It's Thursday, it must be the Cup - part 2

Prescot Cables' Liverpool Senior Cup Final against Marine was a difficult game to predict. Marine were a division above, but we were in a play off position. We had our eyes on the league, but Marine had to play at Altrincham the previous evening amid continuing bad weather and the FA's determination at all costs to complete the season by the end of the week. That fixture was a case in point, Altrincham were assured of the title and Marine mathematically safe, so it could have been mopped up the following week. Any thought Marine had of resting players probably had to go out of the window in favour of taking whoever could extricate themselves from work and family at less than 12 hours' notice.

Many county and league cup finals are played at a Football League ground, and for the players it may be the only chance they have to play there. The Liverpool FA's practice of drawing it at the home of one of the participants probably makes a virtue out of a necessity. Anfield and Goodison are unlikely to be available, and a crowd of 750 would rattle in Prenton Park or the Halton Stadium. In the Marine Travel Arena, however, it made for a lively atmosphere with two sets of enthusiastic supporters.

Having the match ball on a stand seems de rigeur these days. Another photographer, with commendable attention to detail, made sure the Nike swoosh was the right way up.

The referee giving the ball his total, undivided attention ...

... phew, no accidental comedy moment.

Pictures look better with a crowd in the background, and the compact nature of the ground means that with a decent number in they are fairly close together.

Valter Fernandes

Well, apart from one side.

Harry Cain

Those familiar with the ground may find it hard to believe, but there are pictures from the 1940s with spectators on the fourth side, so I dread to think what width the pitch must have been.

The first half an hour was a cagey affair, with neither side looking to take risks early on. We opened the scoring with a penalty, dispatched by Chris Almond.

Chris Almond scores from the spot

Many of our supporters stood on the open terrace at the Crosender Road end, in the unaccustomed position of being behind our goal.

Ben Barnes

James McCulloch was unavailable due a school trip to Llandudno, where I hope he was making the pupils pay for it attending to the students' fitness by having them run up and down an Orme. Lloyd Dean was captain in his place. He added a second just before half time ...

... and a third just after. The corner arrangement of floodlights meant I took up position behind the goal, with satisfactory results.

The definitive use of a shiny advertising board for reflecting a goal celebration

With seven of the hosts' team having played the previous day, they were tiring, and it was clear we would maintain our advantage. About ten minutes from time, I started to make my way to the College Road end, as I assumed that was where the cup would spend its brief time out of its case.

As I was behind the goal, I heard the steward briefing our supporters on the logistics - giving the players five minutes' rest after the final whistle, and then bringing the supporters on to the pitch to watch the presentation in the stand. I missed Josh Klein-Davies completing the scoring.

Josh Klein-Davies

Heading towards the cup ...

... I realised I was heading away from the imminent celebrations, so retraced my steps.

Scenes

The second rule of getting a good image is to reconnoitre the territory*, but I had little opportunity to do so, as I had not appreciated the value of Marine's stand for trophy presentations - not quite 39 steps, but enough to be going on with. The crowd had an excellent view, the photographer less so, with strip lighting immediately behind the players.

It was easier to get an image pitchside.

Unlike last year, when the County FA seemed keen to rescue their silverware from all those people with their collapsing fences, the trophy was allowed in the dressing room.

After a rather anxious looking chap popped his head round the door fifteen minutes later to ask if we had finished with their cup, the management took their turn in the more restrained atmosphere of the board room.

After this, the pictures needed to be processed - first up were a couple of the presentation, then the game. I had to disappoint the players, when pictures from the dressing room went in the queue behind those from the next game, although they had plenty of their own selfies to keep them going.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here, those from the presentation on the club website here, and on Google Photos here.

Final score: Marine 0 Prescot Cables 4 (Almond pen, Dean 2, Klein-Davies)

* The first rule is to remove the lens cap.