Recap

Marine v Colne – Match Highlights

Tom Clarke reports as a double from Jamie Cooke sees Mariners come unstuck…

Marine were defeated by a strong Colne side at the MTA on Tuesday evening despite a first goal for Salford City loanee Mo Touray.

The first real chance of the game fell to Niall Cummins after some wing work from Mikey Howard just three minutes into the game, but away stopper Hakan Burton denied the home captain with two hands behind the ball.

Cummins went close again inside fifteen minutes, Josh Hmami whipping one in from the right this time onto the captain’s head, but the ball nestled on top of the net rather than inside it.

Colne, content to pass the ball around for extended periods of the game, proved decisive for the first time on 21 minutes when Jamie Cooke was fed through to open the scoring for the visitors past a despairing Bayleigh Passant.

Cooke took the ball past several Marine defenders for his second goal, before slotting into the back of the net to ensure the Reds took a two-goal lead into the half time.

Neil Young looked to change things after the break, taking right-back James Devine off for Adam Hughes who played more centrally, allowing Mikey Howard the freedom of the right-hand side of the field.

A reshuffled Marine looked brighter in the second period, and immediately threatened Burton’s goal when Hmami’s effort from the edge of the six-yard box struck the crossbar just moments into the half.

Several chances fell to the heads of Mariners attacking corner kicks as the second half progressed, substitute Hughes going close with another before the visitors had a man sent off on 55 minutes for a second bookable offence.

Pacy forward Mo Touray pulled one back for Marine just a minute before the hour mark, slotting home from the middle of the goal after one of many attacking onslaughts from the home side.

Ryan Wignall entered the fray midway through the second period after Neil Kengni suffered a knock, and the ex-Connah’s Quay man forced another save out of the resolute Burton shortly after coming on.

Despite all of their second-half pressure, the Mariners came away with nothing to show for it as last season’s close rivals Colne won the points.

Neil Young’s side now turn their attentions to the FA Cup, where they face Runcorn Linnets at the Millbank Linnets Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a 3pm kick-off.

Marine: Bayleigh Passant, James Devine (Adam Hughes, 46), James Ellison, James Barrigan, Anthony Miley, David Raven, Mikey Howard, Josh Hmami, Niall Cummins, Mo Touray, Neil Kengni (Ryan Wignall, 72).
Unused subs: Danny Shaw, Owen Orford, Francis Turkington.

Colne: Hakan Burton, Waqas Azam, Harry Winstanley, Alexander Coleman, Tom Dean, Tom Brown, Charlie Russell (Alex Dodd, 69), Jamie Cooke, Mamadou Djabi (Ben Unsworth, 56), Sam O’Halleron (Spencer Jordan, 29), Billy Hasler Cregg.
Unused subs: Reece Webb-Foster, Alex Samizadeh.

Referee: Darren Strain. Assistant referees: Jacob Viera, Keith Davenport.