AFC Liverpool v AFC Blackpool, 3rd October 2015 

After five years at the helm, Paul Moore had become Director of Football.  Having been away camping the previous weekend in the Lake District, this was my first match of the Joe Gibbons era.  Joe's first match in charge was a 4-2 defeat at Ashton Athletic that previous weekend.  

The managerial change also meant Jay Forshaw was back in the dugout as Assistant Manager.  This was something I welcomed, and Alan Williams always liked his influence.

The old Club Shop had not yet been knocked down.  That meant my pre-match duty was selling programmes from the doorway.  

Subsequently, I missed Franny Barry's opener.  Apparently it was a chip over the keeper from distance.  AFC Blackpool's twitter account described the goal as a fluke.  Not so, according to Alan Harrison!

No sooner had I taken my seat in the Rattlestation, Franny Barry was turning their right back inside and out, before teeing up Ste Jones to belt it for 2-0.

Franny and Steve Jones scored again to make it 4-0.  Jonesy's second was straightaway a classic goal line technology moment.  But thankfully, it was given by the linesman.

Blackpool did force about three first half saves from Ryan Jones, including one double save.  

Ryan Cox made it 5-0 before half time, after being sent through.  He checked his run, and having messed up against a defender a few minutes earlier, I thought he would mess up again.  Steve Fraser and Dave McCormick agreed with me at half time.  Thankfully, Ryan did put that one in.

At half time, I chatted briefly with new board member Mike Edwards.  I told Mike of AFC Blackpool's resurgence in a 2-2 draw the previous season, after we had battered them in the first half.  I just sensed that Blackpool Manager Stuart Parker would galvanise them again, and that we would not be breaking any records that day.

In the sense of breaking records, I was right.  Second half goals from substitutes Josh Purcell and Jordan Evason came either side of a Blackpool consolation goal.  The consolation came about when Ryan Jones failed to command his area effectively, when he tried to come for a ball.

Jordan Evason made it 7-1 in the closing stages, and the result saw us go from a minus two goal difference to a plus four goal difference.  Although we could not break any records that day, our good friends West Didsbury & Chorlton beat Dinnington Town 15-1 in the FA Vase!

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