New Boots and Panties

The rain at Prescot Cables' game at home to Clitheroe last week rather tested my clothing. I still had to visit a waterproof trouser shop, and I also found my boots, after several years service, had sprung a leak. I went shopping during the week ready for our FA Trophy home game to Stalybridge Celtic.

I need not have worried, as the weather turned out to be fairly uneventful with only a few spots of rain. However it was quite windy, and the trousers sold themselves, with justification, as windproof too.

This turned out to be a fairly defensive game that can be a bit difficult to photograph and write about. We started playing, as usual when we win the toss, towards the Safari Park End so I divided my time between the two sides of the goal. We came close to scoring, hitting the post, and a solid defence kept the visitors at bay.

Louis Coyne, Man of the Match

I always keep an eye out for the sponsors - they are paying to be seen after all - and with the North West Roadshow banner back in place at the end they have sponsored, I took the opportunity of the better conditions this week to crop a few pictures to get it in.

Josef Faux

This was the last game before the clocks go back, and the pitch had a decidedly autumnal covering from the trees at the back of the ground.

Jordan Southworth prepares to take a corner

The second half started with a good save from Marcus Burgess denying the visitors, and our finding the woodwork again.

Low light started to push the ISO settings up.

Jordan Wynne

James Sloane made his first appearance from the bench.

James Sloane

One of the substitutes for the visitors came from famous footballing roots - Jake Charles is the grandson of the great Welsh international player John Charles.

Jake Charles

Neither side was able to break the stalemate, making for our first 0-0 draw of the season.

After this game there were presentations, with Louis Coyne being the Man of the Match, Harry Cain picking up a delayed Player of the Month award for September after a bit of a mix up closing the poll, and James McCulloch collecting his award for 300 appearances.

Harry Cain

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Stalybridge Celtic 0

More goalkeepers than games

If I get behind updating these pages, sometimes events conspire to pinch a perfectly good gag. We will look at that later, but I arrived early for our Non League Day game in the FA Trophy at home to Trafford to catch a couple of players for their squad photos. I found Marcus Burgess, suspended after a dubious red card the previous week, assisting his replacement, Charlie Whittingham from Chorley, to acclimatise to his new goal.

Charlie Whittingham

The programme marked James McCulloch's 300th game for the club in midweek.

The Youth Team secured a superb victory in the FA Youth Cup in midweek, 3-1 against FC United of Manchester after extra time. I had been on hand aiming to capture the occasion, but the rain was the fine swirling type that gets under the camera cover and everywhere else, and has a worse effect even than fog on the pictures. Having drowned a camera in similar conditions a couple of years ago, I was not keen to repeat the experience, so I gave up after 20 minutes. The results of my limited efforts can be seen here.

FA Youth Cup v FC United of Manchester

As the rain started to fall this time, I feared I might have the same problem. However, this turned out to be a good honest downpour. With little wind, the rain was coming straight down, and a lot bounced off the camera cover and my clothes, although I must visit a waterproof trouser emporium. It is weather you can see.

Valter Fernandes

Baba Conteh opened the scoring after ten minutes with his first competitive goal for the club. I got what would have been quite a good shot, if he had been facing the other way!

Baba Conteh shoots for goal

The visitors came back and equalised through James Dean. However, more concerning events occurred a few minutes later, when Charlie Whittingham was injured in a collision. Although he carried on, as he limped off at half time we were concerned, justifiably, whether he would be able to play the second half. Reporting Lloyd Dean's spell in goal last week, I lined up a comment that I was surprised it was not Andy Scarisbrick, as he had played more or less everywhere else. My turn of phrase was overtaken by events when Andy once again demonstrated he is the man to send for when you need a gap filled without fuss, taking up position as our fourth goalkeeper in three games.

Goalkeeping coach Garry Williams briefs Andy Scarisbrick

With another goalkeeper getting used to the position, attack was the best form of defence, and we put ourselves ahead with a goal from Josef Faux twenty minutes in.

Josef Faux celebrates his goal

Lloyd Dean marked his 100th appearance with a goal four minutes later.

Lloyd Dean celebrates his goal

Solid work in defence and what Gareth Roberts of The Anfield Wrap called "some predictably unorthodox - but effective - goalkeeping" kept a clean sheet.

Defending in numbers

The Roanza Mercedes Truck and Van Man of the Match award went to Harry Cain for a tireless performance.

Harry Cain

I was a little confused as to whether we would also present the Player of the Month award, but no-one knew how to access the result, which is probably just as well, as voting was still going on.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website in reverse order here, and on Google Photos the right way round here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 3 (Conteh, Faux, Dean) Trafford 1.

Thwarted at the last

We had mixed feelings ahead of Prescot Cables' game at home to Ossett Albion in the Preliminary Round of the Buildbase FA Trophy. We have endured a poor run of form in the league, but anything can happen in a cup, and there were encouraging noises from a friendly game at Skelmersdale United in midweek. We also had a new signing, also from Skelmersdale: Dale Wright, a popular player six or seven years ago before moving onwards and upwards, who has played most recently for Stalybridge Celtic in the National League North.

Dale Wright

We started with a minute's applause for Les Birchall, a long standing supporter who had died suddenly: we were joined by his widow and his son Gareth, a committee member at Padiham FC.

It has been a mild autumn so far, with this being the first afternoon game of the season to which I have worn a coat, but I would not have been uncomfortable without it. The light follows a more predictable course. There was intermittent cloud, but even when the sun was out, it was weaker even than last week. This is the light in which the sports mode on the D5300 comes into its own, increasing ISO once the shutter speed gets to 1/1000s...

Rob Doran - 1/1000s f/4.8 ISO720

... then taking the shutter speed down once it gets to ISO 800...

Bram Johnstone - 1/800s f/5.6 ISO800

... going back to increasing ISO once the speed is down to 1/500s.

Andy Paxton retrieves the ball for Jacob Jones to take a quick throw in - 1/500s f/5.6 ISO900

Whilst we made some good moves towards goal, from the pictures it looked as though we spent a lot of time inside our own half.

We came out with more bite in the second half, and thought we had been rewarded when James McCulloch put the ball in the net. However, the goal was disallowed, we think for a foul on the keeper. I caught a sequence, so readers can decide for themselves, and ponder whether still photography proves very much sometimes.

Ossett's Brett Souter gets a hand to the ball

The ball is now loose

James McCulloch puts it away

James McCulloch celebrates while Brett Souter appeals for a foul

The crucial point is between the first and second pictures - from my recollection and the planted position of James McCulloch's right foot in the second picture I think the ball slipped out of Brett Souter's hand as he tried to gather it in, but I can see how the referee concluded that it was kicked whilst he had control of it.

There was no doubt a few minutes later when Dale Wright marked his return with a goal from the edge of the penalty area.

It was a nervous time for the next few minutes, and it looked as though we had made it, until the visitors scored from a goalmouth scramble half a minute from time to secure the replay.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 1 (Wright) Ossett Albion 1

Double pie, double peas

In London pie and mash shops, the ordering convention is "double pie" if you want two, and "double mash" for two portions of potato. On arrival at Farsley Celtic for our FA Trophy game, I headed to the tea bar, which was serving fresh local Growler's pies. I only had toast for breakfast, so, having had the steak before the match, I have to admit to also having the pork at half time. This being Yorkshire, the traditional accompaniment is peas rather than mash. The food and drink offering was completed by Wadworth's Dirty Rucker, advertising an event in a different sport, on hand pump in the bar. The name will have had people in these parts wondering what a ruck is.

The hosts made four changes from the league game the previous week. We made one, replacing Sam Staunton-Turner, who has returned to Skelmersdale.

I travelled on the team coach, so, unusually for me, arrived well before kick off. Whilst books talk about taking time to find a suitable position, in football the location of the goals and and stand, and where the sun is shining are the main considerations. I have been to Farsley enough times too know the ground well, and I was mindful of my observations last week about moving around, so I decided to experiment. I started in front of the tea bar.

Rob Doran

This was not the best place, as it was one of the more populated parts of the ground. I prefer less crowded areas, as you avoid somebody leaning in front of you for a better view at the crucial moment.

After some time in the conventional position behind the goal, I moved to the far side and worked my way along.

Phil Bannister

I went beyond the dugout and alongside our own half and was happy with the results. Farsley's performance was stronger than the previous week, so I was rewarded with some closer pictures than normal of our defence.

Marcus Burgess

I captured some movement forward from the queue for the second part of lunch. We went in at half time a goal behind.

Lloyd Dean

I decided to move around around again for the second half. This was complicated by the sun's being out. The first half had been cloudy, with the mist from the morning only fully lifting just before the start. We were playing with the sun behind us. I started on the stand side where I was mainly shooting across the sunlight.

James McCulloch

I then worked round behind the goal we were attacking, ending up between the dugouts.

George Lomax

The sun appeared to bring some moisture out of the ground, so, looking into it, the mist had returned. It is possible to remove this almost completely on the computer, but I tried to keep the effect.

Jonah O'Reilly

Unfortunately, the result was not as good as the pictures: Farsley came out stronger after half time, and their second goal probably sealed the result, with our looking unlikely to come back, and in the event being unable to prevent two more goals.

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

Final score: Farsley Celtic 4 Prescot Cables 0

Swapping colours

Prescot Cables' game in the FA Trophy against Goole AFC, was our second of the week against a team of Vikings, both Widnes and Goole referring to our longboat-travelling chums on their club crest. Fortunately, the visitors did not bring any of the alarming looking (but probably harmless) insect life that lives at the Victoria Pleasure Grounds.

Both teams were playing in their away kit, Goole in yellow, and us in red (our respective home colours are the other way round). This was listed in the programme, so it must have been convenient for one or both clubs (both teams had home games a couple of days later). Whilst supporters often prefer home colours, I do not think it makes much difference, players are used to playing in different colours, and if they cannot remember to pass to someone in the colour they are wearing, they probably need to consider switching to something like tennis. The visitors' kit was a traditional design with a smart collar.

Neil Prince

This was the first weekend after the clocks went back, and the weather was cloudy, so the floodlights were on throughout. If rules are the same as for the FA Cup, the cost will come from gate receipts before they are shared, along with the away team's travel and the match officials' expenses, so I suspect the only side to make anything will be the winners. Goole agreed in the previous round that their game at Burscough would be played to a conclusion to avoid likely losses from a replay.

We started strongly, with a goal after about 15 minutes - I captured a decent sequence, with Rob Doran exercising superb ball control under pressure ...

... passing in to Jack Phillips ...

... who found Sam Corlett to put it away.

Things started to go wrong with a some individual errors from about half an hour in, although it is arguable that poor refereeing put us in a position to make some of them in the first place. Whatever the cause, Goole took full advantage, scoring three goals.

The situation was not irretrievable, half time gave the opportunity to regroup, and we came out stronger in the second half. A second goal, of which I did not get a photo, came from Mason Ryan, who dispatched a shot from the edge of the penalty area with sufficient force that the Goole keeper could not hold it, and could only watch as it bounced into the goal.

Mason Ryan

We could not find the third goal to secure a replay, and Goole made the result sure with a penalty near the end of the game.

Winning a round in each of the FA Cup and Trophy, and the gate at FC United of Manchester means club funds have done better from the FA competitions than in previous seasons, and every source of income counts.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 (Corlett, Ryan), Goole AFC 4.

Putting a couple past the Class of 92

There are a number of ways to get to Salford City, where Prescot Cables were playing in the Preliminary Round of the FA Trophy. There are bus routes along the main road passing Moor Lane, and the 93, a local bus for local people, going to the other end. Last time I used it, the driver pretended not to have heard of Moor Lane, despite the bus travelling along it, and the stop being named in the timetable. This time I had a Plusbus ticket, which solved that problem, but the driver claimed not to know what it was, then asked for the "other bit", saying, "when I see these tickets (so he had heard of them), they are in two parts - you did not just pay £3.70 for this one". Having established he meant the railway ticket, I got my wallet out, at which point he decided he did not need it after all. It would have been easier to say, "There's nothing for you here".

The team bus had its own issues, with a bird flying in to the windscreen on the M62. Some mentioned a pigeon, with Neil Prince and Sam Corlett opting for a pheasant - an important question, as the cooking times are completely different. Applying half remembered physics to the "spider's web" on the windscreen, and the Daily Telegraph letters page (many of whose readers know a thing or two about pheasants) reporting birds suicidally diving onto the road, I am going with Neil and Sam.

This was our first visit to Salford since the club changed ownership. The first noticeable change was the programme, with last season's title of Tangerine Barmy replaced by Red Ammie, in recognition of the change of playing colours. There were also television cameras used by the University of Salford to produce highlights packages and footage for a possible BBC programme at the end of the season.

Sam Corlett gets on telly (possibly)

Liam Dodd's welcome return from injury allowed James McCulloch to move to midfield, which many feel is his best position. Of course, a player's best position is not necessarily where he will end up, if he is the best player available who can play somewhere else.

Liam Dodd

James McCulloch

I started on the Moor Lane side, but the sun came out after about 5 minutes, so moved round to my more usual position behind the goal. Salford took the lead after half an hour with a shot from the edge of the penalty area that left Ciaran Gibson no chance. We continued to press, and were rewarded just before half time, when a scramble to get on the end of a corner led to the ball falling to Antony Shinks, who forcefully put it in the net.

Antony Shinks scores - picture included on the "goal is a goal" principle

The second half provided easier conditions for me, with the sun behind me. As the half progressed, Neil Prince brought on fresh legs, replacing Antony Shinks with Mason Ryan, and Sam Corlett with himself, a combination that paid off in the 75th minute, when a pass from Neil Prince ...

 ... found an advancing Mason Ryan ...

... who neatly put it away.

The upset got us a nomination for Non League Review's Team of the Week, coming in second in the popular vote to Colne FC. You cannot mention everyone in a post like this, and it is always easy to concentrate on the goal scorers, but this was a superb team performance, in which everyone played their part.

Defending a free kick

After the game, I headed to the other end of Moor Lane, and caught the 98, which goes along the main road, and is therefore familiar with carrying strangers. My ticket was accepted without demur.

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

Final score: Salford City 1, Prescot Cables 2 (Shinks, Ryan)

Up the wall

As this blog is unlikely to be called upon to photograph a fixture in the Eton Wall Game, Dulwich Hamlet's game against Leatherhead seemed the next best thing.

There are many reasons why animosity can arise between clubs, some shrouded in the mists of time. Visiting Mangotsfield United in 2002, we found a shared dislike of Gloucester City, in our case arising from their only visit to our ground nine years previously. Relations between us and Leatherhead deteriorated last season, after part of their pitch perimeter wall collapsed in the 85th minute of our League fixture. Their officials tried to blame the dozen or so of our schoolboy supporters who were leaning on it celebrating a goal. Their players crowded round the referee as he inspected the pitch for debris, and celebrated the abandonment as though they had won the game, in which we had been leading.

Having secured the Championship despite losing the replayed game, we were not expecting to meet them again for a while, but we reckoned without the draw for the FA Trophy.

Peter Adeniyi

Although the day was mainly dry, there was a heavy shower whilst I was on the way to the game, so I headed in to Sainsbury's. This was not just for the driest sausage roll I have had in a long time, but I had forgotten to pack the rain cover for my camera (serves me right for being so smug in midweek), and the plastic bag might have been needed as an emergency replacement.

A few minutes before the game (thirteen to be precise), a smartly dressed gentleman scurried past me carrying a large kit bag. I believe clubs are fined if they arrive less than 45 minutes before the game is due to start: I am not sure if anything equivalent applies to the match officials.

The sun was shining for the first half, where we were attacking the Greendale end. The sun is behind this end in the afternoon, and there are three tall trees behind the ground.

These ensure that, when the sun is shining, we can encounter just about all lighting conditions, usually within a few yards. We go from full sunshine ...

Billy Crook

... through mixed shadows ...

Nyren Clunis

... lit foreground against background shadow ...

Matthieu Boyer

... and vice versa ...

Erhun Öztümer

... although the low angle of the sun meant few shots were completely in shadow.

This was my first sight of the club's new kit. The shade of pink is better for the camera than on the previous kit, which sometimes came out nearer to purple. I would have preferred the player's number on the front of the shirt or, as with the previous kit, on the shorts (although the latter makes more work for the kit man matching shirt and shorts). In their absence, I rather hope I have got the captions right on the pictures above.

By the second half, the sun was almost completely below the trees, so the light was more even.

Dean Lodge, immediately before he was fouled for a penalty

We finish after sunset at this time of year, especially as the second half did not start until 4.10, which seemed late, with only a couple of minutes delay to the start and another couple added on in the first half. The floodlights became more significant for the lighting as the game went on.

Lewis Gonsalves

The end result was a satisfying progression to the next round, in front of the lowest crowd for a Saturday game this season, although I still got some decent crowd shots.

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

Final score: Dulwich Hamlet 3 (Daly 2,Öztümer) Leatherhead 0.

No walls were harmed in the making of this report.