April 1, 1893
Rossedale’s visit to Anfield, used to be periodical, at a time when Leagues were unknown, but since the advent of Mr. William Macgregor’s famous system, the Dark Laners’ services had not been requisitioned in that direction until Saturday last, when they were called upon to oppose the Liverpool Club on the same enclosure, in a Lancashire League match.
A new centre forward, in J. Ireland, late of Oswaldtwistle Rovers was trotted out by the visitors, David Alexander being relegated to the outside-left position in place of Garner. Each side scored a goal in the first half of the game, Mr. John Houlding’s boys obtaining theirs from a corner, whilst Rossendale’s debutant earned the other by a swift low shot, from Alexander’s centre.
The second half saw Liverpool a little more in the ascendancy than their opponents had been in the first moiety, although bad shooting availed them nothing, and the game looked like ending in a tie, when the ball went over the goal line for which Rossendale claimed a goal-kick, but the referee curiously awarding a corner; the home side scored from it amid cheers, and a good hard game terminated in a victory for Liverpool by two goals to one.
John Miller, Joe McQue and Duncan McLean excelled for the winners, and Johnny Weir, Sam Davies, Alston, and Alexander shone for the other side. Robert Duckworth’s and Jack Ratcliffe’s diminutiveness was at a disadvantage with the burly figure of McLean, whilst they lacked judgment in monopolising the play, to the detriment of the left-wing, who were under-worked.
(Source: Cricket and Football Field: April 1, 1893)
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"Play Up, Liverpool" 