LIVELY LIVER BIRDS FLYING HIGH

14th September 2016 - Cheadle Town 1 v 5 City of Liverpool FC - A day off work and 60 species of fungi identified from a local park.  I finished reading my latest book 'Doctor At Sea' by Richard Gordon and had a good chinwag with my lasses - not a bad day at all.  A good tea and off to the footy to finish the day with the vibes of 'Blank Generation' by Richard Hell filling the car on the way down.  Warm and clammy like Wayne Rooney's palms at the mention of a pay increase the temperature looked like the least of Cheadle Towns worries tonight ahead of what was looking like a very tough match indeed.  One hoped that The Boys would produce some of the grit they readily exhibit and claw out a result of some positivity.  Alas I was a trifle optimistic and as it transpired...

Toe on ball, the kick off came.  The opening period saw the team of Liverpool go straight for the jugular and an opening brace of long shots set the stall out and had Cheadle right on the back foot.  Despite the initial flow Cheadle should have been in front but fluffed the chance and let the away team off the rusted hook and continue their long ball fishing.  It was such a ball that led to the opening goal which was duly finished with aplomb by a seemingly cool striker on form.  No sooner had Cheadle settled than the Liverpool No 11 rifled home a cracker and put the visitors 2 goals to the good (or bad dependent on where your loyalties are found).  Again and again the tidal wave came and yet it was the homesters who had a golden opportunity go to waste after the keeper was lobbed and left stranded but whom miraculously got back just in time to block the ball on the line from the No 10's follow up.  The Scouse machine maintained the upper hand but Cheadle hung on in there however, like the aging body of Neville Southall, the game eventually lost something of its shape, much to the assistance, and relief, of the lads in green.  Unfortunately the lull didn't last and after a goal line clearance and a gasp from the fans that busy bee and on the mark No 11 popped up again and fired in his second of the night - and bloody well deserved it was.  Half time was announced - 3-0 seemed  kind to the Cheadle Boys - by heck, it was going to be a long night for em'.

A sit on me arse and a read of a book on nettles - lovely plants they are.

Half the second and ye Cheadle Town of defiant mode did pusheth forth.  Things may have turned the uncertain corner, hope sprang eternal...until... a low driving pass razored through the defence and was tapped home to increase the Liverpool lead and put the game well and truly to bed (without the snooze factor).  Cheadle were now pulled this way and that and became a ragged and somewhat forlorn unit and when the industrious No 10 lunged and mistimed a tackle the red card was surely the final insult on a night of hard, unrewarding labour.  Personally I thought the punishment too harsh and saw no vindictiveness in the offence - just a tired carcass mis-judging the pace of the ball.  Another goal now seemed inevitable and up stepped that No 11 again and netted his hat-trick from a situation he should never have been allowed to shoot from.  Liverpool now switched off, Cheadle struck the bar and actually stole a goal after the away teams No 1 completely missed an innocent looking ball and allowed the score-line to be more generous than it should have been.  Two injuries saw Cheadle eventually go down to 8 men and that, after the last huffs and puffs, was that - two teams both going in opposite directions - one looking smooth and silky, the other still waiting to get the season started.  Who knows what the end of the season will bring, but I reckon the City of Liverpool FC will by vying for top spot and making merry hell, for many teams, along the way.

Man of the Match - surprise, surprise tis that ruddy No 11 again (Thomas Peterson) who was one of several players that could have been chosen from a team of absolute quality.  It would be rude though to ignore the exploits of this 3 goal maestro.  Well played dude!

FINAL THOUGHT - Unlike a man with a very weakened bladder it was the art of passing that was on show tonight and exhibited that if a team sticks to a formula, knows each other inside out and has an ability to nail many a long ball then, in this league at least, they are destined to push for the top.  Perhaps the City of Liverpool are the best team I have seen this year, certainly in Division 1 at the very least. They certainly gave an excellent account of themselves tonight and are a team I will be keeping a peeper on throughout the developing season.
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