AFC Liverpool v Dinnington Town, FA Vase, 29th September 2009

AFC Liverpool made their FA Vase debut on Sunday 20th September 2009. The opposition were Dinnington Town, a team from the Northern Counties East League Premier Division, effectively one step higher in the Non-League Pyramid. With Liverpool not playing that day, hope was high that a healthy attendance could be achieved. As it was, the attendance was 181.

The Yorkshire side probably should have taken an early lead after an unconvincing Phil Stafford clearance fell to Dinnington's Michael Blytham, who shot for the top corner, only to be denied by the brave face of Mark Bloxham, but it was the home side who took the lead on twelve minutes as Matty Williams poked home a Ryan Wignall cross. A moment earlier Wiggy had another cross blocked, but persisted to win the ball back and subsequently set up the opening goal. 

The lead was to last 18 minutes as Liam Morris slotted home on the half hour after a cross from the right. I certainly felt at this point that Dinnington didn't deserve to be level.

Meanwhile, Wignall was still very much the Reds' danger man throughout the first half. He appeared to have been given a free role for the game, and he twice went close following that Morris equaliser.

Unfortunately, Wiggy was forced off injured late in the first half after a few Dinnington challenges he endured, went unpunished. He was replaced by Charlie Opare. One chap in the Valerie Park stand moaned that we now absolutely had no chance with our biggest threat taken from us. Looking back now, I would certainly concur that it was a turning point.

Before half time, AFC Captain Liam Coyne seemingly had headed his side back in front, albeit via a Dinnington deflection. Unfortunately, the goal was disallowed for climbing on an opponent. Dinnington themselves could have gone into the lead at the break. Against the run of play, Grant Alott's low shot from the edge of the box required AFC keeper Paul Willis to get down smart to his left hand side.

AFC started the second half dominant, as they had been for much of the first half. A strong David Ojapah run into the Dinnington box should have seen AFC's lead restored, as three chances one after the other went begging. 

Firstly, Ojapah set up Phil Stafford, whose shot was blocked. From the rebound, Opare's shot was cleared off the line; I don't think Opare got the best connection. The ball then fell back to Opare, and he set up Lee Mullin who was denied by the Dinnington keeper. As the Reds appeared to be in the ascendancy, that man Morris popped up unmarked to head home his second on fifty five minutes. 

Although Dinnington may have been fortunate to take the lead when they did, there only looked like one winner from that moment on. Morris could have completed his hat-trick when presented with what appeared a clear run on the AFC goal, after Coyne misjudged what normally would have been a routine ball. Thankfully, Bloxam managed to get back to intervene as Morris pulled the trigger. 

Manager Derek Goulding brought substitute Andy McCoy on for Ojapah in an attempt to change the course of the game. But two yellow cards in the space of ten minutes (both for dissent) ended his involvement, and effectively confirmed that the Reds' first foray into the FA Vase was over. 

Strangely enough, AFC were drawn at home to Dinnington again twelve months on, at exactly the same stage of the competition.  The Reds were thankfully able to turn the tables as Jack Sinnott's header on the stroke of half time was enough to settle the re-match. I recall the Dinnington number eleven that day was one of their key danger men. He looked particularly distraught at the final whistle, but who cares? Sometimes you have to say revenge is sweet!