Bacup started confidently and looked good in the opening stages when Shaun Roscoe crashed a shot against the Nelson woodwork after only ten minutes. But as play swung to the other end, Sam Heap found himself in the clear and beat the keeper with a shot into the bottom corner of the net to give Nelson the lead. 

Three minutes later, Bacup drew level when Roscoe opened up the Nelson defence with a run through the middle and saw his shot pushed against the bar by Chris Thompson.  Lee Oldham reacted quickest to the loose ball and scored from close range. 

In the end-to-end play, Sam Heap saw his shot saved by Bacup keeper Tommy Allen before Lee Ellis forced a good save from Chris Thompson to turn his shot for a corner at the other end.  After 22 minutes, Sam Heap thought he had scored Nelson’s second when he turned past defenders and placed a deliberate shot towards the far post but Tommy Allen produced an excellent save to turn the ball out for a corner. 

Minutes later, another Nelson corner was played in low and John Luker’s shot was cleared off the line by Carl Stanley.  Nelson kept up the pressure on the home side with a series of good attacks and Sam Heap again almost got a second for Nelson after 32 minutes when he controlled Ashley Higgins’ through ball before seeing his shot saved by the legs of keeper Tommy Allen. 

At the start of the second half, Ashley Higgins saw his well struck shot knocked away from the top corner of goal by Tommy Allen.  Bacup began to look more dangerous with some good attacks but Lee Ellis could get no power behind his point blank header which Chris Thompson saved after 50 minutes and Shaun Roscoe lifted a 20 yard free kick high over the Nelson crossbar on the hour. 

Nelson stunned Bacup with a great counterattack after 67 minutes when Ashley Higgins’ high diagonal ball from midfield found Sam Heap who controlled it beautifully before beating the advancing keeper with a low left foot shot into the far corner of the net to restore their lead at 2-1. 

Six minutes later, Lance Ogunyode’s run was stopped by the home defence but Ashley Higgins found Sam Heap with a quick pass out to the right wing and Heap beat Tommy Allen with a 25 yard dipping shot over the helpless keeper for Nelson’s third goal. 

Five minutes later, Darren Wright rescued Nelson with a vital clearance from the six yard box as Bacup supplied a series of dangerous low crosses from both wings.  But Ashley Higgins almost stretched Nelson’s lead further with a good shot that curled just wide of the post after 79 minutes. 

Bacup reduced the deficit after 83 minutes when Shaun Roscoe’s run took him to the edge of the Nelson penalty area and he found the net with a good finishing shot.  The home side pushed forward in the closing stages but Nelson defended strongly and finished with a well deserved win on a ground where they have had a good record over the years.