AFC Liverpool 4 Squires Gate 2: Match report

Gate lost another goal-fest against Liverpool, where they conceded after 40 seconds, then hit back to take the lead only to be beaten by three goals in eight minutes.
By The Newsroom
Published 5th Mar 2017, 09:59 BST
Updated 24th Mar 2017, 11:07 BST
Gate's Joe Griffith pulls off a fine save Picture: ALBERT COOPERGate's Joe Griffith pulls off a fine save Picture: ALBERT COOPER
Gate's Joe Griffith pulls off a fine save Picture: ALBERT COOPER

The teams’ previous meeting had ended 5-4 to AFC.

Gate boss Danny Penswick stuck with the side that had drawn with Barnton two weeks earlier, with new signing Max Rothwell on the bench.

The home side couldn’t have started the game any better as Emini Adegbenro caught Gate unawares to fire home from distance.

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Gate settled down and gave the perfect reaction with an equaliser on 12 minutes, when the dangerous Charlie Waters beat his man and crossed to the back post for Ben Seear to fire his fifth of the season.

Gate were denied another scoring opportunity when striker Seydou Bamba was adjudged to have controlled another Waters pass with his hand, then play-manager Penswick shot off-target from a tight angle.

The hosts went close to a second just before half-time, when Fred Champion fired over from the edge of the box after good work by Jack Leamey down the right.

Gate continued to impress after the break as Joe Noblet fired a free-kick straight at the keeper, then the midfielder saw another shot deflected for a corner from which his side took the lead on 57 minutes.

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The ball fell to Dave Rossall at the far side and he crossed back into the box for Bamba to rise highest and power his header in.

Gate looked to be in control but five minutes later AFC were awarded a penalty for a foul by Paul Alexander, though Gate protested he was the one pulled down.

Defender Michael White stepped up to equalise and AFC were ahead on 65 minutes, Adegbenro scoring an easy second after a long ball had been left by both Alexander and Gate keeper Joe Griffith.

It became even worse for Gate on 70 minutes as winger Leamey, who scored a brace in the reverse fixture, haunted the visitors with a superb finish.

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He was denied another pair in the 90th minute, when Griffith tipped over his fearsome free-kick, as AFC remain sixth and Gate 16th in the Hallmark Security League premier division.

Penswick said : “We got on top and thoroughly deserved our 2-1 lead but we stopped doing the things that had served us well. The game changed on decisions. “There were a lot of good things in the first 60 minutes and a lot of bad things in the last 30.”

MARK ASHMORE

Gate:Griffith, Carroll, Higham, Rossall, Alexander, Waters, Penswick, Hall, B.Seear, Noblet, Bamba. Subs: Dawson, Rothwell.