Using this site means you accept its terms.

	home (h)	site map (s)	club information (i)
	fixtures (f)	club news (n)	merchandise (m)
	have your say (v)	email the club (c)	email the webmaster (w)

Errors in match reports: When Cables are attacking I am either focussing my camera to try to get a good action shot for the website or trying to stop my notebook and pen from falling on the floor! Not only that, but I have the world's worst memory for names and faces! With these factors to take into account it is inevitable that there will sometimes be mistakes in reports (e.g. the wrong player credited as having put in the cross that led to the goal). I email my reports to the non-league paper early Saturday evening (home matches only) then put them on the website and email them to the programme editor. If you spot a mistake it will probably be too late for the NLP, but if you email me I will correct any mistakes on the website version and arrange for the corrected version to be in the next match programme.

A draw was probably the right result in this highly competitive derby match, although Cables' supporters left the ground disappointed at the loss of two points to poor refereeing decisions.

Marine had the better of the early exchanges with James Connolly having a header saved after five minutes and Darren Brookfield a shot after thirteen.

After fifteen minutes came what should have been the turning point of the match. Karl Connolly took a free kick for Cables from 40 yards. As the ball headed goalwards, Marine's goalkeeper fell over one of his own defenders. To the astonishment of everyone in the ground, the referee disallowed the goal and gave Marine a free kick for the defender fouling his own goalkeeper.

Two minutes later Karl O'Donnell shot across goal for the visitors. Peter Cumiskey was on hand to receive the ball but only managed to put it out for a goal kick.

Cables' debutant Ryan Wade was making his presence felt down the right wing and was unlucky to see his 36th minute cross collected by goalkeeper Andy Banks. This was the beginning of a good spell for Cables, with Scott Murphy shooting over the bar and Anthony Daniels having a shot blocked then saved. At the other end of the pitch, some excellent defending by James Dever helped Cables out. Half-time Cables 0 Marine 0.

The second half started much like the first, with Marine dominating the early stages.James Connolly shot over the bar in the first minute of the half and a minute later Steve Hussey took a free kick from outside the penalty area. The ball went to Cumiskey, who headed over.

After 52 minutes Eamonn Price and Gavin Lynch combined well down the left but impressive defending by Marine cleared the danger.

After 55 minutes the match officials once again angered the Cables supporters. Hussey clearly handled the ball before passing to Brookfield. Brookfield crossed to Karl O'Donnell who slotted the ball into the net to give Marine a controversial lead. To be fair, Hussey had his back to the referee when he handled the ball, but the assistant referee had a clear view of the incident.

Cables fought back immediately with Karl Connolly crossing to Steve McEwen who headed over.

Cumiskey nearly doubled the visitors' lead after 67 minutes when he shot wide from just outside the penalty area.

After 74 minutes Thomas Moore was brought down in the penalty area. He took a perfectly-weighted kick to the bottom left. Banks got a hand to it but could only help it on its way into the net.

There were further chances for both sides and Marine can consider themselves unfortunate to have visited Prescot on a night when Richie Mottram was in superb form in the Cables goal.

The final score was Cables 1 Marine 1 and the main talking points on the way out of the ground were the controversial decisions of the match officials. It is only fair to say that the mistakes adversely affected both teams: I have referred only to the ones that affected Cables in the report not out of bias, but because they both affected the final score.

Man of the match: Ryan Wade
Entertainment: **** out of five

Teams:

Cables	num.	Marine
Mottram	1	Banks
Smith	2	Potter
Murphy	3	McDermott
Daniels	4	Farley
Bell (c)	5	James Connolly (c)
Dever	6	Hussey
Wade	7	Brookfield
McEwen	8	Parle
Karl Connolly	9	O'Donnell
Price	10	Cumiskey
Lynch	11	Woolcott
Taylor	12	Brazier
Moore	14	Hussin
Stannard	15	Towey