AFC Liverpool staged a comeback after going behind to Jack Dickson’s header to make it two wins from two. Liam Nethercote drew the Reds level before a Shaun Harris cross was turned into his own net by Dickson two minutes from time to give the Reds a win which takes them off the bottom of the table.

Like the two previous meetings between the sides this season this match was a tight encounter with both teams looking to play the ball on the ground but finding each other’s defences generally having the upper hand.

The Flixton front two of Daniel Egan and Wayne Welbeck were a handful for the Reds back four and it was this partnership that created this first chance of the afternoon as Egan’s pass sent Welbeck away but looking to place the ball in the corner, Welbeck saw his effort parried by Joshua Molloy. The visitors were having the better of the opening exchanges, pushing forward with real purpose but a couple of long range efforts from James Buckley settled the Reds down and they came more into the match.

However it was Flixton who looked the more likely to score and Molloy had to deal with Egan’s long range strike that bounced just in front of him and then Joshua Bowman should have done better than to shoot straight at Molloy after nicking the ball past Anthony Brown on the edge of the box.

It was the Reds though who created the best chance of the half right on the stroke of half time as Steve Corris met Darren Torpey’s centre but unchallenged he put his header over the bar.

Welbeck combined with Egan once again shortly after the re-start but the Flixton striker could only drive his shot straight at Molloy. Egan received a cut back from Aaron Hevingham, who broke past Jack Sinnott to the byline, but the Flixton number nine elected to set himself up for a left foot shot when a first time strike with the right would have probably brought him a goal.

Struggling to create chances, the Reds were denied a penalty when Carl Furlong went down under the challenge of Lois Maynard as the referee awarded a free kick right on the line though the incident took place a foot inside the box.

It was the visitors who scored first though as Dickson rose unchallenged six yards out to meet an inswinging free kick to leave the helpless Molloy no chance.

Going a goal down seemed to stir the Reds into life and they were level just six minutes later after an incisive move. Torpey rolled the ball into Furlong’s feet and a quick lay off found Corris breaking forward, who at the second attempt found Buckley down the left flank. His low cross into the box found Nethercote unmarked and after one touch to set himself up, the Reds’ striker blasted past James Jowsey.

Confidence returned, a quick counter attack should have seen more reward than Buckley blasting high over the bar but the Reds had Sean Richards to thank for keeping the scores level as he hooked Brian Matthews’ effort off the line following a failure to deal with a free kick.

In the encounter at Valley Road in September, a late fortuitous goal gave Flixton all three points after the Reds had led but at Valerie Park the situation was reversed. Persistence from Harris saw him drive a cross into the box which came off Dickson before looping over Jowsey into the top corner to give AFC Liverpool their second consecutive win.

AFC Liverpool 2-1 Flixton
Nethercote 77′       Dickson 71′
Dickson (o.g.) 88′

Attendance: 118

Photo courtesy of Dave Williams