The unbeaten start in the league continued for AFC Liverpool, with a comfortable win over AFC Blackpool. Paul Moore’s side knew that second place in the league was a mathematical prospect ahead of the match, and it was clear the Reds were fired up for the game as they relentlessly attacked from the opening whistle. They were rewarded almost immediately, as a pass from Liam Loughlin found Ronnie Morgan on the edge of the area. He played a precision ball through to Ryan Cox, who knocked the ball past the immobile Blackpool keeper, Adam Caunce, and AFC Liverpool were ahead after only two minutes.
On ten minutes, the lead was doubled as a looping high ball from Michael Girvan was sent into the box. One of the Blackpool defenders attempted to head it away, but mis-timed his leap and Cox was waiting behind him. The ball landed at his feet and he had a simple pass into the net to bring his tally to seven goals in seven games.
The efforts of Blackpool number seven Jamie Nay went unrewarded as the visitors managed a couple of attempts on Ryan Jones’ goal in the first half, but their defence simply couldn’t cope with the passing and movement of the home side. Girvan was allowed to roam free down the right, combining with Carl Peers and Morgan to give the Reds chance after chance. However, all three were only able to shoot high and wide into the stand.
In the twenty-eighth minute, Williams was brought down on the edge of the area, and a free kick was awarded. After a dummy from Morgan who ran over the ball, Williams produced a sublime strike which curled around the Blackpool wall. Caunce was able to get his fingertips to it, but the shot was too powerful and perfectly placed just inside the right post, and the home side were jubilant once again.
Just as the AFC Liverpool fans were starting to dream of scoring double-figures, the match then began to settle down. The Reds appeared to be content with keeping possession and maintaining the three goal advantage until the break. That was until Loughlin found himself in the area surrounded by three Blackpool defenders. One of them recklessly tripped the Reds captain, and the referee pointed to the spot. Morgan confidently struck the penalty high and central above the keeper into the roof of the net, and the home side had the four goal cushion they were looking for at half time.
It was a different AFC Blackpool who emerged from the dressing room after half time, and while it could be argued the home side were happy to work only as hard as was necessary to keep their lead intact, Stuart Parker’s side immediately began to close down the Reds in midfield, and began to take control.
Blackpool left back Marc Taylor caught the eye with some excellent runs from box to box and this often allowed Nay to collect the ball with his back to goal, turn on a sixpence and shoot on a few occasions, but each time his efforts were blocked or went harmlessly wide.
It was in the sixty-fifth minute that the Mechs eventually scored their goal, and that was from an AFC Liverpool error. Nay showed his pace to collect the ball from a wayward defensive header from Tomas Stewart. The Blackpool midfielder beat the Reds defenders to the edge of the six yard box, and Jones hesitated to come out to meet him, gifting him a simple shot which bobbled past the Reds keeper into the net.
There was a response from the home side, as Peers went close to connecting with a goal-bound header that was punched away just in time by Caunce, and good work from Muktar Mahama resulted in a mazy dribble from the left and a one-two with Morgan, before he unleashed a ferocious shot which rebounded off the near post. It was the most clear-cut chance the Reds managed in the second half, as they seemed content to maintain the scoreline.
The visitors continued to test the AFC Liverpool defence, who couldn’t seem to get the ball clear. On seventy-nine minutes, Mahama was adjudged to have fouled a Blackpool player in the box, despite appearing to be on the receiving end of a foul himself. The referee pointed to the spot once more, but the resulting penalty was blasted over the bar, high into the stand.
Taylor continued to cause problems for the home side, almost single-handedly, forcing a couple more saves from Jones, but the scoreline remained the same until the final whistle. AFC Blackpool continued their search for their first point of the campaign, whilst AFC Liverpool had joined second placed Glossop on seventeen points, only one goal behind on goal difference.
AFC Liverpool 4-1 AFC Blackpool
Cox 2′ 10′ Nay 65′
Williams 28′
Morgan (pen) 45′
AFC Liverpool: 1.Ryan Jones 2. Michael Girvan 3. Muktar Mahama 4. Darren Torpey, 5.Tomas Stewart 6. Carl Peers 7.Steve Williams. (14.Francis Barry 45’) 8. Liam Loughlin © (17.Neville Picton 67’) 9. Ronnie Morgan (15.Joshua Purcell 82’) 10.Nathan Valentine 11.Ryan Cox
Unused Subs: 13.Declan Morgan 16.Daniel Loughlin
AFC Blackpool: 1.Adam Caunce 2.Liam Davies (15.Pedro Montiero 45’) 3.Paul Carroll © 4.Ryan Vaughan 5.Kevan Ford 6.Marc Taylor 7.Jamie Nay 8.Zachary Wilkes (14.Peter Taberner 76’) 9.Ben Singleton (12.Gareth Moore 63’) 10.Shaun Taylor 11.Charlie Waters
Attendance. 133
