Published at 12:58, Tuesday, 01 December 2009

HOLKER exited the Vodkat League First Division Trophy at the second round stage, following a disastrous six-minute spell at the start of the second half.

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NW COUNTIES

Holker Old Boys

1

AFC Liverpool

3

Having played out a somewhat dour goalless first half, the visitors struck twice in quick succession.

Ian Orme scored on 49 minutes and then John Kennedy converted a penalty after keeper Stuart Eccles, in for the injured Ben Morsby, fouled Orme inside the area.

They went further behind chasing the game, when Matthew Williams struck a free-kick with accuracy into the top corner of Eccles’ net, and the only consolation was a 40-yard lob, chipped in by substitute Stephen Forbes with Liverpool keeper Sam Wilkinson stranded.

Holker started down the slope and within 45 seconds Wilkinson, was in action to turn Paul Southward’s effort round his right-hand post for a corner.

From this corner Holker should have taken the lead. Big centre-back Chris Squirrell was presented with a free header but poor contact sent the ball over the bar.

Liverpool had a good spell 20 minutes into the game when firstly a Conor Murphy cross went just beyond the reach of Orme, and then Joe Evans had a direct run on goal but shot straight at Eccles. Then a Kennedy free-kick came back off the wall to Williams, but he shot wide.

Four minutes into the second half, Orme gave Liverpool the lead when he cut in from the left and fired a shot across Eccles from the left-hand edge of the area into the bottom corner.

Worse was to follow in the 55th minute when Orme burst into the area and Eccles was slow off his line and took the man instead of the ball.

Referee Nigel Usher had no hesitation in awarding a penalty and fortunately Eccles only received a yellow card. Kennedy stepped up and dispatched the penalty. Orme had another attempt saved by Eccles, then in the 62nd minute he was floored again, this time on the edge of the area directly in front of goal. Williams stepped up to take the free-kick and placed a perfect shot over the wall into the top corner, giving the keeper no chance.

The introduction of the three Holker subs, Stephen Forbes, Brad Hubbold and Glen Warburton, injected a bit of bite into the Holker side and it was Forbes who pulled one back in the 70th minute, when a through-ball from Smith had Wilkinson running 25 yards off his line to clear the danger but his clearance went straight to Forbes. He chipped a perfect lob from 40 yards into an empty net with the keeper stranded. Forbes then had another chance but his glancing header from a corner was well held by Wilkinson.

Holker continued to press but Liverpool held firm, with Coyne soaking up everything thrown at him.

Skipper Kevin Watkin was voted Holker’s man-of-the-match in a game played in front of a healthy crowd of 84.

Holker: Eccles, Thompson, Redhead, Coombe (Warburton, 71), Capstick, Squirrell, Daly, Watkin, Southward (Forbes, 66), Kewley, Smith (Hubbold, 71).

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