Alport advanced to the preliminary round of the FA Cup with a 3–0 win at the Get Moving Stadium seeing off the challenge of NWCFL Premier league outfit Litherland REMYCA. The Reds had to play the whole of the second half with 10 men after striker, Callum Knowles, was dismissed for an alleged elbow on the visitors’ goalkeeper. After a noneventful opening 44 minutes in which Joel Ogiugo spurned the one opportunity afforded to either side when he fired inches wide when clean through on goal, within 60 seconds the blue touch paper was finally lit. The Litherland keeper was clearly unhappy with Knowlesy from an Alport corner and when the referee consulted his linesman he brandished the red card and Alport’s task looked daunting to say the least.

At the interval, Callum Parker was sacrificed in light of his namesake’s sending off but far from sending on a defender to perhaps quell any expected increase in tempo from the Merseysiders with their numerical advantage. It was a masterstroke from Reds boss, Adam Shillcock, who sent on the energetic Ollie Holden who would have a dramatic impact on the outcome of the match. Alport appeared galvanised with the home defenders offering superb cover in front of Jack Sheward and when further substitutions were made each incoming player looked hungry and full of desire. The opening goal came with 15 minutes left with Holden deftly lifting the ball over the advancing goalkeeper from 12 yards. Litherland were now on the back foot but never looked like recovering from going a goal behind and things got worse for them when Ogiugo was sent off with the linesman again having his say with the man in the middle, pointing out that the striker had used an elbow to fell Freddie Bishton in his opinion.

The icing was put on top of the proverbial cake when Alport scored twice in added on time. The tie was finally put to bed when two subs combined with Harry Farnsworth crossing to Ellis Turner who steered the ball into the roof of the net from 10 yards and minutes later man of the match, Holden, crossed for Farnsworth to volley home and set up a mouthwatering home tie against Runcorn Linnets in a fortnight.

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