AFC Liverpool vs Burscough FC Pre-Match Report:

The Marine Travel Arena will play host to the fixture between AFC Liverpool and Burscough FC this Tuesday night, as both sides look to climb up the table. The two sides who both play in the Premier Division, currently linger towards the bottom of the table. The Reds currently sit 16th in the league on 29 points whereas their opposition sit in 23rd place on 19 points.

The two sides come into this game with contrasting form. AFC Liverpool’s last game was a 4-2 home loss to Colne FC on the 25th November, so the home side haven’t had a game for two weeks on the bounce. Meanwhile, the Linnets come off a 1-0 home win against Padiham FC, in which top scorer Matthew Hamilton netted for his third in three games this season. The away side also have a new manager since their last game against the Reds (a 4-2 home loss), appointing manager David Dempsey as their successor.

AFC Liverpool manager Phil Stafford responded to his team’s situation without any football in 17 days: “Two weeks without a game is tough and Burscough have had two games in that period.

“We’ve still got 15 home games to play this season, but a win takes us up five to six places.”

The Reds’ form has been mixed this season and although they’ve had no troubles finding the net, leaking goals has been a glaring issue. They seem to struggle later on in games with 16 of their 46 goals conceded (25%) being between the 76-90-minute mark.

Phil Stafford was asked on his side’s heavy involvement with goals at both ends, to which he said: “Goalscoring doesn’t seem to be the problem but we do leave ourselves quite exposed at the back.

“Is it down to naivety or is it down to us playing free flowing football.”

In regards to the times of the goals conceded by his team, Stafford said: “Is it a case of we’re not switching on, are we tiring towards the half, are we not coming out of the half quick enough.

“The lads need to listen to the instructions that we’re asking.

“We shouldn’t be going out early doors conceding goals and that’s something that we need to work on.”

Recent history between the two sides suggests this game promises to deliver a hatful of goals. AFC Liverpool forward and leading scorer Liam Paton will be looking to add to his respectable league tally of six goals scored.

Burscough haven’t won any of their last three league meetings with AFC Liverpool, therefore tonight’s game is a chance to get one over their league rivals.

Although recent results have gone in the home teams favour against Burscough, manager Phil Stafford has different beliefs going into the game: “It will be a totally different ball game tonight.

“They’ve (Burscough) got experienced fellas who have all managed above this level.

“They’ve brought in a few good experienced players who have all played higher and we’re a young side.”

It promises to be an interesting encounter between two contrasting sides.

Kick-off is at 19:45 GMT and the game is taking place at The Marine Travel Arena, Crosby.

Misery on Merseyside as Burscough take all 3 points in an emphatic 5-0 win against AFC Liverpool (Match Report)

Burscough FC recorded a thumping 5-0 away victory against AFC Liverpool at the Marine Travel Arena with a brace from top scorer Matthew Hamilton. Reds manager Phil Stafford was left wondering what on earth went wrong for his side. It’s a victory that sees Burscough secure back to back wins in the league for only the 2nd time this season. It’s a win that sees them jump to 21st place whilst AFC Liverpool have fallen down to 17th in the table.

AFC Liverpool lined up in a 4-3-3 whereas Burscough lined up in a hybrid 4-4-2, which in the early stages of the game became a 4-2-4 as they looked to press aggressively and get on the front foot. The away side amassed a few half chances together in the opening 5 minutes with a few low crosses across the box, one in particular from their number 9 Lloyd Dean, which no player managed to get on the end of.

The home side then had their first attempt of the game a minute later as midfielder Bradley Shearwood ambitiously attempted a shot from 45 yards away only for the Burscough goalkeeper Shea Callister to deal with it comfortably.

In a mad minute spell, Burscough generated the first clear-cut chance of the match as inform Matthew Hamilton chopped back onto his left foot from 8 yards away, forcing the Goalkeeper Danny Hamlett into a good save down to his left. Cian McDermott was on hand to intelligently nick the ball away from the Reds keeper before laying the ball off at the edge of the box, only for captain James McCulloch to blaze over.

The away side continued to pose a threat early on with Right back Harry Cannon-Noren finding plenty of space down the right flank, providing him with the opportunity to fizz balls across the face of the AFC Liverpool goal.

Both sides continued to waste chances in the final 3rd due to a combination of overhit passes and players not quite on the same wavelength. AFC Liverpool were guilty of this as a good counter opportunity and their first of the game was cut short by an overhit pass.

Chances continued to fall Burscough’s way in particular to striker Lloyd Dean who was a constant threat throughout the game. The chances mainly fell around the 18 yard box partly because the Reds were dropping too deep, allowing the away team to occupy space in their own half.

Around a quarter of the game in and there weren’t many clear-cut chances for the home team who struggled to make a stamp on the game.

In the 28th Minute Cannon-Noren once again whipped in a delicious ball for Lloyd Dean who narrowly misses from close range.

On the half hour mark, AFC Liverpool manager Phil Stafford made his first change presumably because he wasn’t happy with his side’s early displays. Callum Sandle was the player who replaced their number 9 Tom Croughan.

The AFC Liverpool faithful throughout the half emphasised the lack of match fitness shown by their players after a significant layoff period without a game. One fan said that “it looks like the players are rusty after not playing for 17 days.”

Burscough finally got their noses in front, and the goal they ultimately deserved in the 38th minute. Once again the ball was switched to the back post to Cannon-Noren who took the ball down and flashed it across the face of the goal. Lloyd Dean took two bites at it before scrabbling the ball over the goal line at his second opportunity.

The scrappy defending from the reds persisted inside their box in the 41st minute and in the 44th minute they were punished once again. Defender Matthew Coughlan found himself in an unusual position inside the oppositions penalty area and punished a mistake from Danny Hamlett who spilled the ball into his path, which he then converted from close range.

Burscough went into the break with a 2-0 lead in a very strong position to win the game.

At the beginning of the second half, Burscough applied more pressure and created more chances which in truth didn’t amount to much. However, the game was taken away from AFC Liverpool in the 52nd minute as a reckless challenge from central defender Sonny Parr on the halfway line, forced referee Declan Dunn to withdraw the red card from his back pocket. 2-0 down and down to 10 men and it looked unlikely that the Merseyside team could mount a comeback.

AFC Liverpool generated what was their best opportunity of the game as Tom Douglas curled in a delightful ball with the outside of his left foot into the box for first-half substitute Callum Sandle. Unfortunately the forward swung his boot and missed the ball completely. A chance which if put away would’ve changed the whole dynamic of the game.

Burscough however did punish them again, scoring a third in the 59th minute courtesy of a clinical Hamilton goal who converted from inside the box.

Despite the scoreline, AFC Liverpool stuck by their principles in the hope of salvaging something from the game. A strong tackle from scorer of the second goal, Coughan, forced the medics onto the pitch, provoking anger from the crowd as they believed his challenge was worthy of a red card just as Parr’s was. Only a yellow was shown and Burscough it could be said got away with one.

The defender was then substituted a minute later and replaced by Charlie Ball. Five minutes after in the 71st minute, Burscough made it 4-0. The ball was cut back to the edge of the box to Cian McDermott, who’s precise right footed strike hit the post before ricocheting off of Goalkeeper Danny Hamlett and into a gaping goal.

Shortly after in the 73rd minute, they made it 5-0 and Hamilton once again scored, this time executing a superb low volley from the edge of the box which nestled in the bottom right corner, leaving Hamlett flat footed in goal.

After that the game petered out and the away sides numerical advantage proved to be to much for AFC Liverpool and the last 15 mins was very comfortable to say the least.

The match finished 5-0 and Burscough secured all 3 points to continue their winning streak which is a definitive factor of this new manager bounce which has appeared to inject life into the team.

AFC Liverpool vs Burscough FC Post-Match Report:

Burscough inflicted a heavy 5-0 defeat on AFC Liverpool on Tuesday night leaving Reds manager Phil Stafford asking many questions going into their upcoming game against Pilkington this Saturday.

Linnets striker Matthew Hamilton bagged himself a brace to add to take his tally of 5 league goals this season and help his team move up to 21st place in the process.

Burscough went in at half-time deservedly 2-0 up thanks to goals from Lloyd Dean and Matthew Coughlan. However the game was changed when Reds defender Sonny Parr saw red for a challenge in the 52nd minute.

The game got away from the home outfit and Burscough scored a further three goals courtesy of Hamilton (’59), Danny Hamlett own-goal (’71) and Hamilton again (’73).

After the game, AFC Liverpool manager Phil Stafford was asked for his opinion on the red card and whether the result could’ve been different without. He said that: “The first 15-25 minutes it was an even game.

“We did the gameplan which was to receive the ball and get it out to the wide areas.”

In relation to the first two goals, the manager said: “We should defend the first goal better.

“It comes down the right side and the keeper should do better near post.

“The second goal we don’t react to the man coming in.”

In the second half, he said: “We’re getting caught deep in our own half and trying to overplay.

“Can we be a bit more direct and get it into the wide areas quicker.

“But within seven minutes your gameplan is out of the window, it’s 3-0, all of a sudden 4-0 and then we go to a 4-4-1 to keep the scoreline half respectable.

“I mentioned before the game, we’re naive and concede silly goals. It’s 79 we’ve conceded this year.

“You can’t do anything if you’re conceding that many goals in a season!”

He was also asked whether his players would learn from this. He revealed: “We’re a young squad but we’ve got to learn quickly.

“It doesn’t matter whether you’re 17 or 28, you’ve got to learn quickly.”

As far as his central defender Sonny Parr is concerned, Stafford said: “Sonny is sent off who should’ve known better.

“He’s an experienced lad, he shouldn’t be getting sent off. It’s killed the game.”

Assistant coach of AFC Liverpool Jack Edwards was also asked about his thoughts on his side’s defeat: “There’s a way to win and a way to lose and I think we conceded some sloppy goals tonight.

“It’s a bit too sluggish with and without the ball, far too reactive and we didn’t look like threatening them (Burscough) sadly.

“When we do play well, we play very well but then we play poorly and concede too many goals.”

In terms of his teams inability to keep the ball out of the net, he said: “We’ve got to want to defend more, as a collective unit as well.”

AFC Liverpool’s next game is away to Pilkington at 15:00 GMT on Saturday where they will no doubt be looking to bounce back.

Burscough FC travel to Litherland Sports Park to take on Litherland REMYCA on Saturday at 15:00 GMT where they will look to extend their winning streak.