Premier Division Preview - Saturday 27th August 2016
Fri 26th August 2016 | General | By Stewart Taylor
Quite a few matches under the collective belts of our Premier Division sides now as we go into a full round of League fixtures on Saturday. Fitness levels will be good and, injuries apart, patterns of play will be established.
As I write this there are dire weather warnings of thunderstorms in the North West for Saturday afternoon but let’s hope not, as our pitches are in good condition and a testament to the work put in by clubs over the summer. Put all this together and there will be some high quality football out there for us all to enjoy.
Pride of place this week goes to the leaders of the fledgling League table as newly promoted Irlam take their excellent early season form to the Millbank Linnets Stadium on the back of a midweek victory away at Barnton. Unbeaten in the League so far, the Silver Street side couldn’t really have wished for a better start to their first campaign in the Premier Division and Manager Steve Nixon will be keen to see his side keep the run going.
Runcorn Linnets have had a slow start to the season as new Manager Michael Ellison builds his squad following the departure in the summer of long-term Manager Joey Dunn. We are all used to seeing Linnets up at the top end of the table but the side are without a win in four League matches so far this season.
Having said that they came mighty close in midweek as Kyle Hamid completed his hat-trick in the last five minutes of the midweek match away at Cammell Laird 1907 to give his side the lead. But Lairds were not finished as an 89th minute equaliser earned them a share of the points in a 3-3 draw.
Also flying high so far this season are another of the promoted clubs in the shape of Hanley Town. An impressive 4-1 home victory over an in form Congleton Town side in midweek has seen the Potteries club collect nine points from the last three League matches to rise towards the top of the League table. The next series of matches will be a challenge for Hanley, starting this Saturday as Ashton Athletic welcome them to Brocstedes Park.
The Yellows won a bruising Emirates FA Cup Replay encounter with NCEL outfit Worksop Town on Tuesday night but not before the match finished level after extra time so needing a penalty shoot out to separate the sides. The reward for the Yellows is a tie at home against Mossley in the next round but, before then, there is League business to attend to. A slow start in the League, due at least in part to Emirates FA Cup action, sees the Yellows towards the bottom end of the table but its early days yet.
Another of our promoted sides are Barnton who welcome a strong looking Atherton Collieries side to the Hinchliffe Holmes Stadium. The Cheshire side have had a mixed start to the 2016/17 League campaign with something of a “new look” side. A home defeat to high flying Irlam in midweek followed a heavy defeat at the hands of New Mills at Church Lane last Saturday. Matches against Colls are never easy and Barnton will need to be at their best to get something out of this one.
Visitors Atherton Collieries set their marker down early in the close season with the retention of three key members of the successful 2015/16 side. Promotion favourites this season in the opinion of many, Colls will hope to have a season somewhat less disrupted than last time but will still look to progress in all competitions.
The early season form has been good and a convincing away win at AFC Darwen in midweek will bring them into this match feeling confident and keen to preserve their unbeaten record in the League.
New Mills returned to the League at the end of last season having been promoted to the Northern Premier League at the end of the 2010/11 season. There looks to be goals in the side this season and the management team of Garry Brown and Paul Williams will have been encouraged by the level of commitment and energy so far.
Any momentum which might have been derived from a thumping victory over Barnton last Saturday will have been somewhat punctured by the reversal to a very lively West Didsbury & Chorlton side at Church Lane in midweek.
Barnoldswick Town host the Millers on Saturday and come into the match on the back of an away win midweek against a previously unbeaten Padiham side courtesy of two strikes in the last 15 minutes of the match. That result will be a confidence booster and should take the side in to the match on Saturday in a positive frame of mind with the regular occupants of the splendidly named Sewer End hoping to cheer their side on to another victory.
The newly re-named St Luke’s Barton Stadium sees 1874 Northwich host AFC Darwen. Three league games so far for 1874 as the FA Cup takes precedence. The squad, including a good number of the Glossop North End side who achieved promotion to Step 4 at the end of the 2014/15 season, is settling in nicely with Sam Hind and Tom Bailey knocking in the goals.
The two Emirates FA Cup matches against a Colne FC side newly promoted to Step 4 proved to be, not surprisingly, something of a challenge. A creditable 2-2 draw away brought the Reds to Cheshire in mid-week but, almost inevitably for the scriptwriters, it was former 1874 striker Matthew Beadle who opened the scoring for Colne as they ran out 3-1 winners.
AFC Darwen travel from East Lancashire having played three League matches so far this season and lost them all. The Emirates FA Cup tie against Cammell Laird 1907 needed a replay after 3-3 home draw with AFC Darwen eventually going out of the competition for this season.
With two League matches postponed, one for that Emirates FA Cup replay and one for a waterlogged pitch at the WEC Anchor Ground, the season has yet to build any momentum. A start with 3 points on Saturday would be more than useful but there are never any easy matches in our Premier Division and 1874 will be anxious to put behind them that midweek defeat at the hands of Colne.
Runcorn Town come into Saturday in good form. Victory in the Runcorn Derby last Saturday will have been very satisfactory for new Manager Chris Herbert and the side will be looking to build on a convincing away win at AFC Liverpool on Wednesday night as they travel to the Abbey Stadium to meet Abbey Hey. There are a number of new faces in the Town side this season but they are gelling well with Craig Cairns netting 7 times so far with the season less than a month old. Second place in the current League table is a good return for a positive month.
The East Manchester side always play attractive football and a midweek win away at Nelson, courtesy of a brace from Nico Collins, will have been encouraging. A record of won 2 and lost 2 in League matches so far is steady as we go but the side will be looking for better than that and will need to take a few more of the chances created.
Squires Gate have started the season impressively following a fight against relegation last term. Coming back from a 2-3 deficit at home to Bootle in midweek to run out 4-3 winners will have boosted confidence yet further. Focus may well be on the forthcoming Emirates FA Cup match at home to Handsworth Parramore on the first Saturday of September but Manager Danny Penswick will want his side to forget that for the moment as the side defend an unbeaten League start. First up is the visit to the Richborough Estates Stadium on Saturday to play Congleton Town.
The Bears started the season in good form with Brian Matthews scoring six goals so far. The last week has seen a couple of reversals including the League defeat at Hanley Town in midweek which followed a disappointing exit from the Emirates FA Cup last Saturday at the hands of Farsley Celtic. An opportunity get back to winning ways on Saturday in what may well turn out to be one of the matches of the day.
Three matches on Merseyside this Saturday. AFC Liverpool welcome Maine Road to the Marine Travel Arena in Crosby. The Reds Manager Kevin Dally was very active over the summer bringing in some of the Runcorn Linnets side from last season and taking in a few of the elements of the successful Formby side from their last season in the League.
Just three League matches so far this season with mixed fortunes for the side, but an opportunity on Saturday to bag three points to help to dispel the memory of that midweek defeat at the hands of Runcorn Town.
Maine Road have played only two League matches so far this season but are going well in the Emirates FA Cup. Two wins by the odd goal in five, the first of these in a replay against Nostell Miners Welfare, has set the South Manchester side up for a 1st Qualifying Round tie at home to AFC Emley. Before that a couple of League matches, starting today, to try to consolidate their form.
Bootle take on Winsford United at the Delta Taxis Stadium. Probably the highlight of the closed season at Bootle was the award of the Sefton Sports Volunteer of the Year to Manager Joe Doran and well deserved too as Joe epitomises all which is good about the volunteers who make our League happen.
With Ryan Cox and Steve Jones in the squad the side should not lack for goals this season. Add to that the impressive presence of Dean Porter – Premier Division Goalkeeper of the Year last season – between the sticks and it looks as though the side have strengthened well over the summer and will be positive for a good campaign.
With two wins in the Emirates FA Cup under their belt, Winsford United will be looking forward to the next round of the venerable competition when they face a trip to the seaside of Whitby for their 1st Qualifying Round match on September 3rd and, perhaps, some of the excellent fish and chips for which the town is quite rightly famous.
Success in the Emirates FA Cup and a couple of postponed matches means that the Blues haven’t really got their League campaign underway this season having played only two matches so far. This match against Bootle and the forthcoming Bank Holiday Monday match at home to Barnton gives them the opportunity to translate good early season form into League points.
Cammell Laird 1907 welcome Nelson to the North West Construction Stadium and the home side will have been encouraged by that midweek draw against Runcorn Linnets. New Lairds Manager Neil Prince is well known to many of us from his time at Bootle and, more recently, AFC Darwen. He will have ambitious plans for his new charges although the start to the season has been somewhat disappointing results wise. Certainly something to work on here.
Nelson started the season with a most encouraging away win in the Emirates FA Cup against Northern League side Ashington. Since then a series of defeats has seen the Admirals languishing towards the bottom of the League table. Having said that, the League defeats have generally been by the narrowest of margins in what have been competitive matches. The suggestion must be that just a small shift in fortunes will see the results improve.
Our final match sees Padiham travel to The Recreation Ground to take on a West Didsbury & Chorlton side who are currently unbeaten in League matches. Mixed fortunes for these two sides in midweek as the hosts for this match looked very lively in a 4-1 win away at New Mills with the match effectively over by half time.
By contrast, the Storks surrendered their unbeaten League record to Barnoldswick Town.
Experienced midfielder Martyn Andrews has been influential alongside Joe Shaw in all six matches played by West this season feeding a forward line which certainly have goals in them.
A generally positive start to the campaign for the Storks who will see this match as an opportunity to get back to winning ways but West are playing well so that will not be easy. A very good match in prospect here.
There we have it, excellent matches in prospect across the Premier Division and wherever you watch your non-league football this Saturday – enjoy the match.
Premier Division Preview - Saturday 27th August 2016
Fri 26th August 2016 | General
By Stewart Taylor
Quite a few matches under the collective belts of our Premier Division sides now as we go into a full round of League fixtures on Saturday. Fitness levels will be good and, injuries apart, patterns of play will be established.
As I write this there are dire weather warnings of thunderstorms in the North West for Saturday afternoon but let’s hope not, as our pitches are in good condition and a testament to the work put in by clubs over the summer. Put all this together and there will be some high quality football out there for us all to enjoy.
Pride of place this week goes to the leaders of the fledgling League table as newly promoted Irlam take their excellent early season form to the Millbank Linnets Stadium on the back of a midweek victory away at Barnton. Unbeaten in the League so far, the Silver Street side couldn’t really have wished for a better start to their first campaign in the Premier Division and Manager Steve Nixon will be keen to see his side keep the run going.
Runcorn Linnets have had a slow start to the season as new Manager Michael Ellison builds his squad following the departure in the summer of long-term Manager Joey Dunn. We are all used to seeing Linnets up at the top end of the table but the side are without a win in four League matches so far this season.
Having said that they came mighty close in midweek as Kyle Hamid completed his hat-trick in the last five minutes of the midweek match away at Cammell Laird 1907 to give his side the lead. But Lairds were not finished as an 89th minute equaliser earned them a share of the points in a 3-3 draw.
Also flying high so far this season are another of the promoted clubs in the shape of Hanley Town. An impressive 4-1 home victory over an in form Congleton Town side in midweek has seen the Potteries club collect nine points from the last three League matches to rise towards the top of the League table. The next series of matches will be a challenge for Hanley, starting this Saturday as Ashton Athletic welcome them to Brocstedes Park.
The Yellows won a bruising Emirates FA Cup Replay encounter with NCEL outfit Worksop Town on Tuesday night but not before the match finished level after extra time so needing a penalty shoot out to separate the sides. The reward for the Yellows is a tie at home against Mossley in the next round but, before then, there is League business to attend to. A slow start in the League, due at least in part to Emirates FA Cup action, sees the Yellows towards the bottom end of the table but its early days yet.
Another of our promoted sides are Barnton who welcome a strong looking Atherton Collieries side to the Hinchliffe Holmes Stadium. The Cheshire side have had a mixed start to the 2016/17 League campaign with something of a “new look” side. A home defeat to high flying Irlam in midweek followed a heavy defeat at the hands of New Mills at Church Lane last Saturday. Matches against Colls are never easy and Barnton will need to be at their best to get something out of this one.
Visitors Atherton Collieries set their marker down early in the close season with the retention of three key members of the successful 2015/16 side. Promotion favourites this season in the opinion of many, Colls will hope to have a season somewhat less disrupted than last time but will still look to progress in all competitions.
The early season form has been good and a convincing away win at AFC Darwen in midweek will bring them into this match feeling confident and keen to preserve their unbeaten record in the League.
New Mills returned to the League at the end of last season having been promoted to the Northern Premier League at the end of the 2010/11 season. There looks to be goals in the side this season and the management team of Garry Brown and Paul Williams will have been encouraged by the level of commitment and energy so far.
Any momentum which might have been derived from a thumping victory over Barnton last Saturday will have been somewhat punctured by the reversal to a very lively West Didsbury & Chorlton side at Church Lane in midweek.
Barnoldswick Town host the Millers on Saturday and come into the match on the back of an away win midweek against a previously unbeaten Padiham side courtesy of two strikes in the last 15 minutes of the match. That result will be a confidence booster and should take the side in to the match on Saturday in a positive frame of mind with the regular occupants of the splendidly named Sewer End hoping to cheer their side on to another victory.
The newly re-named St Luke’s Barton Stadium sees 1874 Northwich host AFC Darwen. Three league games so far for 1874 as the FA Cup takes precedence. The squad, including a good number of the Glossop North End side who achieved promotion to Step 4 at the end of the 2014/15 season, is settling in nicely with Sam Hind and Tom Bailey knocking in the goals.
The two Emirates FA Cup matches against a Colne FC side newly promoted to Step 4 proved to be, not surprisingly, something of a challenge. A creditable 2-2 draw away brought the Reds to Cheshire in mid-week but, almost inevitably for the scriptwriters, it was former 1874 striker Matthew Beadle who opened the scoring for Colne as they ran out 3-1 winners.
AFC Darwen travel from East Lancashire having played three League matches so far this season and lost them all. The Emirates FA Cup tie against Cammell Laird 1907 needed a replay after 3-3 home draw with AFC Darwen eventually going out of the competition for this season.
With two League matches postponed, one for that Emirates FA Cup replay and one for a waterlogged pitch at the WEC Anchor Ground, the season has yet to build any momentum. A start with 3 points on Saturday would be more than useful but there are never any easy matches in our Premier Division and 1874 will be anxious to put behind them that midweek defeat at the hands of Colne.
Runcorn Town come into Saturday in good form. Victory in the Runcorn Derby last Saturday will have been very satisfactory for new Manager Chris Herbert and the side will be looking to build on a convincing away win at AFC Liverpool on Wednesday night as they travel to the Abbey Stadium to meet Abbey Hey. There are a number of new faces in the Town side this season but they are gelling well with Craig Cairns netting 7 times so far with the season less than a month old. Second place in the current League table is a good return for a positive month.
The East Manchester side always play attractive football and a midweek win away at Nelson, courtesy of a brace from Nico Collins, will have been encouraging. A record of won 2 and lost 2 in League matches so far is steady as we go but the side will be looking for better than that and will need to take a few more of the chances created.
Squires Gate have started the season impressively following a fight against relegation last term. Coming back from a 2-3 deficit at home to Bootle in midweek to run out 4-3 winners will have boosted confidence yet further. Focus may well be on the forthcoming Emirates FA Cup match at home to Handsworth Parramore on the first Saturday of September but Manager Danny Penswick will want his side to forget that for the moment as the side defend an unbeaten League start. First up is the visit to the Richborough Estates Stadium on Saturday to play Congleton Town.
The Bears started the season in good form with Brian Matthews scoring six goals so far. The last week has seen a couple of reversals including the League defeat at Hanley Town in midweek which followed a disappointing exit from the Emirates FA Cup last Saturday at the hands of Farsley Celtic. An opportunity get back to winning ways on Saturday in what may well turn out to be one of the matches of the day.
Three matches on Merseyside this Saturday. AFC Liverpool welcome Maine Road to the Marine Travel Arena in Crosby. The Reds Manager Kevin Dally was very active over the summer bringing in some of the Runcorn Linnets side from last season and taking in a few of the elements of the successful Formby side from their last season in the League.
Just three League matches so far this season with mixed fortunes for the side, but an opportunity on Saturday to bag three points to help to dispel the memory of that midweek defeat at the hands of Runcorn Town.
Maine Road have played only two League matches so far this season but are going well in the Emirates FA Cup. Two wins by the odd goal in five, the first of these in a replay against Nostell Miners Welfare, has set the South Manchester side up for a 1st Qualifying Round tie at home to AFC Emley. Before that a couple of League matches, starting today, to try to consolidate their form.
Bootle take on Winsford United at the Delta Taxis Stadium. Probably the highlight of the closed season at Bootle was the award of the Sefton Sports Volunteer of the Year to Manager Joe Doran and well deserved too as Joe epitomises all which is good about the volunteers who make our League happen.
With Ryan Cox and Steve Jones in the squad the side should not lack for goals this season. Add to that the impressive presence of Dean Porter – Premier Division Goalkeeper of the Year last season – between the sticks and it looks as though the side have strengthened well over the summer and will be positive for a good campaign.
With two wins in the Emirates FA Cup under their belt, Winsford United will be looking forward to the next round of the venerable competition when they face a trip to the seaside of Whitby for their 1st Qualifying Round match on September 3rd and, perhaps, some of the excellent fish and chips for which the town is quite rightly famous.
Success in the Emirates FA Cup and a couple of postponed matches means that the Blues haven’t really got their League campaign underway this season having played only two matches so far. This match against Bootle and the forthcoming Bank Holiday Monday match at home to Barnton gives them the opportunity to translate good early season form into League points.
Cammell Laird 1907 welcome Nelson to the North West Construction Stadium and the home side will have been encouraged by that midweek draw against Runcorn Linnets. New Lairds Manager Neil Prince is well known to many of us from his time at Bootle and, more recently, AFC Darwen. He will have ambitious plans for his new charges although the start to the season has been somewhat disappointing results wise. Certainly something to work on here.
Nelson started the season with a most encouraging away win in the Emirates FA Cup against Northern League side Ashington. Since then a series of defeats has seen the Admirals languishing towards the bottom of the League table. Having said that, the League defeats have generally been by the narrowest of margins in what have been competitive matches. The suggestion must be that just a small shift in fortunes will see the results improve.
Our final match sees Padiham travel to The Recreation Ground to take on a West Didsbury & Chorlton side who are currently unbeaten in League matches. Mixed fortunes for these two sides in midweek as the hosts for this match looked very lively in a 4-1 win away at New Mills with the match effectively over by half time.
By contrast, the Storks surrendered their unbeaten League record to Barnoldswick Town.
Experienced midfielder Martyn Andrews has been influential alongside Joe Shaw in all six matches played by West this season feeding a forward line which certainly have goals in them.
A generally positive start to the campaign for the Storks who will see this match as an opportunity to get back to winning ways but West are playing well so that will not be easy. A very good match in prospect here.
There we have it, excellent matches in prospect across the Premier Division and wherever you watch your non-league football this Saturday – enjoy the match.
