Not getting the bus to the bus garage

These pages remain scrupulously neutral between the red and blue sides of Merseyside. However, I found myself wearing an Everton scarf on New Year's Eve - along with a woolly hat and thick gloves, attempting to open and eat a bar of chocolate with a knife and fork. I do not usually do anything for New Year, but my friend Philip and his family invited me to join them for the evening. As an Everton supporting household, they supplied the obvious garment for the game. They also support Marine, but with everyone throwing dice to get their turn with the clothing and the chocolate, there was no time to quibble over football allegiances.

Having been in a family environment, I was, alone amongst the Train Crew gathered at lunchtime on New Year's Day, in a fit state to operate precision electronic equipment for Prescot Cables' game away to Cammell Laird. We took the train to Rock Ferry: although the bus garage is behind the ground, experience with the bank holiday service suggests it is better to let the train take the strain. At least our local game was a short journey, Crawley Down Gatwick, with their name suggesting to the fixture computer that they are near an airport, found themselves with an away fixture at Guernsey FC.

The weather seems to be alternating between light and dark, so this time it was the turn for low cloud that had blown in after a bright start to the day.

We have not always had the best of results visiting Cammell Laird, indeed I cannot remember winning there, but things were looking up early in the first half. Former Cables defender Liam Hollett seemed to have won a tussle with Isaac Kusoloka for the ball ...

... but Isaac was able to slip past and take the ball away from former Cables goalkeeper Michael Langley, who had come a bit too far off his line.

The gloomy weather meant the floodlights were required throughout, but the installation at Kirklands is only a couple of years old, so results were still good in the first half.

Robert Gilroy

Things got worse in the second half, both for pictures and play. It started to rain, with the wind blowing in the direction of the goal we were attacking, making it difficult to keep rain off the lens. On the field, Nick Culkin went off injured at half time, which seemed to unsettle the defence as a whole. They were further unsettled when a clearance deflected off former Cables player John Couch and into the net, and, whilst the team kept up their efforts to the end, it seemed inevitable that our poor form away to Lairds would continue.

This was Ged Murphy's last game with us, as a couple of days later he accepted the position of Assistant Manager at Droylsden, where he played for a number of years. With a new baby imminent, he felt it was time to move to a club nearer to his home and business. We have certainly seen in the time that Ged has been with us that he relishes a challenge, and he will have one at Droylsden. With two points from 29 games, relegation is surely inevitable, but there is still the opportunity to stop the slide, attract local players who are keen to impress, get them playing as a team, pick up a few points and build a team that can compete in the First Division North next season. If anyone can do it, Ged can.

Ged Murphy gets everyone in position for a free kick

We also said farewell in December to Enzo Benn, who has been solid in defence for the last year or so, as well as scoring a couple of good goals, and is moving to London. I think we were hoping he would be able to play over the New Year but it was not to be.

Enzo Benn

This blog wishes both Ged and Enzo best wishes for the future.

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

Final score: Cammell Laird 2 Prescot Cables 1 (Kusoloka)