Two more Elliot Taylor goals (and an acrobatic goal celebration), two from new signing Tom Beckett and one from the Good Doctor Moorcroft, completed a 5-1 victory at the MTA for The Non-League Reds against Burscough.
Early goals can set the tone of the whole game, and this was clearly the case in this encounter. With just 2 minutes on the clock, Caleb Jones lobbed the ball towards the back post and Elliot Taylor was on hand to knock it home and set off on his gymnastic celebrations. Burscough responded well and forced Dave Parkinson to make a couple of fine saves but it was The Reds that looked the more likely again.
In the 25th minute, there was a great piece of skill on the right wing from Jones, as he nutmegged the full back and crossed to the near post, where Taylor's glancing header doubled AFC's lead. No acrobatics this time but two minutes later AFC were jumping for joy again, as Louie Lancaster played a great pass out to the left wing and Tom Beckett, making his first start for The Reds, took it in his stride and rifled home from the edge of the area to make it three. Burscough had an excellent chance to reduce the arrears just before the break, when another shot from distance was parried out by Parkinson into the path of their striker, only for him to knock it wide. When the halftime whistle blew with The Reds leading 3-0, nobody could have complained if the lead had been bigger. Caleb Jones had hit the woodwork a couple of times and both Taylor and Beckett could have added to their tally.
If AFC started quickly in the first half, they started even quicker in the second. A through ball from Taylor put in Beckett again and he kept his cool to cleverly lift it over the advancing keeper. To their credit, Burscough kept plugging away and ex-Red Matty Hamilton pulled one back on the hour mark. However, AFC continued their dominance and added a 5th goal in the 73rd minute, when Taylor hit the ball back across the six-yard box and Adam Moorcroft smashed it into the back of the net. Overall, It was a great performance and even more convincing than the final score suggested. With some big games coming up it will hopefully provide the confidence to keep growing as a team.
The Non-League Reds next game is a visit to neighbours Lower Breck, so get there if you can to support the Team. Kick off is 3pm.
UTNLR.
Final Score - AFC Liverpool 5 v 1 Burscough
Team - 1. Parkinson 2. Cunningham 3. Fisher-Jones (c) 4. Lancaster 5. Sudworth
6. Murphy 7. C. Jones 8. Mahaffy 9. Taylor 10. Brown11. Beckett
Subs Used - Giblin, Lightfoot, Byron, Moorcroft
(Pics courtesy of Billy Stirrup)
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