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Moorcroft Leads AFC to Victory

daveinnelli

Updated: Feb 3

AFC Liverpool completed their first double of the season, as they defeated local rivals Pilkington 2-0 at the Marine Travel Arena. Pilkington, with 4 ex-AFC players in their squad, started brightly and threatened from an early free-kick which fell to Andrew Starkey, who forced Harry Campbell to tip wide for a corner. In a very open start to the game, Elliot Taylor then had a half chance for AFC but couldn't connect. Ryan Beigen then had a shot from inside the box for the visitors but it was easy for Campbell to deal with. On 5 minutes, Joe Cunningham cut out another Pilkington attack and found Louie Lancaster, who played a great first-time ball out to Liam Paton on the left wing. He ran positively at the full-back, twisting him one way and then the other before unleashing a left footed finish into the far corner of the net, to give The Non-League Reds an early lead.


Both sides then had decent spells of possession but it was interspersed with some scrappy play where possession changed hands in midfield. Freddy Garbutt was a constant threat for the visitors, both in the air and on the floor, as Bobby Murphy and Adam Sudworth worked hard to keep him at bay. Liam Paton almost made it two on 17 minutes when sent through by Caleb Jones but Hilton in the Pilkington goal made a fine save. On the half-hour mark, Taylor had a good effort from a similar position from where Paton had given AFC the lead, but he dragged his shot wide and then Paton went wide with another effort from the edge of the box a minute later. As we entered the last 10 minutes of the half, it was the visitors who began to look the more threatening. Salisbury forced a good save from Campbell on 37 mins and seconds later, Starkey sliced an effort wide of the target. Campbell had to save again as Garbutt ran through. Bobby Murphy then made a fine run into the visitors box but was denied by a strong tackle from Hollness. Murphy then had to make a last ditch block in his own penalty area to deny Salisbury and AFC were happy to get to the half-time whistle with their lead intact.


The 2nd half started quite evenly but neither side could manage to create anything meaningful. The first real attempt of the half came from Adam Moorcroft on 54 minutes, when he struck the post from just inside the box. On the hour mark, Moorcroft, having an excellent performance in midfield, dispossessed Howell on the halfway line. He knocked the ball forward level with the edge of the centre circle, spotted the keeper off his line and sent a fantastic looping effort over Hilton into the back of the net. Howell remonstrated with the referee, believing he had been fouled and was promptly sinbinned. Hilton then had to punch away a Caleb Jones free-kick effort on 68 minutes as AFC tried to press home their advantage. Nathan Giblin having a great game at left-back for AFC, continued to repel a lot of the visitors efforts to create something. On 75 minutes Luke Porter, who had just come on, struck a shot that was touched on by Murphy, only for Hilton to make a fine save to keep it out. Two minutes later Pilkington had their best chance of the half, when Garbutt flicked on for Adam Gilchrist but his lob over Campbell went narrowly over the bar.


Despite some good approach play from both teams, neither side could create any further chances of note and AFC had secured a hard earned 3 points, with fine performances all over the pitch.


The Non-League Reds now face a trip to Blackpool on Tuesday evening, when they will face a battle against a Squires Gate side who will be fighting to get some points to move them back up the table. Kick off is 7:45pm and hopefully we'll see a few of you up there. If you can't make the trip, you can always listen to the live commentary as detailed on our 'X' (Twitter) account.


FINAL SCORE - AFC Liverpool 2 v 0 Pilkington

LINE-UP - 1. Campbell 2. Cunningham 3. Giblin 4. Murphy 5. Brown 6. Sudworth 7. Jones 8. Lancaster 9. Taylor 10. Paton 11. Moorcroft (c)

Subs used - Porter, Beckett, Wright-Ocana, Skillen, Rooney


(Photos courtesy of Dave Williams & Billy Stirrup)


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