Bootle Defeat Sefton Park Rangers In An Eight Goal Thriller

By Brendan Doyle

Photos: Kate Tencza

Bootle got off to a good start and created a few chances in the opening stages of the game, the first major chance fell to Caitlyn Rogers as she was through on goal one on one with the keeper and got her shot away but the effort was brilliant saved, massive credit to the Sefton Park Rangers keeper. Caitlyn Rogers was through on goal once again and got her shot away but once again the keeper for the visitors managed to keep the game at 0-0 with another fantastic save.

Poppie O’Neill was through one on one and looked very likely to brake the deadlock for The Bucks but her effort was put wide, huge chance for Bootle to take the lead. Nonetheless, O’Neill made up for her missed one on one effort after Caitlyn Rogers played a squared pass from the right hand side which Poppie O’Neill then hit home her effort with a first time effort to finally give The Bucks the lead, the end first half seen Bootle 1-0 up as they headed down the tunnel.

Just eight minutes into the second half, Bootle made it 2-0 as keeper Izzy Cartwright played a long ball to Poppie O’Neill who then assisted Caitlyn Rogers as she calmly slotted the ball past the keeper, once again a Rogers/O’Neill link up resulted in a Bootle goal. In the sixty third minute, the visitors managed to pull a goal back to make it 2-1 after a good finish in the box from the left winger, but very quickly Bootle gave themselves a two goal cushion again as Caitlyn Rogers finally got her name on the scoresheet after being fed a fantastic through ball which she then converted into the bottom left hand corner to make it 3-1.

Poppie O’Neill made it 4-1 to Bootle not long after their third goal after an amazing piece of dribbling and leaving the Sefton Park Rangers fullback defeated and stuck her shot into the far corner to give Bootle a wider lead in the game, just as Bootle seemed to be cruising, Sefton Park Rangers were awarded a free kick which was struck into the top far corner of the Bootle goal, a magnificent set piece goal. Five minutes later, Poppie O’Neill finally got her hat trick as she cut in from the left hand side and hit her effort towards goal which the keeper got a hand to but it wasn’t enough to keep the ball out and Bootle went 5-2 up. Sefton Park Rangers managed to grab a consolation goal to make it 5-3 in the eighty seventh minute, despite a bit of a push from the visitors, the result was 5-3 to Bootle with a victory in the LWYFL Open Age Cup.