Litherland REMYCA 2-0 Cheadle Town
I'm never too far away from a footballing cliche on here, I admit, but you're just going to have to bear with me once again I'm afraid.
This week's maxim: the 0-2 scoreline didn't really tell the true story.
We created enough chances - whether they were half- or decent - to have got something out of this match.
As early as the third minute Tom Ratican scampered down the left to put in a lovely cross for James Dunn at the far post but he just wasn't long-legged enough to make contact.
Unfortunately the next passage of play saw the hosts go a goal up with their first decent effort on goal.
Possession was carelessly lost in midfield, allowing REMYCA to feed their no11 Alex Ryan down the left who bore down on goal and finished from a tight angle.
On the 15th minute the Ratican-Dunn combination was tried again. This time James managed to get his head to it, forcing a good save from the REMYCA keeper who could only parry it into the path of Luke Cotton...who somehow couldn't get full-purchase on his shot to force it home.
Back down the other end Mr Ratican was on-hand to clear a dangerous ball just in time before Danny Whiting got his body in the way of their no7's effort as he found himself clear following a free-kick.
On the 22nd minute we had another great chance to pull level. Another one of Tom Ratican's deep balls into the box was latched upon by Luke Cotton but he blasted his effort off the underside of the crossbar. The ball was then loose and Rick Whyatt tried to dive-head it home but that was blocked.
Straight down the other end REMYCA's Quirk clipped a neat ball through into the box but the resulting shot was flashed wide with James Dunn then unable to react quick enough to a Chris Sherrington free-kick, seeing the ball hit his feet and sail over.
After the break Danny Whiting had to tip over a Colin Quirk trademark long-ranger over the bar with us then having a handful of chances to draw level once more.
On 51 minutes Danny Wood found himself in a good position on the edge of the area with a clear shot on goal but perhaps hesitated too much in waiting for the ball to sit for him with the REMYCA keeper then making a complete hash of a clearance four minutes later; fortunately for him he was quick enough to react and thus deny Mssrs Cotton and Whyatt what would have been a tap-in.
On 59 minutes Callum Collinson's cross from the right found Rick Whyatt in space but he completely mis-timed his shot with Tom Russell then bursting down the right only to drive over the bar.
REMYCA then had a decent spell with a couple of chances from set pieces.
On 69 minutes they headed a corner ball onto the post with a completely free header being nodded wide on 75 minutes.
Callum Collinson then had a chance from the edge of the box after the keeper had clawed a Tom Russell free-kick into his path with REMYCA then edging ahead further on 83 minutes: a free-kick of their own being met with a header that struck the post with the loose ball hooked home into the top corner by Jason McShane.
A fairly decent match was then ruined by a needless sending off [Tom Russell for us] for both sides as injury time approached; both parties guilty of nothing more than a bit of pushing and shoving.
We're in action again tomorrow evening [Tuesday] as we travel to Abbey Hulton United.
TEAM: Whiting, Nield, Ratican, Russell, Shaw, Harrison, Dunn (Collinson), Wood, Cotton (Ambrose), Whyatt, C Sherrington (Holt). SUBS: Collinson, Ambrose, Holt, Piggott (gk).
