Gleaming white kit

Tuesday saw Prescot Cables play their postponed Liverpool Senior Cup game against Southport. I had not enjoyed Saturday's game against Witton Albion, so I was hoping for a good Prescot performance and an exciting game, and I was not to be disappointed, despite the eventual result.

Southport took to the field in an immaculate white kit, not just the "after" photo in a Daz advert, but a quick dunk in the radium as well.

Joe Gibiliru greets Southport goalkeeper Matt Nemes

With the pitch still being a bit damp, it would not stay that way for very long!

It had me thinking, in evening games under lights, does it make a difference what colour kits teams are wearing? I think it does. I was disappointed with the lighting on my photos from the second half of the Witton game, even after I remembered to adjust my shutter speed down to 1/200s. Witton were playing in predominantly red, so I am not surprised that I was more satisfied with the results with Southport's all white kit.

Sam Coulter in defence

I use spot metering under floodlights, so the camera will adjust the exposure for the lighting on the player on whom I am focussing. I have tried matrix and centre weighted, but these gave too much weight to the background, which, as I am pushing consumer kit as far as it will go, often meant an imossibly grainy picture, or no picture at all. Oddly, I even preferred the results I was getting with the Prescot players, who were playing in the same kit in both games.

Francis Foy returns to First team action

The players seemed to have a marked preference for playing on the left (from the direction Prescot were attacking). A bulb was out on a floodlight pylon in one corner, which, whilst still compliant with the standards, and not affecting play, did give an issue for photography as a lot of play in the second half was concentrated in the darker corner. I tried taking some pictures from behind the goal line in this corner, but decided I would be better staying with the best light and capturing anyone who strayed into it.

The players gave us a closely fought game that was a credit to both clubs. Both of Prescot's goals came from Steven Tames ...

Steven Tames heads home his first goal

... and both were cancelled out by Southport, the second with the last kick of regular time. Extra time saw no goals, so the game went to penalties (I think the first time I have been present when a game has been settled on penalties), with Southport prevailing 7-6.

The rest of the pictures of the game can be seen here.