Cheadle Town 2-4 Litherland REMYCA
If you were a neutral that came to Park Road over the weekend and thought that you had good value for money having seen six goals then I'm sorry to tell you that you were cheated.
Given the number of decent chances that we squandered the scoreline should have been much richer on the goal front.
A lively start saw chances for both sides within the opening ten minutes.
REMYCA were through on goal after just 5 minutes but were stopped by Sacks nicking the ball from the striker's feet. Four minutes later and Richard Whyatt planted a header just over the crossbar down the other end.
Rick was close to opening the scoring for us on 13 minutes but was a matter of inches away from connecting to a Chris Sherrington cross; the first of many chances that would go begging.
The deadlock was broken three minutes later by the visitors when a move down the left saw the ball break to Colin Quirk who bagged smartly from an angle.
On the half-hour mark Tom Elford had to make a block on the line after some hesitancy in the Cheadle defence before Liam Tongue somehow side-footed over the bar from close range.
Another two minutes, another chance, as Sacks finds the ball at his feet from a corner but can't get them sorted quick enough to bundle home.
It was going to be that kind of day....
Another quality corner found nobody on the end of it again just before half time with James Dunn then having to make an excellent stop to prevent REMYCA punishing our profligacy even further....
...which they did a mere minute into the restart; Colin MacDonald heading home a cross from the right.
James Horan headed over from close range on 52 minutes before REMYCA punished us even further, extending the lead on 56 minutes as Wade Muscart finished at the far post.
On the hour mark we finally force the ball home. Dean Nolan had clipped the ball towards the back post only for it to be hacked off the line with Richard Whyatt then flicking home from close range from the resulting corner.
Another goal would make it interesting. Alas, it came from the visitors just two minutes later as MacDonald got his second of the game, latching onto a through ball on the right and drilling home.
The final ten minutes or so saw another flurry of chances for both sides.
Liam Tongue crashed one of his thunderbolts off the post before trying his luck again shortly afterwards, curling this one into the net to reduce the arrears.
Arrears which should have been tightened further by Arnold Nsimbe with five minutes to go. Only he will know how he didn't score from close range after connecting with a cross from the left.
There was still time for REMYCA to hit the crossbar and somehow screw a shot wide when clean through on goal.
After a very successful December, January is proving to be a bit of a nightmare. It's final game sees St Helens Town visit Park Road next Saturday. Here's hoping we can see the month out on a high.
TEAM: Elford, McLaughlin, Pearson, Naughton (Nsimbe), Sacks, Dunn, Magida (Hincks), Tongue, Horan (Nolan), Whyatt, Sherrington. SUBS: Nolan, Nsimbe, Hincks.
