Home Joy At Last!

Credit: Kate Tencza

By Brendan Doyle

The Bucks finally pick up a league win at home after a two month drought with a 2-1 win over Atherton Colleries.

The first attempt towards goal for Bootle came by way of a shot from Jay Roberts which was blocked which then seen the ball fall to the feet of Jack Lenehan whose shot was also blocked. Jay Roberts once again attempted to contribute to a Bootle lead by playing a ball into the path of Dior Angus from out wide but the hit from Angus was blocked by Atherton Colleries centre back Alex Doyle.

A free kick was awarded to Bootle in an optimistic position to get their noses in front which was whipped in by Ben Hodkinson but Colls skipper Luke Nock thwarted away the danger. Winger Rodney Ajayi took a shot on goal which took an awkward bounce towards Bootle keeper Tony Thompson which then lead to Thompson doing enough to keep The Bucks from falling a goal behind in the game.

Although the visitors very nearly did go in front however just minutes later as Alex Doyle managed to win a free header unmarked in the Bootle area but his headed attempt hit the top of the crossbar, a sigh of relief from the Bootle contingency was heard in the aftermath. After a fluent passage of play, the ball fell to Jack Lenehan who played a lovely chipped ball to Ben Hodkinson who struck the ball with a volley but unfortunately there wasn’t enough power on the effort to trouble goalkeeper Kier Barry.

An alert Ben Hodkinson pounced on a mistake from the visitors as drove the ball closer and closer towards the opposing net but couldn’t get a shot on target due to the presence of Alex Doyle making it difficult for Bootle’s talisman to hit the target. The first half would end 0-0 with Bootle having the larger share of possession but Atherton Colleries having the closest chance with an Alex Doyle header hitting the woodwork.

Bootle won a free kick from just over thirty yards out which Jack Lenehan stepped up to take and fancied his chances with a shot but the ball sailed over the Dodge Kop. Minutes after that, Sam Hughes headed a ball in from a Bootle corner which went over the bar but there was some huge shouts from pretty much every Bootle shirt for a penalty claiming there was a handball in the area but nothing was given.

In the fifty ninth minute, Dior Angus received the ball from Ben Hodkinson and cut in on his right foot and curled it into the far bottom corner to give Bootle the lead, a fantastic strike! In a short space of time after taking the lead, The Bucks tried to double it as Jack Lenehan made a brilliant tackle in his own final third and then sprayed the ball up the park in an attempt to find Ben Hodkinson on the end of it, but Colls keeper Kier Barry was first to meet the ball.

After an Atherton Colleries corner was tripped in the Bootle area but the referee didn’t see any wrongdoing and no penalty was awarded to the visitors, admittedly it was a decision which Bootle got away with but as we know from last Saturday against Sporting Khalsa…it happens. Possible justice came the visitors way however when Sam Sheridan bent in a free kick in the near corner from close range, a very neatly placed free kick and hats off to the lad as the visitors were now level.

Just as it seemed to be another routine of dropping points at home in recent times, Bootle were awarded a penalty in the later stages of the game which Ben Hodkinson then stepped up to take and convert which put The Bucks 2-1 up. This also puts Ben Hodkinson only twelve goals away from putting him as the club’s all time goal scorer, history awaits.

Bootle would then comfortably hold onto their deserved lead until the full time whistle and would eventually “stop the rot” as our commentator Steve Hilton would say, as The Bucks pick up their first league win at home since August 19th

Final Score: Bootle 2-1 Atherton Collieries