to keep pushing now...

Conceding the goal made the hosts tighten up a little at the back for the rest of the first-half and although we kept possession well, we just couldn't dig out that clear opportunity to strike the ball at goal. So as the whistle went for the break and the hosts toddled off back to the changing-room, we had 15 minutes to discuss how to put things right...

Half-time: Bolton Wyresdale 2-1 BREIGHTMET UNITED

As the lads came in for their drinks, they knew that they'd started slowly out there. Everything we had talked about in the run-up to the game seemed to have been forgotten as soon as the whistle went - and we were giving them too much time, space and respect when they had the ball. We needed to get close and we needed to make sure that they knew they were in a game here. The next goal was going to be a really important one and we needed to make sure it was us that got it. One shining light was the fact that we knew we were nowhere near our best yet - but those last 20 minutes or so of that first-half showed we can make chances - and to be only 1-2 down when we'd played so poorly was something to think about. One change was made - with Nathan coming off and Logan coming on - which meant that Ste was dropping back in at right-back - and as the lads made their way back out there, they knew what was required for the next 45 minutes...

But within the first two minutes of the re-start, we gifted them a third goal and that was probably the one that knocked the stuffing out of us. We have been so comfortable playing out from the back all season however on 47 minutes, a misplaced pass into our midfield was snaffled up by that man Lacey again and this time, he looked up, strolled forward a couple of yards and from all of 25 yards out, he drilled a corker of a shot past Mitch and in off the post. Another stunning finish if we're honest - but all that chat and optimism at the break had been undone by a silly mistake. 1-3 and it was all to do again...

Rather than roll our socks up and work harder, we seemed to appear a little sorry for ourselves and on 54 minutes, it was 1-4. This time the hosts had worked the ball well down their left and as it came into our box, we attempted to clear it - but it looked like it had hit one of our players and as it dropped, it was that man Ellis it dropped to. He did the rest - cutting inside and without much back-lift, he smashed a piledriver of a shot that was past Mitch before he could react and nearly ripped the top-right hand corner of the net as it slammed into it. Another tremendous finish as had been all four of their goals - but it did feel as though we had given them these too easily...

Changes were made as Nathan Durrans and Alex Williams were replaced by Chris and Marcus respectively and on went the game. With the hosts seemingly taking the foot off the gas a little now, we started to get back into it a little and on 66 minutes, we managed to grab another goal back. Some good work between Marcus and Ste saw the ball worked down the pitch and as it came inside to Robbo about 25 yards from goal, he dropped his shoulder, sent his marker for a hot-dog and curled a peach of a shot past the out-stretched hand of their keeper and into the back of their net. 4-2! Again the United fans were jumping up and down and with just over 23 minutes to go, was there enough time for us to turn this around?

Spencer then came on for Charlie - who had once again worked his socks off chasing down all game - and as the minutes ticked away, the game became a little stagnant. That was until they scored their fifth and final goal of the game and once again, it looked as though we didn't work hard enough to stop the opportunity coming. They had won the ball in the middle of the park and Pez set off on a mazy run that saw him evade at least three flimsy challenges - before he looked up and crafted an inch-perfect pass into the path of Ellis and once again, he made no mistake in slamming the ball past Mitch from about 10 yards out to seal his hat-trick and confirm the points were staying here today. As expected, the home fans were ecstatic and as the United players looked around at each other, this had been a bad day at the office. 2-5...

We brought Cam on in place of Lewis and switched to a 3-5-2 for the final 10 minutes but apart from a couple of darting runs from Spencer that were dealt with well by their back-four, we didn't look like we were going to score again. The travelling fans began packing up their stuff and as the final whistle went, it was the team in green who were taking the glory from this one...

The handshakes were done with respect and as the players made their way back to the changing-room, the debate started. What had gone so wrong out there? How had we just played like that? The questions would rumble on long into the night that's for sure... Robbo was quite rightly awarded the Man of the Match for his efforts out there this afternoon and as for the rest of the lads - they'll be taking a long, hard look at their performances over the break and making sure that they don't ever play like that again...

We move on. We'll take this on the chin and make sure that we don't feel like this again - because it is raw. We have had a fantastic season so far and if we had been told that at Christmas, we'd be sitting 2nd in Division 1 having lost three games out of 21 all season, we would most definitely have taken it. And this result does not define our season as there is still a lot to play for. Pride being the main thing. And that needs to be shown when we take to the pitch at The Armitage Centre on 3rd January to take on Old Mancunians Reserves. Good teams dust themselves down and go again - so that is the thing we'll be looking for next...

As for this one, it will soon be forgotten. On our side anyway...

Nuff respeck' to the United fans that came over to cheer us on today and we're just sorry we couldn't sign off for Christmas with a win for you. You've been fantastic everywhere we've been in 2025 and we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous 2026. See you over in Manchester on the 3rd January...

#OnceUnitedNeverDivided