By Garry Clarke
AFTER suffering four league defeats in eleven days Rylands FC returned to winning ways with a convincing 3-0 victory over Bootle in the First Round of the Buildbase FA Vase.
Play switched from end to end in the opening exchanges with both goalkeepers, Mike Emery on debut for Rylands and Bootle’s Tom McGovern, being called on to make good saves as both sides looked to take an early advantage.
Both sides went close to open the scoring creating several opportunities which narrowly missed the target and Bootle, winners in the league the previous Saturday, had the ball in the back of the Rylands net but their score was ruled out for off side before the Blues broke the deadlock in the 40th minute.
A Rylands breakaway found Freddie Potter in space on the right wing from where he delivered a low cross in to the Bootle six yard box. George Lomax cut in front of a defender at the near post to steer the ball past McGovern.
Four minutes later Rylands doubled their advantage when Andy Scarisbrick led the charge breaking from midfield threading the ball through the Bootle rearguard to find Kane Drummond who rounded McGoven before sliding the ball into an empty net from a tight angle.
As hard as they tried to find a way back into the tie Bootle caused few concerns for the Rylands defence, Emery saved well in the 75th minute to keep out a long range while another shot was deflected wide and in stoppage time Bootle blazed a shot high over the bar.
In control of the game, Rylands went close to adding to their tally on several occasions. Numerous times with McGoven making several saves, shots being blocked by desperate defenders, the woodwork being struck, efforts just off target and a goal disallowed for offside.
Any lingering hopes Bootle held of getting back into the game were extinguished in the 85th minute when Adam Jones ended a move he started with a clinical finish to confirm Rylands place in the second round draw.
After the game manager Dave McNabb tweeted “What a result and performance that was!!!! We’ve had a difficult 2 weeks but the lads have stuck together, worked through it and were brilliant from start to finish Back to winning ways against a very good Bootle side and were in the hat “.
Rylands team v Bootle: Emery, Plant, Freeman, Lees, Lownsborough, Scarisbrick, McNamara, Wolhuter, Potter, Lomax, Drummond. Subs used Davies, Jones, Gerrard. Not used Parry
