Match Report: Bootle 1-1 Atherton Colls
A Point Shared On Halloween
By Brendan Doyle
Kielen Adams early on took a shot outside the area which hit the post but no successful rebounds were made to follow up the effort, after that Declan Daniels made a header towards goal but Harvey Bardsley made a save to it. Lewis Doyle took a shot just outside the area and it was deflected to some height which Harvey Bardsley just about caught to keep out of any potential danger.
After a collision in the Bootle area the ball found it’s way to the path of Harry Forshaw who’s first game strike flew past Joe Mason to give Atherton Colleries the lead. Colleries were then awarded a penalty which was on the stroke of half time which Liam Sheppard took but it was saved by Joe Mason to keep Bootle only a goal down going into the half time break.
Bootle made a very fast start to the second half and after a scramble from a corner in the Atherton Colleries penalty area the ball seemingly went over the line but the linesman and referee didn’t agree with the Bootle shouts. Bootle did however equalise minutes later as Ben Hodkinson’s lofted shot found its way over the keeper and into the back of the net to bring Bootle level.
A chance fell to Ben Hodkinson late in the game as a through ball found him in space and he aimed for the far corner but Atherton Colleries keeper Harvey Bardsley was once again called into action and made a fantastic save to keep his side level in the game. After lots of chances and huffing and puffing from Bootle, they wouldn’t have enough to get a win over the line and to keep a 100% win record at home in our 2026/27 campaign. To the visiting Atherton Colleries credit, they defended fantastically throughout the second half and a draw was a fair result on the day.
