The result was a fair reflection of the games, as apart from a short period from just before they equalised till half time, AFC Liverpool were never really in the game and allowed the home side to be too comfortable in possession.

The opening goal came on fifteen minutes when Leon Bimpson came off his line but failed to claim Mark Ayres’ long ball into the area. Jordan Hulme nicked possession and squeezed the ball home from a tight angle.

The home side continued to have the better of the game. Ian Flannery was only a whisker away from turning home Gaskell’s driven cross and a vital touch was needed by Adam Farley to prevent Gaskell converting Philip Dean’s square ball.

Having not been any threat, the Reds suddenly piped up after thirty five minutes and soon drew themselves level. Steven Jones fired a shot straight into the midriff of Grant Shenton and a minute later Jones combined with Nevil Picton to feed Muktar Mahama. Forced just a little wide by the pace of the ball, Mahama still fired in a shot that Shenton had to turn around the post. From the resulting corner, the ball was returned to Jones and his inswinging cross to the six yard line was nodded home by Sinnott.

Suddenly buoyed, AFC Liverpool began to put pressure on the hosts and they looked vulnerable but a lack of sharpness from those the red shirts saw them fail to capitalise. Hopes though were there that they could take the initiative into the second half but it never materialised and Ramsbottom were back on the front foot.

Bimpson kept the scores level with some fine saves, first turning behind Hulme’s header before needing a strong hand to palm away Dean’s fierce drive. The Reds’ keeper was in action again shortly after, blocking Michael Morrison’s drive with his legs but Bimpson could do nothing to prevent Gaskell’s first. Picking the ball up thirty yards out, he worked his way to the edge of the area before driving home into the top corner.

Still in the ascendency, Rasmbottom pushed for a third. Hulme sent a delicate chip inches over the bar before Gaskell grabbed his second of the match on sixty eight minutes. Flicking Hulme’s knock down away from Chris Williams gave Gaskeel the space he need to fire low past Bimpson to seal the result for his team.

AFC Liverpool huffed and puffed but couldn’t find a rhythm and it wasn’t until the final seconds that Shenton was forced into a save, blocking Shaun Gardner’s shot on the turn.

Ramsbottom United 3-1 AFC Liverpool
Hulmes 15′                                         Sinnott 38′
Gaskell 55′, 68′

Attendance: 147

Photo courtesy of Dave Williams.

It came a minute after Steve Corris’ long range shot was parried away by Alexander Woodcock, which looked to promise a continuation of the good work displayed by the Reds in the first half.

After Spencer Jordan failed to turn home Garbutt’s cross within the first thirty seconds of the match, it was the home side who created the better of the chances. Jack Sinnott’s shot cum cross was beaten away by Woodcock before Corris’ header, following a Steve Jones corner, was headed off the line by Liam Blades. Corris was then on the end of a Steven Williams free kick but his header looped over the bar.

A Jones through ball fed Michael McGree but he saw his shot saved by the legs of Woodcock and in the follow up neither Jones nor Sinnott could force a shot. Woodcock then had to be at his best to deny Corris, who had found space out wide and looked to float his effort over the keeper. At full stretch though, he could only tip the ball to Jones but the Reds’ striker put his chance into the side netting.

Blades burst into the box to latch onto Garbutt’s lay off but only fired into the stanchion in what proved to be the visitors only other chance of the first half. With Woodcock having dealt with Corris’ effort, Paul Fildes was given too much room to fire in a shot that pinballed off Leon Bimpson and Richard Stenhouse, allowing Garbutt to poach what turned out to be the winner.

Once again AFC Liverpool shaded the half but they couldn’t fashion the chances like they did in the first forty five and a few set pieces were the closest they came to finding an equaliser. Jones’ long range blast was deflected over the bar whilst Williams’ similar effort whistled a couple of yards wide and though their efforts merited a point, it was the visitors who took all three.

AFC Liverpool 0-1 Barnoldswick Town
Garbutt 48′

Attendance: 117

Photo courtesy of Dave Williams

A goal eight minutes from time from Michael McGree gave AFC Liverpool a much needed win at Colne on Saturday.

The Reds had gone behind in the first half and only wastefulness by the Colne forwards kept them in the game but on the basis of the second half performance the win was well deserved.

For the first ten minutes the Reds dominated as they took full advantage of having both the wind and a slope that was in their favour. Steven Williams tried an audacious effort straight from the kick off which had the Colne keeper back pedalling and Steven Jones had the ball in the net but it was ruled out for offside. Jack Sinnott then hit a cross shot from the right touchline that hit the bar and Williams had another shot that tested the keeper. Even new Reds keeper Leon Bimpson tried his luck

However it was the same old story as Colne scored with their first attack of note, some defensive sluggishness by AFC leading to Mark Threlfall firing past Bimpson as he tried to narrow the angle on eleven minutes. AFC totally went to pieces for the next ten to fifteen minutes, leading to Paul Moore coming off the bench plenty of times to scream instructions at his players. During this period Colne really should have put the game beyond the Reds, with one forward somehow firing over from within the six yard box and another rounding Bimpson only to keep running but forget to take the ball with him, allowing the Reds defenders to get back and scramble clear. Another great chance saw a header go narrowly over.

As the half wore on AFC got back into it, Muktar Mahama should have done better when sent clear down the left, but he opted to shoot instead of square to the unmarked McGree and the keeper saved easily. In the 40^th minute the equaliser did come when Steven Jones broke from his marker to latch on to a clever pass from Steve Corris, kept his nerve and delicately chipped the keeper. Colne almost regained their lead within thirty seconds, but a cross from the left evaded three players and went out for a throw in.

The Reds were helped in the second half when the wind eased a little but they still had to contend with the slope. But this didn’t bother them and they had the better of the play, Steven Jones twice getting in goalbound shots but neither were a serious test for the keeper. There was a golden chance on 70 minutes when the offside trap was sprung but McGree made the mistake of checking for sure that the linesman hadn’t flagged before making his pass and in those few seconds Colne’s players got back to cover and dispossess Jones.

New signing Luke Hughes came off the bench midway through the half and managed to get a couple of attempts on goal, whilst the defenders were getting in on the act too, Darren Torpey crossing at one stage for Chris Williams whose shot was blocked. During this first half hour of the second half, Colne only had one serious effort on goal, a curling shot from captain Samuel Hayes that went wide.

With eight minutes remaining it looked like Colne should have been awarded a free kick thirty yards out but the referee waved play on. As Colne protested, AFC quickly moved the ball forward and McGree, one on one with the keeper, kept his cool to slot the ball home.

Clearly deflated, Colne never looked like getting back in the game, only managing one effort before the end which was blazed well over from the edge of the area.

With both Atherton LR and St Helens losing, the Reds closed the gap to safety to four points with two games in hand, and with two home games in succession coming up we hope this win is the start of a good run.

Photo & report by Steven Horton.

Colne 1-2 AFC Liverpool
Threlfall 11′        Jones 40′, McGree 82′

Attendance: 87

On a cold day, both sides started the match slowly and twenty seven minutes were played before there was an effort on goal. Unfortunately for the Reds, it was Towey giving the home side the lead as Sean Pearson’s cross found the Linnets striker unmarked eight yards out and he fired into the corner beyond the reach of Joshua Molloy.

The Linnets striker was denied a second goal as Molloy palmed away his effort following a mazy run that eluded several challenges before the Reds created some chances of their own with half time fast approaching. Shaun Harris ambitiously attempted to find the far corner before Steven Jones drilled low into the near post forcing Martin Pearson into action for the first time in the match. It was the Runcorn keeper who kept his side’s lead going into the break as, with a fingertip save, he turned over Muktar Mahama’s spectacular overhead kick.

Mahama should have levelled the scores two minutes into the second half. However, meeting an inswinging Jones free kick six yards out and completely unmarked, he fluffed his header and the ball sailed over the bar. Unfazed, the Reds continued to press for the equaliser but lacked a spark of creativity to unlock the Runcorn back four. Pressure may have rewarded their endeavour but as with too many occasions this season, the Reds let their opponents off the hook. Molloy needlessly came to claim a cross but only clattered into Darren Torpey, presenting Whyte with the chance to slot the ball into an unguarded net.

The result was sealed on seventy seven minutes when a ball down the right channel found Prescott and the substitute, spotting Molloy off his line, neatly lobbed the AFC Liverpool keeper.

To their credit AFC Liverpool never gave up and were further unrewarded when Pearson firstly denied Steve Corris and then Joe Bennett before Jones’ follow up was headed off the line by Chris Lawton.

Runcorn Linnets 3-0 AFC Liverpool
Towey 27′, Whyte 64′, Prescott 77′

Attendance: 382

Photo courtesy of Dave Williams.

Unbeaten in twelve and top of the league, the hosts started as favourites and with the wind behind them they certainly had the advantage for the opening fifteen minutes. The Reds struggled to get out of their own half as but defensively they were proving themselves more than capable in dealing with Bootle’s long balls and for all their pressure the home side only had two Liam Blakeman efforts from the edge of the area that both sailed over the bar and an off target header from Jamie Hay as he met a Mark Kilroy free kick.

Once AFC Liverpool managed to maintain possession and keep the ball on the floor, they worked themselves back into the game and should have taken the lead through Steven Jones. Latching onto Shaun Harris’ through ball, Jones held off the challenge of Neil McQueen and with only David Moran to beat, the Reds’ striker dragged his shot wide of the goal.

With the contest evenly poised, the game turned on thirty eight minutes as AFC Liverpool’s self destructive instinct rose to the surface once again. Having just denied Daniel O’Connor the opening goal, Denis Barlow turned villain of the piece when he pushed over Kevin Black in an effort to claim the corner, allowing the Bootle man to give his side the lead from the spot.

Just as it appeared as though the Reds would go into the break one goal down, the home side controversially doubled their lead with the last action of the first half. Darren Byers raced onto Blakeman’s through ball and though he looked to be two yards offside the linesman’s flag wasn’t raised and the Bootle striker finished smartly with a measured shot over a stranded Barlow.

With the wind now in their favour the Reds came out for the second still in the game as they now pressurized the Bootle back line but like the home side in the first half, they never created any chances that tested the opposition’s keeper. Carl Furlong, Muktar Mahama and James Buckley all finished decent moves but none could find a strike on target and in a mirror image of the first half, it was Bootle who had the best chance as Byers was denied by Barlow following a quick counterattack.

Still, with fifteen minutes remaining the result was still in balance if the Reds could find a goal until Buckley received his second yellow card of the day for petulantly kicking the ball at O’Connor and ten men quickly became nine as Denis Barlow also received his second yellow as he took out Elvis Banyihwabe just inside the box as he raced onto O’Connor’s through ball. After his first attempt was ruled out for encroachment, Black scored his second penalty of the game, though AFC Liverpool manager Paul Moore, now in goal, almost made the save.

In the final minute Anthony Brown was given a straight red card for a challenge that appeared worthy of no more than a booking to end a miserable day for the Reds.

Bootle 3-0 AFC Liverpool
Black (p) 38′, (p) 80′
Byers 45′
Attendance: 183

Photo courtesy of Dave Williams.

It was a performance that was in complete contrast to the committed effort that brought the win over Runcorn Linnets on Wednesday evening and the hosts took the points, not because they were overwhelmingly superior but because the Reds simply didn’t do enough to deserve to take anything from the game.

They started brightly enough, comfortably knocking the ball around but without much penetration. It was down the right flank where they created their best chances with Liam Nethercote firstly outmuscling Gareth Mayer to square for Muktar Mahama but the Reds’ striker lost his footing with his back to goal and could only scoop his effort goalward before it was hooked away. Then it was Mahama’s burst down the right that almost broke the deadlock when his cross came off Mayer before clipping the post and then Joe Bennett cut in from the flank to lay the ball of to Nevil Picton but he fired wide from the edge of the box.

Stone Dominoes, with just the one upfront, threatened little, with just a tame shot from Ashley Miller dragging Denis Barlow in the action, until the forty third minute when Michael Marren put his side a goal up. The Reds’ defence allowed Stone too much possession around their box for too long and they were punished when Ashley Hill’s delicately chipped ball in behind Aaron Carey found Marren and he knocked it past Barlow.

The game was still their for the taking though and had the Reds fully applied themselves, they could have taken control but only Steve Corris, running onto Bennett’s through ball forced David Dyson into a save.

Stone doubled their lead on sixty minutes when a break down the right saw Wayne Teague’s shot cum cross float over Barlow into the far corner.

Two chances in quick succession soon after could have brought the Reds back into it but Mahama, racing onto a poor back header from Matthew Bradbury didn’t have enough conviction to knock the ball past Dyson and then James Buckley, again profiting from confusion between the Stone centre backs, did put his attempt past the keeper but not getting enough on the ball allowed Matthew Lowndes to get back and clear off the line.

Any chance of a comeback was effectively ended on seventy minutes when Stone were allowed to work the ball forward without being closed down enough resulting in Miller cutting inside Callum Tai-Hogan before firing low under Barlow.

Nethercote could have restored a little respectability to the scoreline, latching onto Buckley’s through ball but though his shot squeezed through the legs of Dyson, the keeper’s intervention took the pace of the ball allowing Lowndes to clear off the line for the second time in the match.

The hosts still had time to add one more when the Reds’ defence, static and looking for an offside flag, allowed Steven Allen to escape their attention and he nodded home Shane Reaney’s delivery from ten yards with not a soul around him.

Stone Dominoes 4-0 AFC Liverpool
Marren 43′
Teague 60′
Miller 70′
Allen 88′

Attendance: 63

Photo courtesy of Dave Williams.

Manager Paul Moore was full of praise for his side’s application and determination to come from a goal down especially as he was without nine first team players forcing him into last minute changes.

It wasn’t the start he would have wanted, seeing his side go one behind after only two minutes when Denis Barlow’s clearance went straight to Whyte, who after composing himself, struck from twenty yards with the keeper struggling to get back into position.

The visitors almost doubled their lead three minutes later as Barlow’s goal kick got held up in the wind and dropped straight to Daniel Smith, who struck first time from twenty five yards but his effort didn’t quite have the height to beat Barlow, who managed to claim the ball at full stretch. The Linnets were edging the opening exchanges and a long range effort from Kevin Towey forced Barlow into tipping the ball over the bar while the Reds struggled to create in the final third and their luck seemed to be in short supply as they lost Jack Sinnott to injury, replaced by debutant Waterhouse.

However, as the half wore on, the Reds found more confidence in themselves and slowly they began to assert their presence on the match. A neat passing move ended with Muktar Mahama snatching at a shot which was quickly followed by Buckley firing into Peter Collinge’s near post, bringing the Linnets’ keeper into action for the first time.

As things were evening out though, the visitors came close to a second once again as a cross in from the right found Smith at the back post and his shot was headed off the line by Chris Williams.

It was Buckley who was instrumental in bringing about the equaliser as he won a free kick down by the corner flag and it was he who met Waterhouse’s delivery to head home his fourth goal for AFC Liverpool on the stroke of half time.

Keyed up by going in level at the break, AFC Liverpool came out in a more determined mood and this soon paid dividends for them. A quick break out saw Mahama lay the ball off to Joe Bennett, whose first time ball was latched onto by Waterhouse with his first time shot going under Collinge to give the Reds the lead on forty eight minutes.

The home side now looked to extend their lead with Mahama firing in a couple of shots, the first of which was tame and straight at Collinge and the second which had more power but again was too close to the keeper.

Runcorn Linnets pressed to level the scores but though they had increasing amounts of possession, AFC Liverpool’s goal was rarely threatened. Smith shot wildly wide from the edge of the area and Towey looked to curl one inside the post but ended up shooting too straight. There was a little heart in the mouth moment with a minor goalmouth scramble following a Whyte corner but Barlow soon smothered the ball to snuff out the danger and the only time the Linnets got in behind the Reds back four, Barlow came quickly off his line to do enough to prevent Matthew Atherton from giving his side a share of the spoils.

By the time Towey turned and tamely shot from the edge of the area, AFC Liverpool had comfortably ridden out the Linnets’ pressure and were fully deserved in claiming their third league win of the season.

AFC Liverpool 2-1 Runcorn Linnets
Buckley 45′                             Whyte 2′
Waterhouse 48′

Attendance: 186

In a game that won’t live long in the memory, the home side only managed three shots, none of which came close to troubling Ashley Woodhouse, in a display that Paul Moore thought as the worst he’d seen during his tenure as AFC Liverpool manager.

Never in the game from the kick off, all they could manage in the first half as an attacking force was twenty yard strike from Nevil Picton and a blast over from Shaun Harris. The visitors were organised and hard working but not overly creative and though enjoying more of the ball, they didn’t create too many clear cut opportuntities. Omatayo Coker had a shot on the turn that forced Joshua Molloy into a save and later another attempt that fizzed across the goal while Gareth Richards’ volley from the edge of the box went just the wrong side of the upright but that was the sum total from the first forty five minutes.

The second half failed to deliver any more quality and it wasn’t until fifty eight minutes were on the clock that Walsh’s strike from twelve yards became the first attempt of the match on target after Molloy had needlessly upended Christopher Luby.

All the hard work of the previous few weeks that culminated in the wins over Winsford United and Flixton was nowhere to be seen as the Reds only response to going a goal down was a blocked Picton strike on the edge of the box following a harshly penalised back pass.

Richards should have doubled his side’s advantage after Docherty forced his way through challenges from Stephen Kelly and Anthony Brown to lay it on a plate for Congleton’s number ten but he fired over from six yards with the goal at his mercy. There was no mistake though when six red shirts converged on Jack Graham allowing him to slip the ball to an unmarked Docherty, who coolly slotted past Molloy six minutes from time to seal the result.

AFC Liverpool 0-2 Congleton Town
Walsh 58′(p), Docherty 84′

Attendance: 136

Main Club Sponsor                     Official Club Charity

Photo courtesy of Dave Williams.

Though they had plenty of possession, AFC Liverpool couldn’t find the attacking verve to put the Maine Road goal under any real pressure, and though on balance the home side deserved to take all three points, it was a scoreline that reflected a little harshly on the Reds’ performance.

AFC Liverpool started brightly enough, with Shaun Harris putting in two or three crosses and James Buckley seeing his shot deflected for a corner but the front pairing of Carl Furlong and Liam Nethercote were too isolated and never received the service to cause problems to the Maine Road back four.

Until Robert Brocklehurst’s stunning volley from thirty yards gave his side the lead on twenty four minutes, Maine Road themselves hadn’t really troubled the AFC Liverpool back line, with only one quick counterattack ending with Edward Moran blasting high and wide from the edge of the box to show for their endeavours.

However, they twice came close to extending their lead in quick succession when firstly no-one made contact with Moran’s ball across the six yard box and secondly when Joshua Gittings’ header from Brocklehurt’s corner clipped the outside of the post.

Buckley came close to an equaliser two minutes into the second half after good hold up play from Furlong but a series of blocks and a save by Gregory Hall saw him unable to force the ball over the line.

Reprieved, the home side extended their lead two minutes later when a burst from midfield by Andrew Kilheeney took him past the Reds back four before he slotted the ball past Joshua Molloy.

Plenty of time was spent inside the opposition half but the Reds couldn’t combine to create much to get themselves back into the match and were reduced to a few long range efforts with Buckley, Francis Barry and Darren Torpey all striking off target. The one piece of good play saw Buckley smash home after a Harris cross dropped to him but the goal was chalked off for reasons that those watching found difficult to fathom.

The result was confirmed on eighty one minutes when Paul Arrowsmith struck a twenty five yard free kick beyond the reach of Molloy and though a deflected Barry shot required a good save from Hall to keep his clean sheet intact, had it gone in it would have been too late to for an epic comeback.

Maine Road 3-0 AFC Liverpool
Brocklehurst 24′
Kilheeney 49′
Arrowsmith 81′

Attendance: 90

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