PURPS HIT THE RIGHT NOTES...
Promotion party in full flow!
THE colour was purple as sensational City of Liverpool enjoyed that promotion party feeling.
Superbly supported Purps beat hosts Litherland REMYCA 3-0 in the North West Counties League Division One Play-Off Final.
A record crowd of 1,303 for Litherland REMYCA packed into the Litherland Sports Park ground, delaying kick-off for this eagerly awaited showpiece occasion by 15 minutes.
Purps, who won the League Cup recently, overturned the end-ofseason rankings, with City of Liverpool having finished fourth in the league table, while their opponents enjoyed home advantage by virtue of ending the term in third position in the standings.
Following a goalless first half, the deadlock was broken after 47 minutes when John Connolly’s cross from the left saw Jamie McDonald turn the ball home from close range.
Three minutes later the visitors increased their advantage as McDonald evaded the hosts’ defence and took the ball round goalkeeper David Potter before completing his decisive brace.
Success was sealed along with the dream promotion to the Premier Division after 56 minutes following a stunning goal. Matty Williams looked up from fully 40 yards out and unleashed a superb lob that dropped in just under the crossbar, catching Potter off his goal-line, making it 3-0 and putting the issue beyond any doubt. By this stage the hosts simply could not keep possession and get forward well enough, with City of Liverpool pressing high to deny their opponents time and space.
Litherland REMYCA were being held to long balls and crosses into the penalty area, while the eventual victors were playing on the counter attack, looking for an even more emphatic winning margin.
In the closing stages the hosts simply did not look like grabbing a goal. Indeed, City of Liverpool underlined their superiority by hitting the crossbar through Joe Camozzi after 84 minutes.
It was a remarkable achievement for in-form Purps, the Merseysiders having only been formed in 2015.
They had beaten their visitors Whitchurch Alport, who had finished fifth, 1-0, to book their final showdown place following Michael Roberts’ 58th-minute strike in front of 747 fans recently.
Litherland REMYCA had reached the Play-Off final following their victory by the same slim scoreline against their visitors, Sandbach United, who had ended their season in sixth spot. Alex Ryan’s 19th-minute penalty had secured their showpiece spot in front of 201 fans.
Both finalists had gone into the term’s finale in sparkling form, having won five and drawn one of their previous six games, albeit this ending up as a rather onesided decider.