AFC Liverpool kickstarted their season with a convincing 4-1 win against Oldham Boro. After Jermaine Steele had given the visitors the lead, goals from Steven Jones, Karl Gornell and two from Aaron Stafford ensured that the Reds collected all three points from their first home game of the season.

The home side started brightly, with Gornell, Jones and Steve Corris all shooting from distance, but they fell behind on eleven minutes to Oldham’s first attack of the game. A quickly taken throw in and a slip by Stephen McCluskie allowed Steele to break into the area, and after evading a couple of challenges, he retained his composure to finish neatly into the top corner.

Undeterred by conceding the goal, AFC Liverpool continued to dominate their opponents and create chances without finding the breakthrough. Aaron Stafford firstly saw his shot from the edge of the area palmed behind by Callum Hennegan and then when put through by Jones, with Hennegan stranded off his line, saw his instant chip shot from the edge of the area float over the bar.

For all their possession though, the Reds could have fallen further behind when the visitors had three chances in quick succession. Callum O’Sullivan bundled his way into the area and his shot was parried by Paul Willis straight to Steele, whose subsequent effort was blocked by Patrick O’Driscoll. The ball then rebounded straight to Japser Kiragga but his first time shot struck the top of the crossbar.

Those failed chances to extend their lead proved costly to Oldham minutes later when O’Driscoll’s through ball meant that Stafford only needed the one touch to knock the ball past Hennegan into the bottom corner to bring the Reds the goal their play merited.

The pressure on the Oldham Boro back four continued unabated as Gornell and Phil Stafford tried their luck from distance and Aaron Stafford’s header from six yards should have caused Hennegan more difficulties.

The half time break didn’t interrupt the Reds’ momentum. Within thirty seconds of the restart Jones forced Hennegan into a save and then a minute later, the Reds’ striker played a clever reverse pass that outfoxed the Oldham defence and allowed Aaron Stafford to fire home into the bottom corner.

With the lead taken, the Reds never once though of relenting the pressure on the visitors and continued to create chance after chance. Corris saw his back post volley saved at point blank range by Hennegan and then Jones blasted into the side netting from the edge of the area before striking a thirty yard free kick that bounced in front of the Oldham keeper and momentarily had him in difficulty.

A clever back heel from Jones almost provided Stafford with his hat-trick but his effort was deflected agonisingly the wrong side of the upright, and from the resulting corner, David Derefaka was unable to find the touch to turn the ball over the goal-line.

Eventually the pressure told and the Reds claimed their third goal of the afternoon on eighty two minutes. After Hennegan had denied Gornell from eight yards, when the ball fell at the feet of Jones from the resulting corner, he kept his head to calmly side foot the ball into the bottom corner.

Still not satisfied, the Reds went in search of further goals. Jones’ half volley on the turn from the edge of the area flew past the upright and then, with virtually the last kick of the game, Gornell saved the best till last. Receiving the ball from Leon Quarless’ throw in, he turned his defender and from twenty five yards, rifled the ball into the top corner past the outstretched arms of Hennegan.

AFC Liverpool 4-1 Oldham Boro
A. Stafford 35’, 46         Steele 11’
Jones 82’
Gornell 90+2’

Attendance: 137

AFC Liverpool: 1.Paul Willis 2.Paddy O’Driscoll 3.Darren Torpey 4.Stephen McCluskie 5.David Derefaka (14.Conor Murphy 87’) 6.Callum Tai-Hogan (12.Leon Quarless 65’) 7.Karl Gornell 8.Phil Stafford (C) 9.Steven Jones 10.Steve Corris 11.Aarron Stafford (17. Neil Jones 80’)
Unused Subs: 15.Jack Sinnott 16.River Humphreys

Oldham Boro: 1.Calum Hennegan 2.Michael Cheetham 3.Jerome Bryson 4.Andrew Smith 5.Damien Schofield (C) 6.Nicholas Murphy 7.Arnold Nsimbe 8.Gary Nolan (14.Redmond Parker 70’)  9.Jermaine Steele 10.Callum O’Sullivan 11.Jasper Kiragga
Unused Subs: 12.Daniel Pearson 15.Jonathan Munson