Threlfall on the mark again for Town (From Craven Herald)

Threlfall on the mark again for Town

2:47pm Thursday 4th October 2012 in Sport By Pete Naylor

Barnoldswick Town 1 AFC Liverpool 0

Town still had selection problems with Spencer Jordan, Neil Chapman, Shaun Clough, Liam Garbutt, Stewart Airdrie, Robbie Smith, Aaron Hollindrake and Kevin Richardson unavailable for various reason for their latest North West Counties League Premier Division game.

With a stiff breeze blowing across the ground the accuracy of passing was made quite difficult, with the ball swirling in the wind.

The first ten minutes of the match was contained mostly in midfield with both teams striving to get a hold on the match, and both keepers having a relatively easy time.

Then Liam Blades had Matthew Kasbarian in the Liverpool goal scrambling to push the ball out of danger at the far post.

Town won a corner after 15 minutes, Blades releasing Harry Thompson down the Liverpool right.

He raced into the penalty area before shooting from an acute angle and forcing Kasbarian to concede a corner at his near post.

Blades took the corner and swung the the ball towards the near post.

Kasbarian leapt to palm it away towards the edge of the six-yard box where the unmarked Ashley Alderson nodded the ball back towards the far post where Mark Threlfall jumped above the defence to head in from less than a yard out.

Town then began to put pressure on the Liverpool defence winning another corner two minutes later.

When the ball Alderson saw his shot from 10 yards out cleared off the line to safety.

At the other end Jack Overson did well to head the ball for a corner with the Liverpool forwards closing in,.

With Town unable to add to their goal tally Liverpool started to gain in confidence, causing the Town defence problems.

Their top goal scorer John Lawless tried his luck from 30 yards with the ball going just over the bar.

Just before half-time Liverpool should have equalised. Francis Barry got clear of the Town defence before shooting from the corner of the six-yard box past Marko Marosi in the Town goal but thankfully also past the far post with their skipper River Humphreys unable to turn it in.

At the start of the second half Town were well on top.

Blades corner caused mayhem in the Liverpool defence after 48 minutes. Two shot were blocked by the Liverpool defence.

Two minutes later a long throw by Bill Williams saw Billy Priestley head the ball against the Liverpool crossbar with Kasbarian beaten.

With Town failing to increase their lead Liverpool came more into the game and shots from Daniel Hand and Barry caused problems.

After 70 minutes Muktar Mahama, who was a handful all afternoon, put Barry in on goal but he shot over.

Five minutes later Priestley made a magnificent tackle on Barry to stop him scoring.

The final action came in the form of a red card for the Liverpool leftback Shaun Harris.

A quick Town attack saw Oldroyd streak after a clearance that exposed the Liverpool defence as they pushed forward looking for an equaliser.

He just nicked the ball before Harris whose tackle brought him down as he looked to be clear on goal, giving the referee no option but to produce the red card.