Charnock Richard V AFC Liverpool, 6th March 2018

After paying my fiver, I engaged in a programme editing conversation with a couple of the guys on the gate. It was pointed out that due to the original fixture being postponed over the christmas period, that there was a familiar 4 page insert.

After entering the ground, Steve Fraser and I got chatting to a Charnock Richard fan who had previously lived in Bootle for twenty years. He explained that on some visits back to Bootle, he has been down to watch Litherland REMYCA a few times.

After a promising start, the Reds took the lead not long after the quarter mile mark through Harry Avis. It was a beauty of a shot which went in off the post, with the keeper getting a touch. It had been a first half in which our team played some beautiful football, and showed a great attitude in which they were always battling.

For the first 35 minutes or so our Keeper Jack Cookson barely had anything to do. Considering their keeper had a couple of saves, and Leon Arnasalam had an effort that just shaved the bar, you could have thought it was AFC who were third in the table rather than third from bottom. How ironic that it was Charnock who were actually in 3rd place before the start of play that evening.

Charnock Richard did create a couple of headed opportunities before half time. Thankfully, they were both headed wide. Meanwhile, at Anfield Liverpool were drawing 0-0 against FC Porto on the night, having effectively already settled the tie three weeks earlier.

After the break, the home side did react. They drew level on 52 minutes. Speaking with Steve, Richie, and George, it was always felt anything we would get that night would be a bonus in our fight to stave off relegation.

The next five minutes saw a first class reaction to being pegged back. A freekick from "Bob" hit the woodwork. The reason Syed Falahalidost Rodbane got that name was due to what Steve said used to happen when he worked in HMV, when someone had an unpronounceable name. 

Another passage of play saw one of our lads stick out a leg for a ball going across the area, and the post got struck. If that was not enough, we also forced a good save from their keeper in that spell. However, we then got a slap in the face as Charnock went up to the other end of field to take the lead.

We continued to battle, and although Charnock did produce a better performance after the break, we were suddenly behind against the run of play. When we did draw level, it was a bit of a fluke. Bradley Owens I think attempted a cross, but it crept into the net at the keeper's near post, with the keeper looking a bit silly.

The match turned out to be a fine match enjoyed by supporters of both sides. There were late chances at both ends, including a couple of lucky escapes from our point of view. The impressive Leon Arnasalam was probably our most potent threat all night. He had a good chance to win it.  Coming in from the left, he tried to go for goal, but was unable to squeeze it in at the near post past the keeper. Perhaps he could have squared it. But, all in all it was a very proud night to be an AFC Liverpool supporter.