AFC Liverpool emerged narrow victors at Longridge Town, with their attacking talent too much for Town.

Longridge opened the scoring on 20 minutes with help from a worldie strike from Josh Ashe.

However five minutes later, Longridge were losing.

A brilliant header from a corner added third just after half time.

The misery was piled on as Paul Turner was sent off for a second bookable offence.

Daniel Wilkinson pulled one back late on to give the weakened side a glimmer of hope, but the visitors managed to efficiently run the clock down, even with Town banging on the door.

There was three changes to side that drew with Ramsbottom on Monday, some enforced.

Mitch Marshall, Carson Greaves and Luke Smith slotted into the starting XI.

The suspended Jack Anderton missed out.

In terms of early action, there was none.

The timid game finally got going on 12 minutes as Miller Megson was booked for a push on Caleb Jones.

The game then burst into life.

Ashe then received the ball 25 yards from goal, before setting himself, taking aim and firing into the top right corner from range.

The away side hit back immediately though, as a Jones cross took a wicked deflection off Ben Fletcher to send it into the far corner leaving Kai Crowe helpless.

The game was then turned on it's head, as merely a minute later, Elliott Taylor raced through on goal and picked out the bottom left corner.

Town were left scrambling to recover as Jones flashed wide on the break moments later.

Crowe then had to pull off a great save to push a fierce volley from Taylor away from goal.

The game then hit it's first flashpoint, as a poor challenge on Ashe was punished with a yellow card.

Appeals for a harsher punishment were knocked back by the referee.

Fletcher had to leave the field for half time in pain after receiving a boot to the back of the head mid-tackle.

Thankfully he was okay to carry on.

As half time, Lee Ashcroft went to his bench.

Greaves was replaced by the recently returning Aaron Hewitt.

The substitute's first action was to be sin-binned, after throwing the ball to the ground, leaving the field for ten minutes.

Crowe then made a fantastic save to deny Joel Skillen.

However from the resulting corner, Andrew Starkey sent a glancing header into the far corner to make it three.

Turner was carded moments later for a late challenge.

Town made a double change in attempt for a fightback.

Fletcher and Smith made way for Lucas Wane and Ryan Katumba.

Marshall then had the busiest few minutes in a while.

Ethan Gough's low corner was sent over the bar by the fullback.

He then made a brilliant sliding challenge to deny Jones a close range effort on goal.

The game then reached a second boiling point.

With Katumba thrown to the ground, Town were furious.

Turner was then sent off, with the referee showing him a second yellow card.

With five minutes left to play, a Gough corner dropped at the feet of Daniel Wilkinson who tapped it home at the back post.

Town through everything but the kitchen sink at the Little Reds in stoppage time.

Wane did well to win a free kick by the corner flag.

Gough's deep delivery was headed out to A.Hewitt who lashed it goalwards.

It was blocked, AFC then managed to clear their lines.

Not long later, the referee blew his full time whistle.

Thank for your terrific support tonight.

The boys gave everything, but came unstuck against a lethal attack.

We are next at home against Abbey Hey this Saturday 11th April at 3pm.

We will look for a big bounce back.

#UpTheRidge

The Goals:

Longridge: Ashe (20'), Wilkinson (85')

AFC: Jones (22'), Taylor (24'), Starkey (55')

The Teams:

Longridge: Crowe, Marshall, Fletcher (Wane 65'), Wilkinson, Megson, Gough, Smith (Katumba 65'), Greaves (A.Hewitt 46'), Turner, Procter

AFC: Barnes, Smalley, Brown, Fisher-Jones, Giblin, Hinnighan, Mahaffey, Starkey, Skillen (Gerrard 66'), Jones, Taylor