Having moved from the Wallasey Sunday League to the stronger Birkenhead competition, Tower have quickly reached the Premier Division, but are struggling for form this season, so this is sure to be a tough test against an Alder team lying in fifth place in the Premier Division of what is always a very competitive league. Alder actually came out of hat first in the draw, but conceded home advantage, with Tower staging the tie at Ashville's home, which, as can be seen beyond the stand in the next photo, stands next door to Wallasey RUFC.
Apart from the stand most of the facilities at the ground are in the building that stands in one corner, and houses both clubhouse and changing rooms.
The match starts off as a pretty tight contest, but it is Tower who make the breakthrough on 27 minutes, Niall McHale penalised for handball as he challenged Joe McClennan after a half cleared corner, with James Locke stepping up to convert the penalty.
It takes the Liverpool based team just six minutes to hit back, Niall McHale atoning for his error at the other end by converting Chris Noon's cross with a diving header at the near post, and Alder are ahead after 35 minutes, a long ball putting Liam Caddick away to run on and drive home a shot that went in off the post.
A stroke of good fortune brings Tower level before the interval, with a Mick Pickles cross hitting Tim Naylor and rolling into the net for an unfortunate own goal, but Tower are then unfortunate not to go ahead early in the second half as Craig Smith's header hits the post.
Alder quickly take advantage of that escape, with Paul O'Hare squaring the ball on the break to leave Liam Caddick clear to restore their lead, and from that point on their pre match tag as favourites looks fully justified as they go on to win relatively comfortably, Courtney McCauley wrapping up a 4-2 scoreline with a near post finish after a corner was played back to him.
