Some beer left

Prescot Cables held this year's Beer Festival later than in previous years, opting for the Easter weekend. It made sense, particularly with our tenants St Helens Town entertaining City of Liverpool on Good Friday. Arriving early for our Easter Monday game against Bamber Bridge to see if there was any beer left, I met Dr Tony. Mindful of St Paul's advice to the Romans regarding those who esteem one day above another and those who esteem every day alike, we compared notes on Easter. After taking everything out of church for Good Friday, putting it back in scrubbed and polished on Saturday, and services each day, this was the first chance I had for football or beer. Tony is a Baptist, so he had a normal Sunday, with a couple of bank holidays to boot, and had been able to fully enjoy the beer festival.

Before the game, David Williams, who is retiring as match day announcer, and would be unable to attend the presentation evening, was presented with the Dave Brennan Trophy.

David Williams, with his wife Margaret, and Richard Harnetty, his successor as match day announcer

Neither team had league safety concerns or playoff hopes, but, after looking shaky a few weeks ago, last season's points total and league position were in our reach, whilst the visitors had the final of the Integro Cup a couple of days later.

We were fielding a depleted squad, in quantity at least: when I first saw the players warming up, I counted 11, although two substitutes emerged shortly afterwards. We made our final addition for the season, in the shape of Louis Coyne, who joined us before the transfer window closed at the end of March.

Louis Coyne

We were playing in our away kit, having played at Ossett Town on Saturday: we had to use the home kit there, and the laundry is not open over the bank holiday weekend.

Valter Fernandes

We made the better start, and Josh Dolling put us ahead after half an hour.

Josh Dolling

Alistair Waddecar has been remarkably successful at scoring against us: I cannot remember a game against Bamber Bridge in the last few seasons when he has not. I was relieved he was on the bench for this game, and thought our best chance of all three points would be if he were to stay there. This was not to be, and he came on to score ten minutes from time.

Dale Wright takes a throw in, their chap looks very cross

With the late Easter, this was the last home league game of the season, and we could enjoy it with the serious business wrapped up. There was time for the team to pose for pictures with the supporters.

The Rogues & Rascals Barbershop Man of the Match award went to Andy Scarisbrick, a product of our youth team, who seemed to have fallen out of favour earlier in the season, but a change of position has seen him make an impressive return. With the bar full of people enjoying the beer festival, we made the presentation in the Board Room, where we could raise the advertising background high enough to mean I did not need to photoshop bits on to the 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 1 (Dolling) Bamber Bridge 1.

Flags, firkins and flat caps

There was plenty to entertain the visitor at Prescot Cables game against Warrington Town. Admittedly there was no Shaun Reid, and, wst former Cables defender Lee Smith has maintained their form on the field, he exhibits a much calmer match day demeanour.

Lee Smith (left) watches Phil Bannister

Still there was still a flag display and collection for the Alfie Lund Fund, raising awareness for MECP2 duplication syndrome; a dance display at half time, and the little matter of a beer festival.

Alfie Lund Fund flag display

The latter attracted a few ground hopping bloggers, and I met Matt from the Lost Boyos, whose site I only found a few weeks ago, and who, in the manner of our Train Crew, enjoys getting to the game almost as much as being there. He shows the same respect for the flat cap as appropriate headgear for football as these pages, although his is an all year round trademark, rather than just for keeping his head warm or visiting the borders of the known world. I posed for and took the obligatory #NoFlatCapNoParty" double thumbs up pictures. The all thumbs match day photographer may not be the best person to let loose on your compact camera: my first attempt started a movie by mistake.

Whilst this was going on, I just about saw the visitors' first goal, from Ged Kinsella. We had a decent amount of the play up to this point, but had been unable to convert it. Warrington went further ahead with a second from Ciaran Kilheeny in first half injury time.

I then had an unusual assignment for me, some pictures of the half time display from the Dancebeatz Academy. The dancers had a lot of space between them, which worked live, and may have made a good video panning along the line, but I did not have anything with me to keep the camera stable. It would not have made much of a picture if I had put everyone in one frame, so a presentation montage seemed the order of the day.

I also took the opportunity to capture our new mural on the end of the toilet block. We have been around for a while.

With sunset after 6pm, you would not expect much drop in light over an hour earlier with consistent light cloud cover throughout. However, the shutter speed dropped from a fairly consistent 1/1000s at ISO 800 at the beginning of the game ...

Joe Nicholson

... to 1/500s hovering around ISO 1000 at the end.

James McCulloch

I have worked out roughly how the sports mode manages exposure. In the conditions I have encountered (I have yet to use the equipment on summer day), if there is enough light for shutter speeds over 1/1000s, it uses the most open aperture, at ISO 400. In lower light, it maintains speed by increasing sensitivity up to ISO 800, when it reduces shutter speed until 1/500s, then increases the sensitivity again, until ISO 3200, when it drops the speed until it is too slow to be practical, and I need to switch mode.

Jonah O'Reilly

The visitors added their third goal, and continued their march towards the title with a penalty ten minutes from time.

After the game it was back to the festival beers, with a neat system for the transition between the afternoon session (included in the game, and therefore free for season ticket holders) and the evening session. Beers were served up to 6pm in a plastic glass, and then after this only in a glass included in the evening entry fee.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on the club website here, and on Google Photos here. Matt's Lost Boyos blog on the game is available here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 0 Warrington Town 3.