BURSCOUGH 1 AFC LIVERPOOL 1
By Neil Leatherbarrow
Burscough were frustrated last week as they were denied two points at home to AFC Liverpool by a goal eight minutes from the end, to leave them with a pair of 1-1 draws to pen the new football season, this after they had taken the lead on 22 minutes with a goal from new centre-forward Tom Peterson, his first for the Linnets.
The first quarter hour was closely fought but both teams were doing their best to grab the initiative, a dipping shot over the crossbar on 14 minutes from AFC number ten Joel Skillen the nearest to a goal.
Soon afterwards Caleb Jones cut inside from the right wing but saw his effort dealt with by Burscough goalkeeper Ben Barnes and at the Orrell Lane end Owen Cushion put a fizzing shot just past the AFC upright.
It all looked promising for an entertaining encounter.
On 22 minutes Burscough scored, a long ball from keeper Barnes was won by Sam Turner who played the ball back into the path of Peterson who fired a low shot from around 18 yards into the bottom corner of the AFC net.
Five minutes later Turner and Peterson combined again, this time though Peterson’s lob was grasped above his head by AFC goalkeeper Dave Parkinson.
The quarter hour before the interval saw AFC fight back and credit to them because they are a good footballing side.
The irrepressible Jones cut inside from the right and again shot with his left foot, this time over the crossbar, then off a Jones cross Skillen put in a header that was saved by Barnes, finally in added time Barnes made a terrific save from a Cameron Rooney diving header, the half-time whistle was welcomed on the home bench.
The second-half was a tighter affair with defences on top for the most part, but both teams were trying to find the net.
AFC had the early momentum, then after Jones spent ten minutes in the sin bin Burscough had more of the possession Callum Laird going extremely close with a shot across the face of goal.
If Laird’s shot had gone in it would have probably won the game for the Linnets, however six minutes from the end AFC levelled. A header hot the home crossbar, the header from the rebound was saved by Barnes, but a second rebound was turned in by Elliott Taylor.
Both goalkeepers made excellent saves near the end, at end it was honours even, if either team had lost they would have gone home disappointed.
BURSCOUGH: Barnes, Cannon-Noren, Rigby, Cushion, McCulloch ©, Duff, Turner (Devine, 45). Lawson (Coughlan, 73), Peterson (Zorbas, 65), Laird (Wildman, 80), Hamilton (Shearwood, 73)
AFC Liverpool: Parkinson, Williams, Giblin, Brown, Fisher-Jones ©, Rooney, Jones, Mahaffy, Taylor, Skillen, Paton Subs Moorcroft, Blankendal, Lancaster, McShane A., McShane J,
REFEREE: George Payne
ATTENDANCE: 192
