AFC Liverpool from Yesteryear

We started the evening in 19th place, following our opening day thrashing at Ashton Town. League newcomers Pilkington were a place ahead of us, after their opening day defeat at home to Cleator Moor Celtic.   When I got out of the turnstile, it was 2-1 to Pilkington. We had been in the lead. As I was making my way out into the stand, Callum Schorah got his second after a scramble and a couple of goal line clearances. Callum could have scored his hat-trick just before half time, when his deflected effort came back off the post, following some good play by his brother Kyle.   There was a real concern about our defending. The two full backs were looking especially vulnerable. Goalkeeper Lee Carr had been solid throughout the second half of last season. Probably as much down to the defenders around, Lee was looking a bit shaky as well. In the board room at half time, Steve Fraser was mystified that big Centre half Jon Croasdale was only on the bench.   We let Pilkington back ...

  t was a match in which we generally did create more than our opponents.  One first half chance of note saw Mini Adegbenro come inside to a central position.  His shot was turned around the post.  Mini was very much typical Mini, that is very much hit and miss.  It wasn't until the hour mark when Mini was played through to open the deadlock.  He placed the ball under the keeper. A minute or so later, a good chance was missed to make it 2-0.  Suddenly, we started to show complacency.  We had a warning shot when the otherwise accomplished Dimitrios Christou gave the ball away in a dangerous position.  Marvyn Molyneux though managed to quickly intercept, and the danger was gone. Padiham equalised on 66 minutes, after a cross took a wicked deflection into our net.  Then they took the lead with five minutes to go, via substitute Reece Pearce, who was unmarked from a cross.  Thankfully, we equalised in the eighty ninth minute with Co...

  The appointment of Kevin Dally as AFC Liverpool Manager in February 2016, brought back memories of a Liverpool Senior Cup tie in the autumn of 2012 at Valerie Park.  On the night in question our opponents were Formby, then managed by Mr Dally.  On his appointment at AFC, quite a few of Mr Dally's old Formby team joined him at AFC.   One of those lads was Emini (Mini) Adegnbenro, who has been around one or two other North West Counties League Clubs since his spell with the Reds.  Mini made quite an impression that night.  In fact my feelings after the match was that if he had been more involved, then Formby could have done more damage.  He was the big threat each move he got involved in, especially during the first half.    About a quarter of an hour in and Formby took the lead.  It was a well worked goal, in which the ball was just about kept in on the left hand side before a cross came over which was met by a header from Connor Smith....

  It was a very sad night. Club Photographer Dave Williams had been down earlier in the evening with the bad news that his Dad Alan had just passed away the previous Monday.  Things would never be the same again from a rattling point of view, and for the club as a whole.    I was on the turnstile, at one point selling programmes, and golden goal tickets.  I was in shock, it wasn't pleasant, but of course the show had to go on.   A lot of the first half went by in a blur.  Then Alan Harrison ordered myself and Dave (the other rattler) to do one minute's rattling just after the half hour mark.  We had a couple of younger rattlers who were joining in.     A minute or so later, Irlam were 1-0 up.  Thankfully, Mini Adegbenro equalised just before half time.  As I said, much of the first half passed in a blur.  One point I can say about the first half is that Mini had been having a stinker up until the point that the Irlam ...