Mersey Harps 2nds hold off late pressure to keep up title charge: Mersey Harps Seconds 3 – Liobians First Team 1

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Joe Matthews reporting...


Mersey Harps 2nd team held on for a strong 3-1 win at home, despite second-half pressure from Liobians. Goals from Rhys Mckeever, Tom Mooney and Kevin McCloskey proved enough to stave off the comeback, signified by the converted penalty of Liam Butcher.

Harps Assistant Manager Terry McCann said: “I thought it took the opposition to score for us to pick up the pace again, to be more direct, be more clinical. I think we were a little bit complacent, a little bit slow, so we needed the kick up the backside to get us going again.

“I think we were probably a little bit disappointed that we didn’t create enough in the second half, but I felt overall our defence was very comfortable.”

Jimmy Cavanagh, the Liobians manager said: “Disappointing start, and it doesn’t help going 1-0 down in the first 30 seconds, it’s always uphill after that. The lads played well so happy with the performance, but disappointed with the result.”

The game got off to a fast start, with the side sitting second in the league taking hold within the first minute thanks to a decisive finish from Mckeever, claiming his sixth goal of the season.

The Harps maintained control of the game for the remainder of the first period, yet a combination of brilliant goalkeeping, and good fortune, kept the score down; notably David Cliff making several acrobatic saves for the visitors.

Yet with just 4 minutes to go until half-time, it was a moment of magic from Mooney that doubled the difference. With the ball bouncing around the sideline, Mooney sent it flying towards goal from 30 yards out, catching Cliff off his line and making it 2.

In the second period however, the away side looked a lot more confident, and had the Harps pinned back for long stints. They finally made it count in the 64th minute after referee Philip Webster gave a handball after the ball struck the arm of Surrah Drammeh in the box. Liam Butcher stepped up the slot the ball away and narrow the home side’s lead.

The remaining half an hour swayed slowly back in the favour the league’s 2nd placed team, and they eventually sealed the 3 points as McCloskey netted from just outside the box to make the score 3-1.

Nevertheless, despite the scoreline, the player that caught both managers eyes’ was Liobians goalkeeper David Cliff, who pulled off a hattrick of brilliant saves in the first half to keep his team alive.

The pick of the bunch was to deny Mooney from a free kick outside the box, which looked to be arrowing into the top left. But Cliff was alive to it and got a strong hand to it.

“It’s what we expect from Dave Cliff!” said his manager Cavanaggh, “He is a very, very good keeper. He keeps us in the game every week, and as long as we’ve got him, we expect to be challenging most teams.”

Opposition coach McCann had kind words for Cliff also: “Overall, I think probably Man of the Match was their keeper. He pulled off some fantastic saves in the first half, but I don’t think we put him under as much pressure in the second half.”

The two sides face each other again next week as they play to continue their cup ambitions in the Centenary Cup.

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