A clean sheet at Trafford

Despite a respectable performance over the bank holiday weekend, I was apprehensive about Prescot Cables' visit to Trafford, with good reason, as we had shipped more goals than I care to remember on our last two visits. Arriving in good time, I was still unsure of the precise etiquette for admission to the side of the pitch, so in the end I popped my high vis on, and wandered out onto the pristine turf just before the teams came out of the dressing room, with a vague general air that I knew what I was doing.

Shawe View has a wide border between the pitch and the perimeter fence, so I took up a position near the corner flag. A lot of photographers working pitchside have a stool, but as I have only just started, and want to keep cost and weight to a minimum, my seating arrangement of choice is a simple polyethylene cushion pad, £3.99 from the camping section at Clas Ohlson.

Lloyd Dean

When propping yourself up against the fence, always keep an eye out for what may be balanced on top.

The sun was shining, but I was in the shade of the fence so I did not have any distracting light from the side.

Louis Coyne

As at Tadcaster the previous week, we avoided conceding in the first half, and were not without opportunities to score. Our first goal, a good one from both playing and photographic perspectives, came from Jordan Southworth.

Jordan Southworth traps the ball ...

... shoots ...

... and celebrates his goal

Next to present a photographic challenge was a penalty for the hosts at what was probably a key moment a couple of minutes later. Marcus Burgess pulled off a save to maintain our advantage and the confidence that comes from going ahead. I often use the "a goal is a goal" principle to let a picture that does not quite meet quality control through the net - I also have a lesser used principle  of "a penalty save is a penalty save" for when I do not catch fingers and ball in actual contact.

It is a save - honest.

We had one new starter.

Aaron Turner

Tunde Owolabi came on a few minutes from time and looked dangerous, so much so that he was almost immediately fouled just inside the penalty area.

Tunde Owolabi

Realising that a lack of spectators in the way on my side of the barrier meant I could move to a better position for the penalty (ensuring I did not distract Jordan Wynne as he prepared to  take it), I moved closer to the goal.

Jordan Wynne scores from the spot

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

Final score: Trafford 0 Prescot Cables 2 (Southworth, Wynne pen)

Greeting old friends

Prescot Cables' game at home to Burscough was something of a reunion, with a number of our former players - Ben Morrow, Jonah O'Reilly, Phil Bannister, Josh Nicholson and Rob Doran - appearing for the visitors. There were former players in the crowd too, including Joe Evans, who has been trying his hand (well, both hands) at boxing with some success, and Jack Phillips, who looks to be out for some time with a torn anterior cruciate ligament. Also joining us was Jack's brother Anthony, who completed a 10k walk the previous weekend to raise money for the Seddon Unit at St Helens Hospital, where he received treatment following his stroke this time last year. Not having seen him for a few months it was great to see for myself the progress in his recovery he has reported online.

Jonah O'Reilly

Phil Bannister

Rob Doran goes for a header with Joe Herbert

The game would have consequences for both clubs. Failure to win for Burscough would confirm the relegation that has looked inevitable for some time, whereas a loss for us would considerably increase our chances of joining them.

Marcus Burgess has been selected for the England Universities squad, who I think are playing in April, so I was concerned which games he would be missing. I need not have worried, as we have secured the services of Nosakhere Aghayere, who impressed me in our games against Colne.

Nosakhere Aghayere

We were also without James Doyle and Jordan Wynne, representing Knowsley Youth in the Dallas Cup. Chris Almond carried on where he left off at the weekend with a goal after half an hour, and a second just before half time.

Chris Almond with Josh Nicholson

We had taken a firm grip on the game, but we had seen against Goole a few days previously what could happen to a two goal lead against determined opposition, so I felt we could do with a third. Dale Wright duly obliged on the hour.

A few minutes later, James Edgar was brought down for a penalty, with Dale Wright stepping up to take it. Ben Morrow's first touch in Senior football was to save a penalty, but he was without luck this evening. To cap it all, the picture I thought I had of a rather good save he made later came out too blurred to use.

Ben Morrow

Unfortunately, towards the end of the game, Dominic Reid sustained an ankle ligament injury that looks as though it has ended his season, so we hope he makes a full recovery over the summer.

Dominic Reid

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 (Almond 2, Wright 2 (1 pen)) Burscough 0

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

Second chance

Whenever anyone refers to being on the road to Wembley in the FA Cup, I would be better equipped to make a witty response if I were to keep abreast of whether Wembley FC are still in the competition. Still, as a result of very much playing to the final whistle, Prescot Cables were still in, with a replay at home to 1874 Northwich, if not for the Cup, then for an away fixture at FC United of Manchester in the next round, the attendance for which is likely to provide a welcome injection to club funds for the winner.

We probably had a slight advantage: it is often said the best way to defeat opponents from a higher league is to kill the tie off at home. However, Northwich would not be giving us an easy ride.

They were playing in claret, not a popular first choice colour at this level, so it makes a logical away colour. It is not the brightest of colours under lights but at least it is not dark red.

Jack Phillips

It had been a sunny day, so we started brightly enough, although the sun soon went down.

Jack Hont

Our visitors contributed to a healthy crowd of 291, so there was unaccustomed company for those of us who frequent the gasworks side.

The crowd pays close attention to James McCulloch's options for a free kick

Most people thought the first half had been fairly even, although I thought the visitors had the better of it, based on an unscientific assessment of the time my lenses were trained on our end of the pitch.

For the second half I was a bit slow going round to the gasworks side, so I was behind the goal when Rob Doran advanced for our first goal. In normal light it would have been a great picture, but it did not work with all the light coming from the side, even with the "goal is a goal" principle.

Rob Doran

We might need to establish a "penalty save is a penalty save" principle, with the honours this time falling to Ciaran Gibson.

Ciaran Gibson maintains our lead

With the visitors drawing level shortly afterwards, extra time was looming, when, in the last minute, Rob Doran struck again, another goal with no picture. Having got out of jail in the first game, we were through to the next round.

Of course these games are not good for the nerves. They are not good for the mental faculties either. On the way to the Sun for a drink with the pharmacologists, I was buttonholed outside the Hope & Anchor by one of our players, who had not been in the squad, and to whom I had spoken earlier in the ground, who wanted to refresh his memory of the correct name of our opponents. For some reason, I felt the need to tell him the score and competition as well.

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

Final score: Prescot Cables 2 (Doran 2), 1874 Northwich 1

Going home and winning away

I come from a village. Over the years you get to know the whole of a single settlement, rather than your neighbourhood being part of a larger whole. You can navigate from the train on a moonless night, you know which fields go with which farms, you remember the trees before the storm of 1987, and almost every house has its associations. For a football club, there will be the field where the farm workers or miners first assembled, the clubhouse built by the local builder, and the homes of now long forgotten players and officials.

My village had a small club, if FA ground gradings went down that far, it would probably scrape a Z. Summer was when we came out to play, the cricket club carried the village's name around the county. The Yorkshire village of Emley had a more substantial club, taking the village on to the national stage in the FA Cup. A few years ago, their home no longer met the required grading, so they moved to Wakefield, becoming Wakefield & Emley. When they became just Wakefield, and the Reserves left the village, a new club was founded to keep the game alive at the Welfare Ground.

Richie Mottram in front of the Belle Vue terraces

As is often the case with clubs getting in to bed with professional rugby league, the move has not been a happy one, with small crowds at Belle Vue. The former rugby union ground was more suited to their requirements, although it is just as well the graders did not find a hockey game, with associated whistles, on the neighbouring pitch. This was redeveloped under them, so it has been back to Belle Vue, until the rent rose to a sum beyond their means. They have therefore negotiated a ground share at ... the Welfare Ground in Emley. Whether they like it or not, they are going home, albeit to share with another club that has been carrying on the traditions and historical associations whilst they have been away.

For Prescot Cables, this was an important game. Having had our most winnable away games in the period when we always struggle after a long winter layoff, we were perilously close to the relegation places. At the time of playing, we knew Wakefield had not had their ground share in place by March 31st, and therefore should be relegated regardless of where they finish, but you can never be sure until the FA have consulted the entrails. There was also still a threat from bottom placed Ossett Albion, eight points behind with three winnable home games left.

It is sometimes said that The Queen must think the world smells of fresh paint. Belle Vue had a whiff of wet paint. Fortunately, the 64 in attendance had no difficulty fitting ourselves round the painters, the first time I have seen decorating going on during a game.

The game did not start well for us. Nikolaus Giannotta made his first start - unfortunately there is no photographic record, as he was injured before I had taken up position, being replaced by Max Pouncey.

Max Pouncey

Rob Doran was also injured early on in a collision with Wakefield's goalkeeper - he completed the first half, although he reported after being replaced at half time that he was not sure how.

Rob Doran

When it is dry, Belle Vue has good vantage points, but once it starts raining, particularly on the terrace, you have to go quite high up to get under cover, which is not the best position for pictures.

The rain eased off for most of the second half, enabling me to get back to the low position, first from the side ...

Isaac Kusoloka

... and then from behind the goal ...

Mike Kennedy

... although I had to take a few minutes' shelter on the balcony of the executive boxes (only the balcony was open, not the boxes).

It looked like a listless game, with our struggling to recover confidence from two back to back heavy defeats. That changed on 80 minutes, when the goalkeeper was adjudged to have brought down Chris McGann.

Phil Bannister converted.

This increased the tempo, with Prescot picking up confidence, and Wakefield finding something to play for, but neither side added to the score.

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

Final score: Wakefield 0 Prescot Cables 1 (Bannister pen)

Penalties saved, denied and scored

This weekend's Sir Bobby Robson National Football Day saw Dulwich Hamlet's first Ryman League Premier Division game for 12 years, against Lowestoft Town, the turf accountants' favourites for the championship. I have followed football at Premier Division level more recently, as, since Dulwich were relegated in 2001, Prescot Cables have been both promoted to and relegated from the Northern Premier League Premier Division.

Lowestoft are known to some as the Trawler Boys, in recognition of the town's fishing industry. At the turn of the 20th century, railway companies issued fishworkers' tickets, from Scottish ports to Yorkshire and to Lowestoft, with a return about 6 months later. These were for skilled onshore fish workers following the boats as they worked down the coast during the herring fishing season. I am not sure whether this explains one of the visiting supporters' flags, proclaiming themselves as Yorkshire Blues.

Lowestoft were awarded a penalty in the first few minutes, which, if they had scored, may have given them confidence to dominate the game. However, a save by Phil Wilson ensured that advantages remained even.

Phil Wilson plays the ball as the chap behind him texts home about the saved penalty

I rarely capture a good picture of our own goalkeeper saving a penalty. Although it is one of the spectacles of the game, with the penalty taker and goalkeeper lined up against each other, the  other players on the edge of the penalty area usually get in the way.

This took place whilst I was still walking round to the end we were attacking. I took up position behind one of the flags, indicating that we are a South London club.

Spectators have a part in catching or retrieving balls that have gone out of play. Doing so without spilling your pint is a useful skill.

When Harry Ottaway was brought to ground in the penalty area, many of us looked to the match officials ...

... and I lowered the camera in anticipation of a penalty. This is a dangerous time for the attacking side: if the referee adjudges there was no foul, the defending side often take advantage of the lapse in attention to make a break. Fortunately, Ellis Green played to the whistle, and, when it did not sound, put the loose ball in the net. Not that I saw it, as I was still looking at the referee.

Ellis Green

As an aside, I wonder if Harry Ottaway is any relation to the first England captain, Cuthbert Ottaway (not a descendant, as Cuthbert had only one child, a daughter): it is after all not a common name.

Having seen a penalty against our side, and a denied appeal, the match provided a useful opportunity for the writer and photographer - a penalty awarded to us. Some people use continuous shooting mode for a penalty, but I forget which button to press, the kick would be taken by the time I had gone through the menu, and I have enough practice to shoot almost as quickly manually. I generally photograph from my normal position, rather than moving directly behind the goal. On this occasion I captured the sequence quite well, with Erhun Öztümer placing the ball (keeping a straight back, best practice even with something as light as a football) ...

... taking the kick, with a couple of defenders in the background getting ready for any rebound ...

... and the ball heading towards goal.

We can see Erhun has a head down style, concentrating on the ball, rather than looking up and trying to second guess the goalkeeper's movement - a sensible approach, the movement of the goalkeeper is a variable you cannot control, best to concentrate on getting a powerful shot on target, which you can.

This was the best possible start to the season for Dulwich, for team morale and crowd retention: a crowd of over 500 treated to a win over one of the favourites for the title, and a good collection in the 12th Man bucket, building funds for Gavin Rose to use to strengthen the squad later in the season, or offer a contract to a player attracting attention from Football League clubs, allowing the club to collect a fee if the player signs professional terms.

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