Steven Jones bagged four goals as AFC Liverpool ran out 5-2 winners away to Cheadle Town. Having opened the scoring, the Reds found themselves behind at the break but an improved second half performance saw Steven Jones score three more with Neil Jones heading home in between.

The Reds started the match positively and took the lead on fifteen minutes. Sean Ferguson and Karl Gornell combined down the left to set up Jones, who sidestepped an incoming challenge before placing the ball beyond Steve McDonagh from eight yards.

Looking comfortable in their lead, AFC Liverpool let their hosts back into the game when a rash challenge from Neil Jones upended Dean McGregor and James McDonagh converted the resulting penalty.

The hosts went in front on thirty seven minutes when Paul McCormack’s pass sliced through the Red’s back four, picking out the run of McGregor who calmly slotted home.

From the start of the second half though the Reds were determined to reclaim the match and with two minutes they had an opportunity to draw level when new signing David Mather was brought down in the Cheadle area. However Steven Jones failed to convert from twelve yards, firing straight at McDonagh.

Refusing to let their heads drop, AFC Liverpool continued to pile pressure on the Cheadle goal in search of the equaliser. Gornell fired across the face of the goal with Steven Jones unable to stretch enough to poke home. The Reds’ number nine then headed over from a Mather cross before Gornell forced McDonagh into tipping the ball over the bar.

On fifty nine minutes the Reds finally claimed their reward for their pressure when Jones linked with Ferguson on the edge of the area before guiding the ball into the bottom corner past the diving McDonagh.

Back on level terms, the Reds didn’t let up and soon went ahead when Neil Jones scored his first goal for the club, powering home a header from a Steve Corris corner.

In the ascendancy the Reds further increased their lead on seventy two minutes. Steven Jones once again showed his class, claiming his hat-trick with a sublime placement into the corner past a static McDonagh from the edge of the area.

Six minutes later, Jones capped a fine individual performance as he latched onto Corris’ ball over the top before rounding Barry Cotterill and finishing with a delicate chip over McDonagh into the far corner.

Cheadle Town 2-5 AFC Liverpool
McDonagh (p) 25′                       S Jones 15′, 59′, 72′, 78′
McGregor 37′                                               N Jones 63′

Attendance: 116

Cheadle Town: 1.Steve McDonagh 2.Sam Hall 3.Ben Roberts 4.Barry Cotterill 5.Adam Roberts 6.Sam Willans 7.Aaron Riley 8.Paul McCormack 9.James McDonagh 10.Dean McGregor 11.Dan Brokenbrow
Subs: 12.Paul Whalley 14.Ben Brookes 15.Scott Clarke 16.Brad Brokenbrow

AFC Liverpool: 1.Jack Baker 2.Phil Stafford 3.Darren Torpey 4.Stephen McCluskie 5.Neil Jones 6.Kieran Quinn. 7.Karl Gornell 8.David Mather 9.Steven Jones 10.Steve Corris 11.Sean Ferguson
Subs: 12.Patrick O’Driscoll 14.Shaun Chart 15.Jack Sinnott 16.Ben Fletcher 17.David Derefaka