Clashing colours

For the last few seasons, Prescot Cables have reached the point at around mid April when we have enough points, and others have run out of time to accumulate them, to make us safe from the risk of relegation. This year, it came when our visitors for the weekend, Brighouse Town, beat New Mills in midweek, meaning the latter were confirmed in the bottom two positions.

Brighouse were wearing an uncommon combination of colours.

Matty West

The League website shows their away colours as all green, so the decidedly non matching blue shirts and socks suggests a shortage after a season's wear and tear. I was surprised the referee did not insist on their borrowing socks from us: their navy and our black looked closer in colour with the naked eye than they do in the photos.

Since I have been writing these posts, I have made a bee line for the team sheet to ensure I am not left captioning a picture here, or worse, for the paper, as "some bloke I saw for the first time today", such was the rate of turnover in the squad. The second half of this season has been different: we have not always been able to field a settled team, but the pool from which we have been choosing has been fairly constant.

Liam Hollett's prospect of recovery from his injury at Warrington were not as pessimistic as he thought, so he was back in action.

Liam Hollett

The ground has passed its grading inspection, with only minor improvements needed, the most visible being some netting on the bar on the perimeter that allows access to the pitch in the fortunately rare event of an ambulance being needed. I am not sure whether this is to keep the ball on the pitch or domestic pets off.

Sam Corlett spots the new netting whilst preparing for a corner

Following her incursion a couple of weeks ago, Jazz was once again enjoying the freedom of the gasworks side. I am not sure whether she appreciated the significance of the occasion, James McCulloch's 200th appearance for the club, an increasingly rare landmark. Many players today follow three M's - matches, managers and money: playing at the highest level they can achieve, or dropping down to fit in with work or family commitments; following a manager with whom they enjoy working, or moving when a new manager has a clear out; and taking the opportunity to earn from their skills. James has given us welcome stability through, according to my calculations, seven managers, and leads by example on and off the field, so we hope for many more appearances to come.

James McCulloch

The game had an end of season feel, with fine weather and little at stake, although I subscribe to the view that, whatever the circumstances it is always better to get a result than not. Ben Morrow kept a fourth clean sheet to match Ciaran Gibson's tally for the season (the ninth for the team, away to Spennymoor, being a joint effort).

Ben Morrow

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Brighouse Town 0.