Low batteries

I had a function to attend at lunchtime before Prescot Cables' game at home to Northwich Victoria. The recently revamped Traveline website came up with a couple of bus routes I would not have thought of even from the map, so I was able to arrive, suited and booted, only 10 minutes late. I have never understood that phrase, as I have never thought of wearing boots with a suit, but a tie goes a long way to keeping your neck warm.

I was captured on film by the We all stand together blog. Its author also spoke to our announcer, David Williams, who recounted his responsibility for his fellow actor David Walliams' name, his being already registered with Equity under their shared real name. I once recounted this to one of the children at church, a bright boy, aged seven, who asked, "So, when David Williams retires, will David Walliams become David Williams?".

I arrived in time to see Jack Phillips opening the scoring. I was not in time for a picture, but I was not too worried, I know I can get usually get a decent picture of Jack if I need one for the paper, and it was a sunny day, so there would be few problems with the light.

Jack Phillips

Just before I left home, I transferred my camera to a smaller bag to cut down the amount I carried to lunch, forgetting to do the same for the spare battery. As soon as I started taking pictures the low battery indicator started to show, so I knew I had a limited number of frames. To cover as much of the game as possible, I thought back to the days of film, when exposures cost money, taking less of those pictures that are not likely to work, but are worth a try if they are free. I first tried photography 20 years ago, but the ratio of decent pictures to exposures proved costly, and I was never keen on dark rooms and chemicals to do my own cropping.

Restricting myself meant I was mainly concentrating on the half we were attacking. although I still got some in our own half.

Liam Dodd

I also did not snap away as vigorously as usual when a player was running with the ball, taking two or three shots, rather than the normal seven or eight. Whilst this limited the frames from which I could choose to display, I was generally happy with the results.

Jonah O'Reilly

With Ciaran Gibson suspended, Tom Quinn was back in goal. He seemed a bit indecisive in previous games, but this time he was making much more confident interventions, with some good saves, particularly in the first half, which makes a goalkeeper much easier to capture.

Tom Quinn

Talking of goalkeepers, Northwich seemed to have been experimenting with squad numbers.

James Edgar challenges Northwich's Dane Smith

The visitors' pressure was repaid with an equaliser early in the second half. James Edgar, after his heroics in goal against New Mills, returned to his more accustomed role by restoring our lead after about 20 minutes.

My battery ran out 10 minutes from the end, just as as the visitors' strength started to tell, with an equaliser, and then a winning goal in injury time, somewhat controversial, for what many thought had been a foul in the build up, and for the amount of time the referee had added on in the first place.

Elsewhere, Padiham won, which reduces the gap between us, but it was against Radcliffe Borough, so meant they remain only a point ahead of us.

Finally, double congratulations are due to my friend Jon, one of our pharmacologists, who has passed his viva and been awarded his PhD. He is often unable to attend Saturday games due to attending weddings (according to our mutual friend Luke), and will be adding his own to the list, becoming engaged over Christmas: this blog extends best wishes to Jon and his fiancée Sophie.

The rest of the pictures from the game, a slightly smaller collection than usual, can be seen here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 (Phillips, Edgar), Northwich Victoria 3.