It's Thursday, it must be the Cup

Prescot Cables' game against Litherland Remyca in the Liverpool Senior Cup came sooner than expected. We anticipated playing away the following week, but the County FA insisted on bringing it forward, and, as Litherland Sports Park was not available, we were hosting. Both sides had our leagues to think about: we were guaranteed a playoff place, but wanted to aim for home advantage, and Remyca were looking at automatic promotion in the North West Counties. Not that either side took the evening anything less than seriously, a realistic chance of silverware is a realistic chance of silverware.

We started with a minute's applause for Andy Maund, in whose memory we dedicated the match. Andy lived next to the ground, was a regular supporter home and away, and sadly died suddenly the previous weekend at the age of 46.

We gave two of our Youth team players some first team experience. Matthew Kewn and Dominic Murphy both played against Bootle in the First Round. Getting everyone in the picture at an evening game can be a bit hit and miss, and I was happy with the number of pictures I got of Matthew.

Matthew Kewn

I was a bit less happy with how much I was able to see of Dominic, but it would turn out he would earn an individual picture later.

It was fine evening, with a relaxed crowd, and overcoats left at home.

An occupational hazard of being a goalkeeper is that we only need one, so if you are injured you can find your replacement does so well he commands the place. Such a fate befell Marcus Burgess in the autumn, with Ben Barnes taking a regular place and Marcus on loan at Padiham. With seven games in fifteen days, we need all hands on deck, so we welcomed Marcus back.

Marcus Burgess

We opened the scoring with a penalty after about half an hour. I got the impression we might not have discussed beforehand who would take them. Harry Cain yielded to Dan Burns, who converted with ease.

Dan Burns

In the second half, it seemed as though the game was flagging a bit. I was sitting in front of the main body of our supporters for the first few minutes, and it was a bit like a crowded beer garden, with the dominant sound being of conversation.

Harry Cain brought the crowd back to life with a goal at 70 minutes.

Harry Cain shoots for goal ...

... and celebrates

A second goal from Harry ten minutes later made the result secure.

Dominic Murphy rounded off the scoring just before full time to complete a performance that won the Man of the Match award, presented by Andy Maund's father, Billy. The first attempt at a picture was unsuccessful, when we spotted he was in his Youth team training top - nothing says you have arrived quite like retaking your presentation photo in a First team top.

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 4 (Burns pen, Cain 2, Murphy) Litherland Remyca 0.

Splat

I could picture my late mother's reaction, "It's your own fault for not picking your feet up", as I removed my face from the pavement on which it had come to rest on the way to Prescot Cables' Liverpool Senior Cup Semi Final against Litherland REMYCA. I do not normally shuffle, but there must be something about Sefton Council's pavements, I caught my foot on a paving slab twice more, staying upright this time, before I achieved the level ground of Litherland Sports Park. I arrived gently dripping blood from my face, but no-one seemed to bat an eyelid. We have an unusual number of Doctors supporting us, but with most being PhDs in Pharmacology, recently joined by Dr Tony, PhD in Politics, none are any good with minor injuries. Fortunately, Richie, our leader in beer and pub choices, turned out to be our leader in First Aid too, as he procured some antiseptic wipes and plasters.

Dr Phil and Dr Tony - a rare sight seeing the latter with something not cask conditioned, but needs must!

The game was the semi-final of the 2015-6 Liverpool Senior Cup, the amount of water that fell on our pitch playing a part in ensuring the competition remained unfinished last season. Everton beat Skelmersdale United in the other semi-final, so we would face their Under 23 side if we won. That game had been an opportunity for a friend of these pages, Anthony Phillips, to watch his brother Jack in action for Skelmersdale. There would be nothing unusual in that, but Anthony had been discharged earlier that day after four months in hospital recovering from life threatening pneumonia, so this blog wishes him well in his ongoing recovery, and looks forward to seeing him at Cables soon.

I have visited the hosts on a number of occasions since they joined the North West Counties League, their Wednesday match night attracting a number of additional spectators, and their sandy soil meaning a game is likely to be on when others are off. This would be my first time taking pictures. I could probably have obtained permission to don high vis and go on to their running track, but I was not sure who to ask. I therefore took up position level with the corner flag on the back straight, only six lanes from the pitch, unlike the home straight which would be eight lanes and a long jump pit.

Some were following the game from afar. Phil Bannister was on holiday somewhere hot, and Lloyd Dean was at a wedding. We can picture the latter, "I now pronounce you husband and Gooooooaaaaaaalllllll!"

Prescot enjoyed a two division advantage over the hosts, but this is not necessarily any guide, as REMYCA had put out Southport in a previous round. The likelihood of a contest was considerably diminished when the home goalkeeper was dismissed inside 5 minutes for a foul just outside the penalty area denying a goal scoring opportunity. Rob Doran converted the resulting free kick.

Rob Doran, supported by Joe Herbert and Michael Simpson. For those addicted to business jargon, THIS is "going forward"

We have been able to keep most of last season's team, and there have been a few additions over the summer. Nathan Quirk has looked promising, and confirmed this with a hat tick in his first competitive game.

Nathan Quirk

When Andy Paxton became our manager eleven months ago, he mainly started work with the players we had. However, he brought with him the Nicholson brothers, products of their father's Skelmersdale United Youth setup, who have proved useful and reliable. Both scored in the second half, Josh with two and Joe with one.

Josh Nicholson

Joe Nicholson

For the second half, I again chose a position level with the goal line. Unfortunately, I did not notice the breeze, making the corner flag partially obscure the first goal from Andy Scarisbrick, who has half a season's experience in the First team, but still is only 17 for another month.

Andy Scarisbrick

For Andy's second goal, whilst there are Cables supporters who, at this point, would be muttering, "We can still throw this away you know", I was already packing up, and anticipating our first cup final since the North West Counties League Cup in 2002. Unlike that competition, for which the League usually used a Football League ground, we will be able to host Everton at home.

Our canine chums are part of the non League game, and this one was definitely posing for the camera. He (if it is a he) looked straight into the lens, showed his teeth in what I can only describe as a grin, and then struck this Bismarckian pose.

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

Final score: Litherland REMYCA 0 Prescot Cables 9 (Doran, Quirk 3, Josh Nicholson 2, Joe Nicholson, Scarisbrick 2)