Back so soon?

It is not unusual for a fixture from the end of one season to become one of the first the following year. So it was with Prescot Cables first game of the season, at home to Ossett Town, our visitors for our last league game in May.

On my way to my pre match refreshment, I was crossing the road, negotiating stationary traffic at a temporary traffic light, when a loud beeping started to emerge from one of the cars. Thinking it was someone exasperated at the time it was taking to get past the roadworks (I would have got off the bus at the previous stop if I had known), I concentrated on the moving traffic in the opposite direction. When I got to the other side of the road, the driver finally attracted my attention with a cheery wave. Regular Cables supporters will not be surprised to learn the noise was coming from stalwart supporter Harry Thomas.

At the ground, I found a team all of whose members I had seen play at least once, which happens less often than you might think: it is common to see new players who have suddenly become available. The team were wearing a new kit, darker than in previous seasons (our traditional colour is amber rather than yellow), with black shoulders and sleeves. I am not sure how this will affect my exposures under floodlights, but the amber stood out well in the wet, and towards the end, quite murky, conditions, which is a good sign.

James McCulloch in the new kit, with Ryan Eislet in the background

We also have numbers on the front of the shirts, which will make the task of announcers and match secretaries easier in identifying scorers, substitutions etc. To make my task easier, it needs to catch on, and for other clubs to start doing it. When you set up a five man wall, it is handy for the woman who does the match reports on the Lincolnshire Poacher Numbers Station too

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Our goalkeeper, Ciaran Gibson, who had previously been picked to represent England schoolboys at under 18 level, was making his first league appearance, having looked promising in pre season.

Ciaran Gibson

When Ossett scored after a few minutes, it looked as though we may start the season as we finished the last one when our visitors took home the points. Step forward Dave Dempsey. We retain Dave for his defensive abilities, so anything he is able to put away is a bonus: the question at the pre season game against West Didsbury and Chorlton was whether he had scored his second career goal, or whether Connor McCarthy had completed the finish.

There was to be no doubt for either player on this occasion, as they both made unequivocal contributions to the score sheet. Dave Dempsey was first, sending a free kick directly to goal. Unfortunately, I did not get a picture, as I was shooting straight into the wind and rain (at least it was warm wind and rain), so keeping the lens dry was the main preoccupation.

Connor McCarthy was the next to score, in the second half. As it was still raining, I decided to go under cover. This meant I was capturing the same side of our play in both halves, so I found I had very little of  the players, particularly Connor, who were playing on the other side. Still, if you are only going to capture a couple of pictures of a player, when he is scoring a goal is the best one to get.

Connor McCarthy shoots for Prescot's second goal

With Ossett having drawn level again, it was time for another addition to Dave Dempsey's goal tally. Sean Myler was brought down...

... so up stepped Dave for the free kick. The Ossett player in the background is on the half way line, giving us an idea how far out the the kick was taken.

Goalkeeper Thomas Taylor can only watch as it goes in.

I sent the pictures of both goals in for the Merseymart, but unfortunately they did not use one of mine this week: their feature picture on the sports page was a rather good boxing image.

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