Metro Old Boys 6-2 Freshfield 2nd XI
13th October 2002

This will be a match in which Graeme Rooney's team will want to forget in a hurry. It was always going to be a tough match with most of the Metro team being players from the old Mulligans squad. It was Metro who settled more quickly even after John Eccles' good run down the left wing before Darren Jawook's turn and good shot which the keeper fumbled but managed to recover. It was Freshfield's marking at set pieces which cost them the game conceding 3 goals. The first after only 5 minutes when a whipped in corner was met at the near post past the diving Dave Seville. He had an excellent game although poor marking from his defence damped his spirits. Soon after Metro went 2-0 ahead with a virtual carbon copy of the first. Slack marking again 10 minutes later allowed a diving Metro striker to head home into the far corner. Then again from another corner Freshfield were unable to clear and Metro's right back threw out a leg to crash home Metro's fourth.

At half time Graeme Rooney made changes putting himself into centre back replacing Dave Hodges, Stephen Windrum in at left back for Paddy Rutherford and pushed Paul Hayes into centre midfield. It was he who scored Metro's fifth by scoring his second own goal on the trot. A Metro player fired a fierce shot which ricocheted off his foot high into the net. Freshfield were determined to salvage some pride from the game and Tony Lynch managed to grab back a goal after some poor distribution from the Metro keeper and centre back. Steve Dwyer made it 5-2 with a good run and neat finish which at first looked to be going wide. Hayes himself had a header cleared off the line and John Eccles also came close. Freshfield could have had 3 or 4 more over this period before more poor marking allowed Metro to add a sixth to their tally.

Freshfield will have to face Metro on two more occasions over the season in the league and will want to inflict some revenge as they never really did themselves justice in this match.