Daisy Hill v AFC Liverpool, 2nd March 2020

My only previous visit to Daisy Hill was 11 years previous, when we lost 5-4. If that sounds bad, well that result was eventually annulled due to Daisy Hill fielding an ineligible player. 

I picked Peter up from Newton Le Willows, and we made our way to the New Sirs Stadium. I got myself a boiling coffee in the clubhouse. Gradually the quirks of the clubhouse started to grow on me. I imagined I could have a quality karaoke night there.


On the field of play, the Reds started on the front foot. It was a bit like the match at St Helens Town 9 days earlier, where 2 points were dropped. Rhys Hardacre and Jay McGrane were seeing a lot of balls down the flanks.

Ten minutes in, Dan Cockerline was played in. He took the ball past the keeper, and when the angle seemed to be against him, he put the ball in the net.

We did look like we would push on, but we did not force that many saves from the Daisy Hill keeper. A couple of Callum Schorah shots went over the New Sirs clubhouse and into the car park.

One time we did force a save (I think from Rhys Hardacre), the loose ball simply did not fall favourably. At the other end, Daisy Hill did start to create some half chances. In fact our keeper Lee Carr was forced to make one key save.


As the first half drew to a close, 1-0 to the Reds was about right. Although, had Daisy Hill restored parity, we probably couldn't have complained. Then, just before half time, Rhys Hardacre was played through to take it past the keeper to put us 2-0 up.


As I was walking round the pitch towards the goal we were to attack for the second half, I asked one of our fellow supporters if I had told him about my last visit to Daisy Hill 11 years previously. Apparently, I told him about it five times!


Within a couple of minutes of the restart, Daisy Hill were back in it. It was a very straightforward goal, in which our defence was blown apart. Following only one point gained from our previous two matches, concern was rising amongst the AFC faithful that this would be another frustrating match.


For about half an hour it was very much about who would score next, or could we show some character to grind out a result. Daisy Hill were not exactly forcing save after save from Lee Carr. But they were causing us problems and at times controlling possession.


Nerves were settled along with the game on 80 minutes. Dan Cockerline scored again following a Luke Stephens knock down from a corner. Almost immediately, a Daisy Hill shot from over 25 yards nearly sneaked in. Lee Carr banged his head against the post, and was out of action for a few minutes!


When Lee got back to full health, there were no further scares on the pitch. Before the final whistle the score got a little bit better as Dan Cockerline completed his hat-trick in injury time.


Sadly the 2019/20 season was sadly curtailed a few weeks later.

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