AFC Liverpool emerged as narrow victors in a hard fought game, as Squires Gate made the trip from Blackpool to the Marine Travel Arena.

The first half was primarily a struggle to control the midfield, with each team striving to close the other down, although both sides had early chances . In the second minute Ryan Cox received the ball on the penalty spot , but his back heel was too close to Gate keeper Benjamin Fletcher, and the advancing Jonathan Swatton couldn’t reach the ball in time.

Squires Gate Captain Danny Penswick made a run into the area in the fourth minute, and tested Ryan Jones, but the Reds keeper palmed the ball away. A few minutes later Billy McKenna forced a very similar save, and on thirteen minutes only a tame shot from Mark Buchan prevented the visitors from taking the lead.

The visitors had their best spell of the match before the half hour mark, pressuring the home side down the left flank and forcing some reaction saves from Ryan Jones. AFC Liverpool were starting to exert some pressure of their own however, as Ryan Cox attempted a diving header to meet Francis Barry’s cross, just failing to connect. Steve Jones also had a low drive from distance saved on thirty-four minutes, and Connor Belger tested Fletcher on forty minutes with a curling strike from the edge of the area, forcing a fumbled save.

Cox had battled with Gate defenders Joshua Westwood, Christopher Andrews, and Andrew Richards without success, but on forty-one minutes he was put clear on goal by Belger. Andrews got himself in front of Cox once more, but the Reds forward fired in an angled shot which hit the post and rolled across goal, crossing the line before Fletcher could react, and AFC retained their lead going into the break.

The second half produced another good contest between the two sides. Connor Belger had picked up an injury in providing the assist for Cox’s goal and Muktar Mahama replaced him at half time. Michael Williams drilled in a shot from a tight angle on forty-eight minutes, and he continued to make headway down the right as AFC sought to bring the wing players into the game, while Squires Gate tried to find the killer pass to their pacy forwards.

Another shot from Williams was parried but caused panic in the Gate defence, and Francis Barry was able to shoot from close range. Despite a huge shout for handball from the subsequent deflection, the referee waved it away. The Reds continued the pressure and Steve Jones had a few wayward chances. The visitors had a good ten minute spell from around the sixty minute mark, but Allen Weston and Jack Sinnott put in a good shift to protect their keeper. It was Mark Buchan who came closest to an equaliser on sixty-eight minutes, forcing a good block from Ryan Jones

AFC Liverpool finished the game more strongly, finding more and more room to break forward, with the best chances of the half in the final five minutes. Cox fired too close to the keeper, and had a penalty claim denied as he was shoved over. Francis Barry tested Fletcher too as he produced some superb reaction saves to keep the scoreline respectable for Gate , but he couldn’t stop the Reds taking all three points.

AFC Liverpool 1-0 Squires Gate
Cox 41′

AFC Liverpool: 1.Ryan Jones, 2.Michael Williamson, 3. Jonathan Swatton, 4.Jack Sinnott ©, 5.Allen Weston, 6. Steven Williams, 7. Connor Belger (16. Muktar Mahama 45′), 8.Liam Loughlin, 9.Steve Jones, 10 Francis Barry 11. Ryan Cox
Unused Substitutes: 12.Daniel Murphy, 13. Ryan Nield, 14. Steve Corris, 15. Daniel Loughlin

Squires Gate: 1.Benjamin Fletcher, 2.Andrew Richards, 3.Christopher Andrews, 4.Michael Hall (16. Nathan Trout 73′), 5.Joshua Westwood, 6.Wesley Benjamin, (15. Ashley Rowley 73′), 7. Billy McKenna, 8.Daniel Penswick ©, 9Mark Buchan, 10. Alexander McKendrick (12. Terry Cummings) 11.Joshua Kay
Unused Substitutes: 14.Brett Ferguson

Attendance 131