Colne finished pointless in their first game of the season on Friday night against AFC Liverpool but new manager Stuart Mellish will be pleased with the spirit and quality shown by his emerging new team who battled all the way and were unfortunate not to get a point.
The Reds were caught cold after only four minutes of the game when a cross from the left wing was touched home at the near post by Liverpool striker Caleb Jones to give the visitors an early lead.
The visitors pushed forward again looking for a second but were denied by a great tackle by Shakil Ali and as play switched to the other end, Sam Langford provided a searching cross into the visitors’ area which was headed away under pressure.
After 15 minutes, Colne drew level when Carlos Dos Santos opened up the Liverpool defence with a crossfield run and found the far corner of the net with a firmly struck curling shot for a well deserved equaliser.
The goal lifted the Reds and Langford’s diagonal shot from the left wing whistled just past the far post of the visitors’ goal while Mo Butt built good attacks on the right wing. And Niall Moran’s free kick picked out Keaton Mulvey, whose intended cross for Cuan Bradley was claimed by the visitors’ keeper under pressure.
However Liverpool came close after 25 minutes when Jones outpaced the Colne defence but pulled his shot wide of the far post. Five minutes later Jones provided a through ball for fellow striker Elliot Taylor who made no mistake with a low shot from close range to restore the visitors’ lead at 2-1.
Colne began brightly in the second half and good work on the left wing by Bradley led to a cross by Langford which was headed away from the visitors’ goalmouth under pressure. But at the other end, the Colne defence needed to dig deep as Butt cleared the ball off the line in a crowded goalmouth following a Liverpool corner.
But the Reds fought hard to find an equaliser and on the hour Dos Santos provided a through ball for Bradley who shrugged off two defenders but lifted his shot just over the bar with the goal in sight. Dos Santos came close as his shot was blocked at the near post by some desperate defending but at the other end Liverpool’s Bradley Shearwood brought a good save from Colne keeper Joshua McGreavy as the visitors still threatened on the break.
Colne brought on fresh legs from the subs bench and Josh Green provided added pace through the middle of the Colne attack. But the Liverpool defence held firm and repeatedly crowded out shooting chances in their penalty area at the vital moment and their keeper punched the ball away on several occasions under pressure from high crosses. And In the closing minutes, Green’s shot flew just over the bar as time ran out for the Reds.
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