Cometition: Vodkat NWCFL Div 1
Venue: Valerie Park, Prescot, Merseysde
Attendance: 115
A NWCFL Division One match between AFC Liverpool and Oldham Town. There’s little much else I know about this fixture as it wasn’t the one I was originally heading to, so no research completed on those grounds. However, I know from having my finger on the pulse (and if you believe that you’ll believe anything) that the dream and enthusiasm that pushed AFC Liverpool into their existence has firmly disappeared and is slowly dying altogether. Crowd figures are dropping off to normal NWCFL levels and the surging rise up the league that was predicted simply hasn’t happened. A total and utter flop has become of the team who are better known as AFC Pizzahut in these parts, and really there’s a pleasing feeling about that.
Maybe other supporters of Premiership clubs who are disillusioned with their team will think twice about littering the non-league game with their rip-off teams, AFC Liverpool are proof that it doesn’t always work. Now that is off my chest, onto today’s match. I’ve never seen Oldham Town play before and have only seen AFC Liverpool play on two previous occasions since their formation, so I don’t really have any idea who is going to win this match, yes I’m on form with this one there’s no doubting that. The AFC Liverpool “Kop End” is empty bar a few people, on small banner is on display hanging from the main stand, it’s a far cry from what AFC Liverpool are used to and evidently the average kopite is no longer poor these days.So as kick-off time rolled around the two teams emerged from the tunnel and onto the field, AFC Liverpool in their home colours of all red and Oldham Town in their blue shirts and black shorts. Referee and captains complete the pre-match formalities and just on 3pm Oldham Town got the match underway. The game started in an even fashion with neither side really managing to get on top of the other, the first half chance of the game took until the 7th minute to arrive and it fell to the visitors. Nicholas Alexander finding some space on the edge of the penalty area before pulling an effort across goal and wide for a goal kick to the hosts. Oldham Town then came within an inch of taking the lead in the 9th minute when a free kick was delivered into the box and the AFC Liverpool defence failed to pick up James Curley. Curley’s header had Paul Willis in the AFC Liverpool goal beaten but his effort skimmed the top of the crossbar and the game remained scoreless.
AFC Liverpool then had a chance to open the scoring in the 14th minute when they won themselves a corner, Ryan Wignall’s corner delivery was headed goalwards by defender Mark Bloxam but Oldham Town keeper Daniel Pearson made the comfortable save required to keep the hosts at bay. Oldham Town were the next to attempt a threat on goal when then won themselves a corner in the 25th minute, the delivery of which was to the near post but the AFC Liverpool defence managed to cope with the threat and headed the ball away to safety. Another chance from a corner this time came from the hosts in the 30th minute and the delivery into the penalty area saw Mark Bloxham have an unchallenged header on goal that brought a punching clearance from keeper Pearson. But this clearance came straight back to Bloxham and he sent in a powerful volley back on goal but it was blocked by a defender and eventually cleared. In what was turning out to be one of the dullest games I’ve watched in a long time, Oldham Town hit the woodwork for the 2nd time when a long ball down the wing was crossed into the penalty area but hit the crossbar and bounced of play for an AFC Liverpool goal kick. Oldham Town worked themselves another opportunity two minutes later though when some patient build up play saw an effort disappear over the crossbar after Nicholas Alexander was brought down in the penalty area by River Humphreys, no appeals from either the Oldham Town players or supporters came though and the referee took no action. 
Little else of action occurred in what was a bloody awful half of football and the referee’s half time whistle left me feeling somewhat short-changed of the £2 I’d paid to get in. Very few moments of excitement and even fewer goals, lets hope the 2nd half holds far more entertainment than the 1st.Half Time:
AFC Liverpool 0 – 0 Oldham Town
AFC Liverpool made a vastly improved start to the 2nd half and won themselves a free kick in the 46th minute. The kick was taken short and worked into the corner where the home side managed to win themselves a corner. Ryan Wignall’s corner delivery was sent into the danger area but the Oldham Town defence was able to clear the danger. Another good passage of play from the home side saw them work another opening in the 48th minute when patient play down the wing saw a cross into the penalty area and a headed effort heading goalwards until the Oldham Town keeper made the required comfortable save. With the home side now having the far better and more frequent of the forward exchanges and Oldham Town managing to get forward only rarely, the deadlock in the game was broken in the 70th minute, just when it looked like the game was going to be a scoreless one.
A seeking pass was picked up by Todd Bamber who turned and fired the ball into the corner of the net past the outstretched keeper. Oldham Town were then left with no option but to go for broke and AFC Liverpool were finding ways to get forwards when Oldham Town lost the ball on their attacks. The match was settled in injury time when Todd Bamber scored another goal to give AFC Liverpool a two goal unassailable lead, a loose Oldham town pass was picked up and the player advanced towards goal before squaring the ball to Todd Bamber in a central position and he beat the keeper in very similar fashion to the way he scored his first goal. The full time whistle followed minutes later and the match was thankfully brought to an end.A very dull match for the neutrals in the crowd but I’m sure that what is left of the rapidly dwindling AFC Liverpool support will have enjoyed the end result.
I suppose at the end of the day I got two goals for my £2, but these were the only value for money items experienced on the whole day. A very disappointing day indeed. Congratulations to AFC Liverpool.Full Time:
AFC Liverpool 2 – 0 Oldham Town
Footnotes: AFC Liverpool's highlights.
