An equaliser from Dave Eaton earned AFC Liverpool a draw against one of their main rivals in the promotion race, in a game that both sides would have felt they could have won. 

The game was played at the Robin Park Arena, situated adjacent to Wigan Athletic’s JJB Stadium and venue for the Premierships reserve games. It meant the pitch was in pristine condition and it allowed both sides to play some good passing football. It was somewhat difficult watching the game across a running track though and it must have been the first time AFC have played at a venue that needs to employ ball boys.

The first real chance for the Reds came in the ninth minute when Liam Coyne was fouled 25 yards out, but Steve Corris’s free kick was well over the bar. After eighteen minutes Andy Olsen flicked a cross on with his head and Ian Sheridan shot just over the bar.

Wigan’s first real chance came in the 22^nd minute when a fast exchange of passes sent a striker clean through but Jack Baker was quick to react and was out of his goal quickly to block the shot. Until then the Reds keeper had only been called into action to gather harmless crosses.

Ryan Wignall was looking dangerous down the right flank and in the 34^th minute a good run and cross was cleared just as Sheridan was lining up his shot. Dave Eaton did well dropping deep and drifting to the left to create chances and did well to turn a man inside out and cross from the left but Andy Olsen’s header was over the bar.

A minute before half time Sheridan intercepted a poor pass and ran on towards goal but his shot was blocked, as was Eaton’s rebound. Wigan almost snatched the lead in injury time however but Baker came out of his goal to force a corner, from which Gregory deflected a shot over the bar.

 The first half had been somewhat spoiled by over eager refereeing with several innocuous challenges being punished, leading to ironic cheers from the away following when AFC were finally handed a free kick in the 40^th minute.

 Three minutes after the restart Wignall, Eaton and Craig Cushion combined well on the right but Cushions shot was cleared. From the corner Cushion had a shot that deflected and looped goalwards but the keeper easily held it.

 In the 65^th minute a Wigan defender slipped causing the ball to carry on through to Olsen, but the Reds striker didn’t have time to react and it bounced off his shoulder and was cleared.  Olsen then had a glancing header go just wide but in the 67^th minute Wigan were ahead, Sean White’s low bouncing effort deceiving everyone and going into the net.

 The Reds didn’t let their heads drop and pressed for an equaliser, Eaton beating two men to force his way into the box before firing over and then curling a shot just wide as Wignall was screaming for a square pass. Eaton was then presented with a gilt edge chance after defender slipped but he fired over from about ten yards. The striker kept his cool though on 82 minutes, making no mistake as he calmly slotted Sheridan’s lay off past the keeper.

 The Reds only had half chances to win the game, Corris having a volley from 25 yards that contained little power and some set pieces coming to nothing. Coyne’s frustration at being penalised for a foul on Wigan’s keeper led to a harsh booking in the 90^th minute. When he did the same thing again he was even more vociferous in his opinion but escaped a second yellow card, perhaps because the referee realised he had been harsh the first time.

It was Wigan though who came closest to scoring in nearly five minutes of added time. Two bouts of frantic defending on the edge of the box kept them at bay and they were also handed a boost by the referee, whose backside got in the way of a Mark Gregory clearance that fell to a striker, who shot just wide.

 All in all it may prove a vital point for the Reds as a defeat would have left Wigan just six points behind with three games in hand. AFC’s promotion hopes do rest now though on a Bootle collapse or Padiham running out of steam as they play their games in hand. 

AFC Liverpool’s next game is away to Norton United in the semi final, second leg of the Vodkat Trophy on Saturday 4^th April. 3pm Kick Off