Burscough 1-6 AFC Liverpool - Match Report

A Callum Schorah hat-trick, a James Howell double and a Elliot Hughes strike confirming an emphatic 6-1 win for AFC Liverpool away at Burscough, cancelling out Ryan Katumba’s goal for the ‘Linnets’ to continue their perfect start to the league campaign for the ‘Reds’, with Burscough still searching for their first points of the season.

It never took long for the first goal to go in, as AFC Liverpool struck after 2 minutes. Elliot Hughes touching down from a long ball, then beating defender before curling into the top corner from the edge of the area. 

From the opening goal from the ‘Reds’, Burscough began a period of persistence pressure and chances at the AFC goal, with Jack McGovern on fine form. 

The first two opportunities for the Linnets hitting the woodwork. Robert Oseh dancing feet beat several AFC Liverpool players before his strike crashing off the post, then a free-kick swung into the area was met by Joshua Dos Santos, with his flicked header gliding off the top of the bar. 

Next to try his luck for Burscough was Edward Servuts, with both of his opportunities on target thwarted by Jack McGovern. 

Dos Santos came close again for the home side, with the Burscough number 7 teasing Jack McGovern with a looping strike, however the end result was it flying over the bar. 

Despite the Burscough onslaught, AFC Liverpool soaked up the pressure and claimed a second goal, with Kyle Schorah reacting quickest from a quick corner to pound home past a hapless Abidan Edwards. 

Despite being two goals down, Burscough continued in their  hunt for a goal, with Joshua Dos Santos in particular the man who seemed the biggest threat to the AFC Liverpool defence. Dos Santos had two good opportunities on the stroke of the break to half the deficit. The first chance was a low drive from just outside the area testing McGovern, with the strike eventually trickling wide. Then a compelling strike was blocked by an outrushing AFC Liverpool defender. 

HT: Burscough 0-2 AFC Liverpool

The ‘Reds’ continued their goal-scoring antics from the first half into the second as they added a third goal round the hour mark. Kyle Schorah’s tricky feet befuddled the Burscough defence and the goalkeeper, sending them to the floor which left Schorah with an open net to aim at in which he duly converted. 

Burscough began to control play, symmetrical to their passages of play from the first half. Ryan Katumba heading wide before forcing Jack McGovern into a good save, with the AFC keeper diving low into the corner to rebuff the Burscough substitute. 

Katumba, and Burscough ultimately netted, with the ‘Linnets’ substitute nodding home from point-blank range. 

It didn’t take long for AFC to recapture their three goal advantage. James Howell, off the bench, lashed a venomous effort nestling into the top corner out of Abidan Edwards’ reach, after a ‘Reds’ player cutback. 

In very quick succession, Burscough almost replied instantly from kickoff and again reduce the deficit to two. Captain Josh Dobie spotted Jack McGovern off his line and unleashed a fierce strike, in which McGovern was able to sprint back in time and tip onto the crossbar and over. From the resulting corner, AFC Liverpool broke in their numbers, with James Howell’s deflected strike crawled beyond Abidan Edwards for a fifth ‘Reds’ goal. 

With five minutes left of play, Kyle Schorah chalked up his hat-trick and compiled more misery on Burscough, sweeping aside several Burscough players before sliding past Edwards into the bottom right corner to complete the scoring. 

Schorah almost netting a fourth and a seventh for AFC Liverpool deep into added time, with a cutthroat effort almost picking out the top corner, yet it eventually sailed wide. 

FT: Burscough 1-6 AFC Liverpool