WHITCHURCH Alport saw their promotion dreams ended after the narrowest of defeats against City of Liverpool in Saturday’s play-off semi-final at the Delta Taxis Stadium in Bootle. 

Around 200 supporters travelled across to Merseyside full of hope, but those hopes were shattered when the home side scored the only goal of the game in the second half.

Although the club will be hosting the likes of Atherton, Bacup and Carlisle instead of Runcorn, Northwich and Winsford next term, the season has been a remarkable one for the town’s football club.

They came within two games of bringing Premier Division football to Yockings Park, just 12 months after propping up the Division One table in their debut season as a North West Counties Club. 

And Alport have made plenty of friends along the way – none more so than with City of Liverpool whose raucous fans chanted “Whit-church!” and applauded to a man as Alport’s fans finally made their way out of the clubhouse at 6pm.

Alport have undergone a remarkable transform-ation off the field as well as on it. They have been actively raising funds for local lad Zac Harris all season, with a £40,000 target towards a life changing operation almost in sight. 

A £200 donation to the Melissa’s Smile Fund last month – stunned St Helens Town officials before their home game with the Reds – and was followed on Saturday with £130 presented to the Owen McVeigh Foundation, which was set up by Mark McVeigh after losing his 11-year- old son to leukaemia.

*For a full Alport round-up, see this week's Whitchurch Herald.