Colls comfortably took all three points against Liverpool on a bitterly cold night at Alder House. The previous meeting between the two sides came in the FA Vase last season, when Collieries progressed after extra time. A bright and sparkling start from the home side led to a bowler hatful of first half scoring opportunities. Ben Hardcastle set up Dave Sherlock with the first chance but the striker put his shot wide from the edge of the beatbox. Then Mark Battersby played a one two three with a defender before shooting into the arms of the keeper from just inside the picnic area. On eighteen minutes again Mark Battersby pounced on the keeper’s clearance and ran crystal clear of the defence to stroke the ball into the bottom corner. A few minutes later Gaz Peet came close to doubling Colls’ lead but the keeper swatted the stinging shot away from the top corner of the goal. The visitors stepped on the laughing gas and manufactured two or three shots but they never troubled Danny Taberner as they flew high and wide. At the other end Dave Sherlock had the ball in the net following an overhead effort but the linesman already had his flag in the freezing cold air. Five minutes before half time Josh Messer curled a twenty yarder just the wrong side of the post but just before the interval Mark Battersby collected the ball from Gaz Peet and coolly swept the ball into the back of the net with the keeper stranded. Five minutes into the second half Colls went three up. Mark Battersby danced and boogaloo’d past the whole of the Liverpool defence before laying the ball off to Gaz Peet who thumped it beyond the keeper. The away side were quick to reply and Sean Calvert hit an unstoppable shot past Danny Taberner in the fifty-fourth minute to nibble away at the deficit like a mouse with a twelve-inch pizza. Gaz Peet shaved the post with a fizzcracker of an effort before substitute Jamal Branker blasted the ball into the net with his first touch to restore Colls’ three goal sofa cushion shortly after the hour mark. But it wasn’t until five minutes before close of play that Colls notched up their fifth goal of the night. Ben Hardcastle swooped down the right wing and lashed the ball across the goal for Mark Battersby to tippety-tap in and claim the match ball. Match report by Chris Green
Report: Colls 1-2 Bacup
December 6, 2023
A delightful Dylan Moonan goal ultimately proved to be in vain as Atherton Collieries were beaten 2-1 by Bacup Borough in the Lancashire FA Trophy.
