Battling Boro robbed at the death

NW COUNTIES DIVISION ONE CITY OF LIVERPOOL ..... 3 BACUP BOROUGH ........... 2 SHELDAN KEAY BACUP Borough suffered a defeat in their first game of the league season after they were beaten by newly formed City of Liverpool FC.

Brent Peters’ side were still without the services of club captain Shane Birtles and Kelvin Trippier, who were both awaiting surgery. Experienced Gareth Wager was also absent, but Bacup welcomed back last season’s leading goal scorer Matthew Barlow into the starting line-up.

In the opening minutes of the game the home side forced Bacup into defending, but once the game settled down Bacup went on to have long periods of good possession.

The first real opportunity came when Barlow, deep inside his own half, released Johnathan Thompson who got in around the back of the City of Liverpool defence but his goal bound effort struck the side netting.

At the opposite end of the pitch, City of Liverpool’s Daley Woods brought a terrific save from Bacup keeper Aaron Ashley when he pushed away a goal-bound effort.

On 35 minutes, City of Liverpool took the lead following a positive attack down Bacup’s left hand side. A quality cross with pace was met by Woods, who got the better of Adrian Bellamy to head his side into the lead at half-time.

After the interval, Peters made his first change by introducing Anthony Hall for Bradley Haworth, while Darcy O’Connor was forced off with injury and replaced by Nathan Emery.

Bacup continued to create chances, with City of Liverpool goalkeeper Stephen Longrigg pulling off a good save from a Thompson header for a Bacup corner, before Matthew Bryan struck the Liverpool post.

Peters’ side eventually found themselves on level terms when a forward long pass down the right ●● Matthew Barlow found Johnathan Thompson, who then lifted the ball over the advancing Liverpool keeper to make it 1-1.

Bacup had then turned things around moments later when Bryan fired into the back of the net to put his team in front for the first time.

Much to the delight of the City of Liverpool crowd, the action did not finish there as following a succession of corners for the home side, they finally got the better of the Bacup defence with a headed goal from Billy Webb.

It looked like the teams would have to settle for a point apiece, but City of Liverpool forced another corner in stoppage time and for the second time in the game the Bacup defence came out second best and the hosts managed to find a late winner.

The match against City of Liverpool was Bacup’s first of the season, after their planned fixture against Prestwich Heys last week was postponed.