Cheadle Town 0-2 Bootle

Cheadle's 2007-2008 season at Park Road came to an end tonight with this 0-2 reversal against Div Two Trophy finalists Bootle.

The second half was a far better spectacle than the first, so that's where I'll start. A lively opening quarter-of-an-hour after the restart was epilogued by Bootle slotting home a penalty to put them 1-0 up. Before that both teams had their fair share of half-chances: Mike Myers' collected an Arron Riley flick-on after 49 minutes and drilled a near-post shot that was excellently blocked by the Bootle 'keeper. Six minutes later and a Bootle striker blazed over the bar from about six yards out after a teasing right-wing cross.

A further quarter of an hour after Bootle had scored their penalty, they went further ahead with a well-worked individual effort. The goalscorer collecting the ball in midfield, running a fair length of the field before checking back, shifting the ball across to the right and rifling home from the edge of the box.

Our 'keeper - Anthony "Boom" O'Keefe - couldn't do anything about the quality of that strike but he made an absolutely excellent job of everything else that came his way. This was the first time I had seen him play and was pleasantly surprised with his agility and handling - he's a big lad - whilst also being mildly amused with the distance and height he can put on his kicks: hence his newly-acquired "Boom" nickname.

Special mention to Mike Myers tonight who ran like a ferret for the full 90 minutes and is, perhaps, unlucky to be going home without a goal to his name. As well as the chance mentioned beforehand, he wasn't far off with a 13th-minute left-footed volley; about the only notable action point of a rather drab first half.

No denying Bootle their win tonight; they were fair value for their three points. I'm no tactical expert - nor does it interest me, to be honest - but Cheadle could perhaps look back at the forced early substitution of Brad Fellows that threw them a bit out of shape.

Good luck to Bootle this Thursday in the Division Two Trophy Final.

Photos from the match can be seen by clicking here

TEAM: O'Keefe, Clarke, B Roberts, Logan, A Roberts, Smith (Hall), Riley, Fellows (Brokenbrow), Myers, Flanagan, Buchanan. Subs: Hall, Brokenbrow