Left over from November

Last week saw Prescot Cables' game against Tranmere Rovers in the quarter final of the Liverpool Senior Cup. This was originally scheduled for November, and fell to three weather related postponements. The competition has about eighteen entries, and we can see the complications elsewhere from this winter in larger counties.

The week had not started well. After a run of games against sides at the top of the table, our visit to Harrogate Railway Athletic, which I followed on Twitter, had been every bit as challenging, with Harrogate in a battle with Ossett Town to avoid the second relegation spot. An early lead was overcome by the hosts following injuries to Rob Doran and Lloyd Dean. From the x-ray the latter posted on Facebook, showing a distance between humerus and scapula you would not expect to see with the arm still attached, I thought we would be asking if he was going anywhere nice for his holidays and checking we had his number for pre season training. However, his assurances he had dislocated that shoulder before and it just popped back in proved to be well founded, and he was in the starting lineup.

Lloyd Dean

I have seen Tranmere knock us out of this cup twice before, once in about 1993, and more recently winning a semi final on penalties after a 4-4 draw at Prenton Park four seasons ago.

The visitors fielded a young side, mainly from the Reserves augmented by a couple of first team players, all decked out in nice reflective white.

Joe Evans

I was pleased to see Andy Harper playing after a long period out of action with a recurring injury.

Andy Harper

We had held our own for most of the first half, until the visitors scored a minute or two from time, just the right time for a morale boost for them. We then had our own chance, with the referee adjudging that Josh Nicholson's shot had not crossed the line, an assessment that did not meet with universal agreement.

Josh Nicholson shoots for goal ...

... and it is cleared off the line - or maybe not

It started started raining heavily at the beginning of the second half, so I took shelter under cover at the Hope Street End. I even got some pictures from this position, which would have been almost impossible with my previous kit. I was still there so see Phil Bannister score our first goal.

Phil Bannister watches his shot head for goal

The rain eased after about 15 minutes, so I went outside to the Gasworks Side. I was starting to ponder the dreaded penalty shootout, which comes if scores are level after normal time, sensible for a competition played mainly in the evening. However, after 82 minutes, a ball from a goalmouth scramble fell to James Edgar who put it away. This was the same minute of the game as he scored at Northwich.

James Edgar scores - a goal most definitely is a goal

Whereas that was a consolation, this was the winning goal. I was pleased to see James scoring again, he has been useful keeping defences busy all the season but has not seen this rewarded with goals. Also, scoring is as much as anything about confidence, the more you do, the more you can see yourself doing so again.

The result took us into the semi finals, although, given the limited time available, I was concerned this may be a season, of which there have been eight in the past, mostly in the sixties and seventies, where the competition has not been completed. The draw took place, and we will play Litherland Remyca, a name which, bizarrely, the voice function on Google Keyboard can spell, which was to be a treat for the forthcoming bank holiday, but will now form part of the pre season programme.

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 2 (Bannister, Edgar), Tranmere Rovers 1.