Ins and outs

Prior to Prescot Cables' game at home to Brighouse Town last week, we had news of a couple of transfers. After Dale Wright's return, another popular former player, Rob McIntosh, rejoined us from Skelmersdale United, the website also reporting that Jonah O'Reilly was going the other way. I would have been tempted to make more of this part of the news (and as I am writing here, I shall). An attraction of playing for Prescot for an ambitious young player is the opportunity to attract the attention of clubs higher up the pyramid, so a player moving up can only reinforce that.

Some of us have been mystified as to why Jonah has not featured much in the team this season, but my first thought in this situation (without taking away from those who have been picked) is what Jack Charlton reports Sir Alf Ramsey as saying when he expressed surprise that he had been picked for England: "I have in mind a pattern I want to play, and I pick the players I think will best fit that pattern, not necessarily the best players on paper".

Andy Paxton identified in his programme notes that consistency comes with experience, and recruiting Dale Wright and Rob McIntosh looks like it is intended to fill that gap. In the meantime, Jonah has the well earned opportunity to play in the next division up, so this blog wishes him all the best for the future.

Jonah O'Reilly

Players moving on often means families and pets moving to their new home. The pets are usually dogs, but I have seen a picture from a Northern League game where someone brought a horse, not as surprising as it sounds, as I have seen with my own eyes a man out walking his horse in County Durham. I shall miss being carefully inspected by this mother and son pair as I arrive on the Gasworks Side.

We had won our F.A.Trophy replay at Ossett Albion in midweek, breaking a run of over a month without a win, but Brighouse were top of the league, so this would be a challenge.

We defended well, including James McCulloch making a superb clearance off the line. This is the sort of thing players naturally like to see captured, and I quite often have to disappoint them, mostly due to other players in the way, and I have usually been following the goalkeeper. Still, aerobatics make for a decent alternative picture.

James McCulloch

Tom Brocklehust was kept busy.

Brighouse's Leon Osbourne takes avoiding action as Tom Brocklehurst gathers the ball

We had a chance shortly before half time, when we were awarded a penalty, with Dale Wright unfortunately finding Brighouse's Tom Taylor, and our being unsuccessful attempting to put away the rebound.

Jack Phillips was celebrating a birthday, and the opposition seemed keen to get to grips with him to offer their best wishes.

Jack Phillips

Rob McIntosh had been named on the bench, so I snapped him warming up at half time in case he was not used. It was as well I did - although he came on about 15 minutes into the second half, I quickly remembered that, due to a combination of his position and his own style of play, the number of decent pictures I was able to get of him last time he was with us fell somewhat short of his contribution to the game.

Rob McIntosh

A solid performance in defence ensured we kept a welcome clean sheet, and picked up a point.

There was welcome news from Winsford, as Danny Flood, on loan to regain match fitness, reported that he had completed his first 90 minutes since being sidelined for the last few months for medical reasons.

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 Brighouse Town 0.