Beating Warner Wanderers 1-0 on Thursday evening put the Under 18’s on top of the league, ahead of Warners Boys, due to their superior goal difference. However, Warners Boys still had one match to play and the Reds needed East Villa Youth to win that match to give the Under 18’s the championship.

It wasn’t to be though as Warners Boys ran out 5-2 winners to claim top spot for themselves. Congratulations must go to the Under 18’s though for coming second in an Under 21’s league and doing AFC Liverpool proud. The future looks bright!

Andrew Sweeney was on the score sheet once again, this time helping himself to four goals while Ryan Moran, George Ferguson, Ryan Hulse, Adam Waterhouse and Craig Mannion all chipped in with one apiece.

It’s a result that means there’s is still a fain hope of them winning the league but for that to happen league leaders Warners Boys will need to lose both their remaining fixtures and the Reds win their final game against Warner Wanderers which takes place on Thursday 10th May, kick off 6.45pm at Shankly Playing Fields.

Meanwhile AFC Liverpool Ladies wrapped up their season on Friday night with a 2-0 win over Winsford United. The result means that the ladies leapfrog their opponents and finish eighth in the league.

A hat-trick from George Ferguson helped his side to a 6-1 win over Woolton Wanderers, with Andrew Sweeney chipping in with a brace and Adam Jones adding his name to the scoresheet.

It’s a result that sees the lads leapfrog Warners Boys, who had a 1-0 win over Carters, courtesy of a better goal difference of four, though Warners do have two games in hand.

With the title challenge hotting up, the Under 18’s next match is on Thursday 26th April at Shankly Playing Fields with a 6.15pm kick off.

Meanwhile the Under 7’s had a 7-0 win over Quarry Green with a hat-trick from Paul Kyffin,  two from Finlay Riley and one each from Ellis McCartney and Charlie Holgate.

Michael Richmond describes what happened.

Liverpool County Premier League Sunday Youth Division
Shankly Playing Fields. 19th April. Attendance 25

After a couple of weeks of poor refereeing decisions at the highest level, St Margarets will feel that those poor decisions have filtered down to youth level as three crucial decisions in the first half all went against them.

After ten minutes a coming together in the area left the St Margarets’ players and touchline appealing for what looked to me like a penalty. However the referee waved play on and AFC Liverpool almost added to the controversy by breaking away and scoring but a low shot went just wide.
After half an hour AFC Liverpool took the lead against the run of play when a long goal kick bounced uncontested to George Ferguson. St Margarets appealed for offside but the Reds’  forward ran through and drilled a shot past the keeper low into the near corner. Although a player can’t be offside from a goal kick St Margarets appealed in vain that an AFC Liverpool player had touched the ball.
Shortly after this St Margarets appealed for a second yellow card when AFC Liverpool’s #5, booked earlier for a tackle from behind, challenged for the ball and collided with his opponent. The AFC Liverpool player’s face suggested he thought he was going off, but strangely after a delay the referee gave the free kick to AFC Liverpool, suggesting the St Margarets player had dived in first. A strange decision from my point of view.
Apart from the refereeing controversy the first half saw St Margarets on top creating the best chances including a volley cleared off the line and a curling free kick saved by the AFC Liverpool keeper.

The second half started evenly with both teams creating chances until on the hour when AFC Liverpool increased their lead. Good work down the left by #18 saw the ball to Ferguson on the edge of the area. His shot was blocked and after several ricochets later the ball fell to AFC Liverpool Connar Armstrong who calmly slotted past the keeper.
The next ten minutes became scrappy and several bad challenges from both sides broke up the play.
St Margarets then took control of the later stages creating several chances which led to a curling free kick from the touchline being headed in from six yards out after 78 minutes.
St Margarets continued to press for an equaliser, having a couple of shots well saved by the AFC Liverpool keeper as well as creating havoc in the defence with two long throws which led to an overhead kick going over and a low shot through the crowded area which went just wide of the far post. AFC Liverpool’s defence kept St Margarets out though and held on for a 2 – 1 victory.

With Kirkstall losing on the same field to Warners Boys, who leapfrog into top spot, AFC Liverpool have moved back into second place, separated from the leaders only on goals scored.

Away to St Margaret’s Old Boys, they came away with a 2-1 win. A penalty from Richard Burke gave them the lead at half time which was further extended thanks to a Ryan Hulse goal. John Harvey pulled one back for the hosts but it wasn’t enough to prevent AFC Liverpool regaining second spot, two points behind Kirkstall.

Meanwhile the Under 7’s had another good win, beating Quarry Green 4-0. Ellis McCartney’s two goals helped him to win the man of the match award and keeper John Hayes managed to bag himself a goal as well.

AFC Liverpool’s reserves finished their Lord Wavertree Cup campaign with a win, beating K.C.F.C. 3-1, with the goals coming from Wall, Bray & Adam Jones.

AFC Liverpool started a point ahead of their opponents prior to the top of the table clash in the Liverpool County Premier League Sunday Youth League at Shankly playing fields.
Kirkstall started the match a player down but were particularly threatening from corners, with one such dead ball resulting in a goal line clearance.
AFC Liverpool had a couple of half chances but took the lead shortly before the break. A ball played in from the right wing to the edge of the area was played back to Andrew Sweeney, who struck a well placed drive into the corner of the net.
In the second half, AFC Liverpool weathered Kirkstall pressure to create several chances which all went begging. Nice work from Sweeney created an opening which was hit wide. Good play from the right created a chance which struck the post and the rebound cleared off the line. Also a shot from the edge of the area flew just wide of the keeper’s right post.
However these missed opportunities would prove costly as Kirkstall dominated the last fifteen minutes. Another inswinging corner looped over the keeper but was headed off the line. Then Kirkstall drew level when a cross from the right wing was headed in at near post by Joe Jennings.
Then right on full time Kirkstall snatched victory when a through ball fed Jennings, and though AFC Liverpool claimed offside, it was in vain as the ref waved play on and Jennings tucked the chance away from inside the area.
AFC Liverpool created one more chance in injury time, a looping header that was tipped onto the bar before being scrambled away, as Kirkstall held out to reclaim top spot.

Thanks to Michael Richmond for the match report.

Meanwhile the Under 7’s did well against a strong Memphis side to pull off a close, well earned 2-1 win with goals from Finlay Riley and Charlie Holgate.

Playing their second match in the group stages of the Lord Wavertree Cup, the reserves went down 3-1 away to Allerton, with Joe Bennett getting the consolation goal. With three group games left, this latest result means it will be a difficult task to progress but the reserves will go again as they take on Park Brow on Tuesday night.

AFC Liverpool Ladies got their third win in their last five games as they beat Glossop North End 3-0. The result means they climb one place in the table to eighth, overtaking Winsford United. The ladies are in cup action next weekend as they entertain Crewe in the quarter final of the North West Womens Regional League Plate.

AFC Liverpool Under 18’s climbed to the top of the Sunday Youth Division of the Liverpool County Premier League after a fine 6-1 away win over Carters, which followed the 13-1 victory over the same team last weekend. This time out Andrew Sweeney grabbed himself a hat-trick and Connor Armstrong, Spencer Douglas and Bradley Williams all chipped in with a goal apiece. That win, coupled with Kirkstall’s second successive defeat, sees the lads sitting on top of the league with a one point lead and next Sunday will see the top two clash.

In their first game of the group stage of the Lord Wavertree Cup, the divisional cup for the Second Division of the Liverpool County Premier League, the reserves went down 2-0 at home to Kingsley United. The visitors are on somewhat of a roll at the moment, having secured a  quarter final place in the George Mahon Cup and this latest result was their second win against the Reserves in the three games they’ve played this season.

AFC Liverpool Ladies travelled to Manchester Stingers and came home with a share of the points and a clean sheet as they kept themselves seven points ahead of their opponents to stay ninth in the table. This result follows on from an impressive 5-0 win over Burnley FC Girls & Ladies (who compete in the division above) in the North West Women’s Regional League Plate. Their reward is a quarter final tie at home against Crewe on the 1st April.

The Under 18’s had a high scoring Sunday, winning 13-1 against Carters in the Sunday Youth Division of the Liverpool County Premier League. George Ferguson grabbed himself a double hat-trick while Andrew Sweeney helped himself to four. The win moves them up the second in the table, two points behind leaders Kirkstall, who suffered their first defeat of the season.

In Division Two of the Liverpool County Premier League, the reserves were away to Liobians and came away with a 6-1 win to keep alive their promotion hunt.  Rob Lamont & Adam Waterhouse bagged a brace each with the the other two goals supplied by John Goulding and Adam Jones. The result sees them sixth in the table, three points off third and six off the top spot but with games in hand on those above them.

The Under 18’s meanwhile went out of the Liverpool County Premier League’s Sunday Youth Cup, losing 3-2 on penalties to St Margarets after the two legged tie finished ten apiece. The Reds were leading 4-3 from the first tie but in a topsy turvy return where they were twice pegged back before falling behind, they eventually lost the game 6-5. Goals from Ryan Hulse, George Ferguson, Bradley Williams and a double from Andrew Sweeney were not quite enough to win the tie and after extra time could not separate the two sides, the lottery of the spot kicks saw St Margarets through.

Playing the same opponents for the second week running, the reserves couldn’t match the previous 5-2 cup win as both teams shared the spoils in this league fixture. Joe Bennett gave the Reds the lead from the spot, his sixth of the season, but Eli Lilly grabbed a point through Joe Kelly. Next Saturday they take on Warbreck Reserves.

On Sunday, the youth team were in the goals, winning 7-3 against The Famous Grapes, Andrew Sweeney grabbing himself four goals and Adam Waterhouse claiming a brace.  They remain three points clear at the top but second placed Kirkstall, who have three games in hand, kept on the pressure with a remarkable result. Joe Jennings scored seven as his side won 17-1 against Woolton Wanderers.

AFC Liverpool Ladies responded well to the defeat last time out as they secured a narrow 1-0 away against Liverpool Feds Reserves. It’s a result that moves them level on points with Winsford and opens up a seven point gap between them and third bottom Manchester Stingers.