AFC Liverpool 4-1 West - Match Report
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AFC Liverpool 4-1 West
West XI: Blight, Rowney, Kenny, Jackson, Jones, Moscrop, Quadri, H Roberts, Elliott, McGlynn, Matthews
West subs: Abadaki, Angel (unused), Dawson, Billingsley, Seidenari
West's playoff bid took a further blow on Saturday as they were well-beaten in Bootle by a free-scoring AFC Liverpool side.
Manager Steve Yarwood made four changes to the side that lost at home to Padiham the previous weekend, with Dougie Blight returning in goal and Jake Kenny, Billy Matthews and Callum McGlynn all re-joining the first XI. There was also a place on the bench for new signing Brian Seidenari, who joined the club from Stockport Town earlier in the week.
The match kicked off in horrendous conditions as the hail belted down at the Berry Street Garage Stadium, and West moods were dampened further when the Non-League Reds took the lead inside five minutes through an excellent strike from forward Caleb Jones. That goal was all that separated the sides at the break following an evenly-matched half of football.
The match did begin to unravel on the hour-mark however as the hosts were awarded a controversial penalty for a trip inside the box. The penalty was dispatched by prolific striker Elliot Taylor, and West had a mountain to climb if they wanted to take anything back to Manchester in a game that they could not afford to lose.
The game was put beyond doubt fifteen minutes later when Taylor scored again to make it three, and he then completed his hattrick with a backheel in the 84th minute to add insult to injury.
West did at least manage a consolation goal through a Ben Elliott penalty just before the end after Victor Abadaki was brought down by Liverpool's 6'7 goalkeeper. That was the only relief however on a miserable afternoon in Bootle.
The result saw West drop to eighth and widen the gap to the playoffs to ten points with just six games to play.
Article by Ollie Sargent, photo by Chris Michell