The correct equipment

For Prescot Cables' Liverpool Senior Cup semi-final at Bootle, the County FA kitted out the officials with the full range of equipment from the professional game, including coloured shirts, radio communications ...

... and spray foam for marking a line at free kicks, although there was a lack of training on when to let go of the button.

We should not be surprised that the spray seemed to run out in the second half. There was even a fourth official.

James Edgar notices the fourth official appears to be from Mars

I approached the game thinking the hosts would probably have a slight edge - when 20th in one division plays 3rd in the division below, the latter has momentum in their favour. I also approached the game carefully watching my step: I amused everyone with the effects of landing face first on the pavement on the way to the corresponding fixture at Litherland REMYCA last season, and was not looking to repeat the experience.

I do not do much evening work under North West Counties floodlights, and I decided after a short while to experiment, using the sports mode on the camera. I set the ISO between 12800 and 24600 as the location of the action permitted, and let the shutter speed take care of itself, rather than using shutter priority mode. Adjusting ISO is a bit more complicated than shutter speed, needing three button presses rather than turning a wheel, but I got to grips quickly enough. I have read that Nikon cameras apply some noise reduction even in raw, and that astronomers do not like them for that reason (it is possible to noise reduce out anything from a star or two to an entire galaxy), and there seemed to be some difference in grain between the modes.

We got the scoring under way with a goal from Josh Dolling ...

Josh Dolling

... quickly followed up by Dominic Reid.

Dominic Reid

Our physio, Tony Carroll, had to speak to some of our supporters after the first goal, asking them to desist from letting off smoke grenades, so hopefully we will avoid a fine. There also seemed to be steam drifting intermittently across the pitch - I was not able to work out whether this was from the industrial premises next door, or if someone was using a particularly vaporous electronic cigarette.

Michael Ordish pulled a goal back for the hosts, and a fine save from England Universities squad member Marcus Burgess ensured that we remained ahead at half time.

Marcus Burgess

We dominated the second half, with goals in quick succession from Dale Wright ...

Dale Wright celebrates his goal

... Lloyd Dean ...

Celebrating Lloyd Dean's goal

... and Josef Faux ...

Josef Faux

... completed a convincing and confidence boosting win, and secured a place in the final against Southport.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen on Google Photos here. I attempted to post them on the club website, and thought I had been successful at the second or third attempt, but Pitchero seems to have eaten them, and the moment has somewhat passed to try again.

Final score: Bootle 1 Prescot Cables 5 (Dolling, Reid, Wright, Dean, Faux).

Five goals and a shin pad

Prescot Cables' game against Padiham at the weekend was one we had to win. Our visitors have not had a good start to the season, and are below us in the table, and we needed to end a string of defeats.

I continued my experiment from the previous week of working without a lens filter. I did not see any dramatic changes: the pictures seemed a bit washed out straight off the camera, but it was an overcast day, so that was only to be expected, and enhancing the lighting on the computer sorted that out. With five goals for us and one for the opposition, I did not do very well capturing them, but that will not have been down to filters.

Mason Ryan wasted no time in opening the scoring: not only I not capture the goal, I did not get a decent picture of him until some minutes later.

Mason Ryan

Next, Jack Phillips, of whom more later, was brought down for a penalty. Rob Doran stepped up to take it with his usual unflappable demeanour

Rob Doran prepares to take a penalty

The need for a second goal of which Neil Prince spoke a couple of weeks ago became apparent at the beginning of the second half, when we conceded a penalty, converted by former Blackpool, Southampton and Preston North End player Brett Ormerod. The game remained fairly even until Neil Prince brought on Sam Corlett and himself. A ball from Sam found Jack Phillips who shot from just outside the area. I was in front of the tea bar, and in the wrong position to catch this - a three quarter shot from behind only works if you can see what the player is aiming at (particularly the goalkeeper preparing for a save).

Jack was also involved in a You are the Ref moment, when he lost a shin pad, and naturally carried on playing. I understand the problem keeping them in place, I can walk 100 yards to the bus stop in long socks and wonder why I have cold ankles when I get there, although I do not wear shin pads, even on the 10A. The assistant referee flagged vigorously, explaining, to the mirth of those in earshot, that it was an indirect free kick for attempting to play the ball whilst not wearing the correct equipment. The referee did not look convinced, but restarted play in this manner, whilst Jack retrieved the offending shin pad. I trotted off to consult my refereeing pharmacologist friend James, who was standing behind the goal. The light was good enough to get a few pictures whilst I was there.

Sam Corlett

He had not noticed what the free kick was for, and thought it was like a question on the referees' examinations. Technology puts the Laws of the Game a couple of taps away, so we consulted. The only related free kick is for failing to leave the field to rectify equipment when instructed to do so or continuing to wear unauthorised clothing after being instructed to remove it: for missing items, play need not be stopped. However, if a player is instructed to leave the field in a break in play, he is out of action until the next break, unlike treatment for an injury, where the referee can permit him to return as soon as play has restarted.

Jack Phillips

It is often said that when your luck is out, it is properly out, and this was the case for the visitors, when they conceded an own goal. I do not as a rule include pictures in that situation, I concentrate on our own players (which can include coming off better in a challenge or outwitting the opposition), and dog shots are reserved for opposition players who have been particularly annoying.

In the final kick of the game, Andy Griffiths made the result complete with a long range shot that bounced off the upright and went in.

Andy Griffiths

This was a morale boosting win, opening up a gap over a team below us, and helping with our goal difference, which is significantly better than most of the teams around us. When you and your friends are being pursued by a bear, you do not need to run faster than the bear, you just need to run faster than your friends.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen here.

Final score: Prescot Cables 5 (Ryan, Doran pen, Phillips, Own Goal, Griffiths), Padiham 1

It was nice weather, but I was still under it

"I would not mind if I had been doing anything", I greeted the assembled Train Crew, as I arrived feeling and, I am reliably informed, looking green around the gills. I had eaten something that disagreed with me, and started to feel unwell on the train to Warrington. Going to the game with the pharmacologists is not as much help as you might think, they conduct complex research at the cutting edge of medical science, but have long since forgotten how to knock up an effective remedy from commonly available ingredients.

As the bus service is limited on a Bank Holiday, I checked with Mr Google and his Maps how long it takes to walk from the town centre to Warrington Town (just over half an hour). That would be easier to find out if the address on the location tab of the website were that of the ground, rather than a PO Box at the sorting office. As I was not feeling up to the walk, I was glad there were enough of us to make a taxi worthwhile.

I had hardly taken up position when we went behind - the first proper picture I took was of Phil Bannister taking the kick off.

Phil Bannister

I did not feel up to staying behind the goal for very long. Fortunately, there is a nice shady stand on the side opposite the clubhouse, with seats providing a good low vantage point. I took up position alongside James McCulloch's father, who was looking after water supplies for our side of the pitch.

James McCulloch

End of season games can be an opportunity to try out promising players from the youth team, giving them experience of the first team with a view to assessing them more closely in pre season. I remember first seeing Steven Tames on a wet Tuesday at Skelmersdale and Connor McCarthy in rather better weather in Mossley. Taking his chance in a challenging game was Danny Brooks, who was probably expecting to come on as a second half substitute, but found himself stepping up when Lloyd Balazs was injured after about 10 minutes.

Lloyd Balazs

Danny Brooks

Prescot's goals were supplied by Rob Doran, making the scores level early in the second half, and again after Ben Wharton had again put Warrington ahead.

Rob Doran

Another young player making a substitute appearance was Dan Lowton, who has kept goal in previous games, but was making his first appearance in an outfield position.

Dan Lowton

We finally succumbed to a goal in the 90th minute - one the striker could not repeat if he tried, a shot from a tight angle into the top corner. There was a time when we fell to goals in the last few minutes with depressing regularity: a couple of seasons ago I calculated around Christmas that we would have had about 8 points more if games had been played over 80 minutes rather than 90. That has really improved under Dave Powell: I had to look up when we were last level going in to the last 10 minutes, and went on to lose - the answer was at Mossley in November.

Not that Shaun Reid looked any happier.

Get mobile phone and internet - from EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen here.

As for the upset stomach, I finally got rid of it with some kaolin and calcium carbonate tablets, i,e, clay and chalk - so basically flavoured mud, then.

Final score: Warrington Town 3, Prescot Cables 2 (Doran 2).

It went downhill when we played uphill

I have never been keen on travelling to Radcliffe Borough. I am quite happy once I get there, they are a cheerful bunch, but any journey crossing central Manchester is a bind. I worked at Salford Quays for 9 years - I enjoyed the job, and would still be there if they had not moved it somewhere cheaper, but the worst part of the day was passing through Manchester city centre and getting the tram, as there seemed to be a problem every day.

Add to this, a lot of students were going home this weekend. Railway companies look to maximize revenue, so I am surprised they do not have armies of staff at this time of year enforcing the National Rail Conditions of Carriage regarding luggage, and turning two or three excess bags per person into Red Star parcels. When I was a student, I did not even own that much stuff.

I got to the game 5 minutes late, having missed the bus, or more to the point the bus having missed me. In the best tradition of Manchester public transport, in Shudehill Bus Station, which is supposed to be one of their main interchanges, the bus that was not due for another 5 minutes came along and blocked the stand, so the 98 just drove past, leaving intending passengers to wait for the next one.

Ian Bennett

When I got in, Prescot were playing downhill. Radcliffe generally make the most of the slope when they win the toss by getting the visitors to play downhill in the first half. We were playing well, but, as has been the case in a few games, unable to convert this into goals. A fully fit goal scorer is at a premium, so if we find one, we would not have him for long, as a club with a larger budget would be able to make an offer, but at our end of the table it would make a big difference over a few games.

When I am cropping a picture, I usually include at least the featured player's head and feet, even at the expense of more space or background clutter. I supplied this picture of Chris Rimmer heading the ball to the Merseymart.

They chose to crop it a bit more like this (as usual, this is not their actual crop they used, this is my rough representation).

At this time of year, I usually take pictures in the second half from the side of the pitch, aiming for the opposite wing to the one I took in the first. On this occasion I did not have the chance to change sides: although Radcliffe's floodlights looked to be amongst the better ones in the division, there were a couple of bulbs out on the clubhouse side, leaving an unusual pattern of bright spots.

James McCulloch

I took up a position between the two dugouts. Radcliffe's choice of ends had the desired effect (for them), as we were unable to recapture the form from the first half, a reverse of something of a pattern for the season.

This position gives a good view of our own goalkeeper. I get a surprising number of shots of our goalkeeper in mid air, rather less include the ball.

Gary Spotswood

In my position, I was able to see the main incident of the second half, Joe Evans being sent off for what the referee described as inappropriate use of the elbow. I did not get a picture, but I am sure Joe's elbow was not raised, and certainly nowhere near their player's face, which he was clutching in a manner that may have been over the top for Gloucester having his eyes put out in King Lear. As  the players involved had their backs to the referee, the position of Joe's arm would have been obscured by the Radcliffe player. It surprised me that the referee did not consult her assistant, who was facing the incident, and did not look willing to offer an opinion, unless he was expecting it to be apparent from the lack of a flag.

Joe Evans

After a game at a ground with a sloping pitch, it was time for post match refreshment in a pub with a sloping floor. I am not imagining these slopes, I did not join the independently travelling supporters for a lunchtime drink: I did not want to travel until I knew the game was on, as my second choice would have been to watch Waterloo. The Marble Arch in Manchester has a slope, dropping 3 or 4 feet from the main door to the bar, and a more conventional couple of steps down to the dining room.

The rest of the pictures from the game can be seen here.