STEETON travelled to AFC Liverpool on Saturday and turned in a performance that was as drab as the wet Merseyside weather.

The hosts were on the front foot from the word go. They raced into an early lead when Anthony Lyons broke through the Steeton defence and crashed the ball straight through the legs of keeper Jordan Moorhouse to make it 1-0.

Moorhouse then did well to hold a long-range effort, as Steeton were struggling to get a foothold into the game.

The lead was soon doubled with a goal that was practically a carbon copy of the first, only this time it was Jay McGrane who fired home.

Steeton had their first real chance in the 25th minute when the home keeper did excellently to make a double stop from Ben Wignall.

Jake Townsend then went close with a curling effort that was just the wrong side of the far post.

Moorhouse had to be alert again just before the break to make a good save from Lyons.

The half-time whistle was a chance for Steeton to regroup, but it was the linesman’s flag that saved them from going further behind just after the interval, as Kyle Schorah was denied a third.

This only proved to be delaying the inevitable, as Lyons grabbed his second, before sealing his hat-trick moments later.

Steeton manager Roy Mason threw on Luke Baldwin, Andy Briggs and McKenzie Borek in a vain attempt to try and salvage something from the afternoon and Briggs almost pulled one back when he struck the foot of the post following a goalmouth scramble.

Liverpool broke from that chance and scored a fifth, as Schorah lifted the ball over the advancing Moorhouse and into the roof of the net.

Baldwin grabbed a consolation for Steeton with a neat strike from the edge of the box and Wignall again went close, but it was only thanks to a couple of late blocks from Moorhouse that Liverpool did not score more.

Mason admitted afterwards: “Sometimes you have to hold your hands up and say you’ve been beaten by the better side.

“That said, I was disappointed that we were not as competitive as I want us to be.

“When Bury beat us, they knew they had been in a game and I don’t think that we could say that today.

“It’s important we keep focused and we can’t forget we have had five tough away games to start the season with.

“It will be nice to finally get to Marley (on Saturday against St Helens Town) and get some home support behind us.”

MATCH REPORT BY STEETON AFC