Match Report

Reds Suffer Narrow Defeat On Merseyside

Mark Beesley’s side suffered just their second defeat of the season, with an early free kick the difference between the sides in a 0-1 defeat.

The Reds’ previous visit to Hope Street on Easter Monday was one to forget, as they fell to a three-nil defeat after an early red card. This was a much different contest.

It was a slow start for FC, and they paid the price in the seventh minute. After giving away a free kick 25 yards from goal, Goodwin stepped up and fired a superb effort into the top left hand corner, leaving Dan Atherton with no chance.

The rest of the half passed without too much action, but the hosts had a chance to double the lead right on half time as an FC clearance found Goodwin in acres of space on the edge of the box, but his shot flew well over.

The Reds came out after the break with more intent and a nice move a couple of minutes into the half saw Matty Grivosti’s shot from distance deflected out for a corner. Just after the hour, a long ball down the wing found Adam Le Fondre racing forward, but his shot was saved.

As the game entered the last 15 minutes, FC did everything but score. A header on from Grivosti and a flick forward from Le Fondre found substitute Ron Sithole one-one-one with a Cables defender, but his shot was saved at the near post. Shortly afterwards, Jay Fitzmartin drew a good save from Calvin Hare, who parried it away.

A couple of minutes from time, Sithole had another chance from close-range which was blocked, before Dec Evans’ header from a corner flashed wide of the post.

In the third minute of time added on, Sithole again found himself one-on-one with a defender and pressed forward into the box but dragged his shot into the side netting.

With time almost up, the Reds came even closer to levelling things up. A long ball headed on fell to Adam Sudworth 25 yards out. His cleanly-hit shot beat the goalkeeper, but cannoned back off the left upright.

FC got the ball back from the rebound, and sent a high cross into the penalty area, which was only cleared as far as Adam Le Fondre on the edge of the box. His volley looked destined for the top corner but Hare somehow managed to pick it out through a crowd of players and made a superb diving save.

It felt that it wasn’t going to be FC’s day after that, and a couple of minutes later the final whistle blew, seeing Mark Beesley’s side suffer just a second league defeat of the season.