Young centre back Logan Chappell made his first league start against a strong Liversedge side who will surely be targeting a top six finish this season, and it was a baptism of fire in an entertaining game that saw the visitors fight back from 3-0 down to take all three points after a great second half display.
The Ambers started on the front foot and took just nine minutes to break down the visitors. After Ant Mackie had already tested keeper Lill with an early header, it was Marley Grant who broke the deadlock when he tapped home at the back post from a Leon Howarth cross to claim his first league goal of the season.
Howarth was the tormentor-in-chief in the early stages as he threatened to run riot, his strength on the right wing allowing Darius Smith to run onto his lay off, but the full back’s rasping drive was just off target. Howarth was then so unlucky when he smashed a 25 yard strike against the cross bar with Grant just unable to reach the rebound as it crashed down without crossing the line.
Sedge then showed their attacking prowess with Ben Townsend saving at the feet of Sinclair and ex-Amber Fearon in quick succession before Davies hit a decent effort over the bar, but it was The Ambers who struck again on 32 minutes. Bailey Hobson fed Howarth on the left and when Lill could only punch the cross clear, Joe Parkin ran on to the loose ball and blasted home from the edge of the box.
Handsworth were now looking rampant and an out of sorts Liversedge simply could not handle the pace of Howarth and Grant backed up by the guile of Mackie behind them. Mackie and Howarth both flashed shots wide from Grant assists, and on the stroke of half time, a quick break saw Grant dispossess Tarangadzo and race through to grab his second of the night to cap off an outstanding 45 minutes for The Ambers.
One can only imagine what Jon Rimmington said to his team in the dressing room at half time, but whatever it was, it certainly did the trick as the visitors began the second period much more aggressively than they had approached the first. Sinclair pulled one back five minutes after the re-start in a carbon copy of The Ambers’ opener before Fearon poked a shot wide.
Hobson then forced a decent save from Lill before substitute Bottomley squeezed a shot past Townsend to further reduce the arrears, just minutes after Sedge talisman Walton had entered the fray. Townsend then denied Fearon from point blank range but was helpless minutes later when Walton smashed one in via the inside of the post, and in the blink of an eye, the visitors had wiped out the lead.
With fifteen minutes remaining, Fearon questioned the referee once too often and was sin-binned giving The Ambers a great chance to make the most of the numerical advantage, but it was the ten men who prospered as Walton raced away onto a long ball and rounded Townsend before firing home the winner.
As The Ambers pushed forward for a late equaliser, Davies should have put the result beyond all doubt as he seized upon a loose ball but shot straight at Townsend, and despite late efforts from Howarth and Jamie Austin, Sedge battened down the hatches and hung on for the three points.
It was a steep learning curve for The Ambers, but rather than dwell on the negatives of the second half, they should collectively be really proud of their first half performance when they made a strong and experienced Liversedge side look average.