Division One Preview - Saturday 1st October 2016
Fri 30th September 2016 | General | By Stewart Taylor
Six League matches for us to consider this Saturday, as a number of our First Division clubs are in action in the 1st Round of the Macron Cup, and there is intrigue in all of them.
All at Edge Green Street will accept that Ashton Town have not had the best of starts to the season with just one league victory so far. However, a morale boosting win in the Buildbase FA Vase against Premier Division opposition in the shape of Barnton last Saturday was most welcome. This has set up a home tie against Billingham Town of the Northern League Division 2 (Step 6) in the next round. Does this progress in the Buildbase FA Vase represent a change of fortune? Has a corner been turned? Is it no looking back from now on in? Of course, we don’t know and that is just one of the fascinations of the beautiful game. The chance to at least guess which way the wind is blowing for Ashton Town comes on Saturday as they entertain Charnock Richard.
League newcomers Charnock Richard have had a fine start to the 2016/17 campaign. Riding high in the League, still in the Buildbase FA Vase and with a fine win in midweek against higher lever opposition in the shape of Evo-Stik NPL 1(N) side Bamber Bridge in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy, there is much to look forward to for the Lancashire outfit.
In that we can say that Ashton Town have not had the best of starts, the same comment applies to Eccleshall who were bottom of the First Division table until their first win of the season at Cheadle Town last Saturday. That looks to have been an interesting match with Eccleshall coming out 5-3 winners with two goals at the death to convert what was looking like a well earned away draw into a very precious three points.
Bacup Borough, who lost a tight match at home to Padiham in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy in midweek, are the visitors to Pershall Park on Saturday. One of a number of descriptions which can be applied to the form of football clubs is enigmatic. Whilst not quite the true, strict, usage for the word we know what it means and that, more simply, is that we never really know what we are about to see when Bacup Borough take to the field. For that reason and, equally, that the welcome and hospitality at Eccleshall is excellent, this is my choice of match on Saturday.
Cheadle Town took the lead in the midweek match at home to Widnes but ended the match on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline. A positive reaction to this reversal and the defeat at the hands of Eccleshall last Saturday will be paramount as they travel to the picturesque surroundings of South Lakeland to take on Holker Old Boys. We may also describe Cheadle Town as somewhat enigmatic but a better word might in inconsistent. The highlight of the season so far must have been the victory over Evo-Stik NPL1(S) side Northwich Victoria in the Emirates FA Cup back in August. How to re-capture that form and move forward now must be one of the questions exercising the minds of all involved at Park Road.
The home side come into this match at Rakesmoor having made progress in the Buildbase FA Vase with a fine win away at Northern Alliance Premier Division (Step 7) side Birtley last Saturday. No midweek game this week so preparations for Saturday will be as thorough as they can be. The Old Boys sit nicely in the middle of the League table at the moment and such is the nature of a League where play-off places are available there is everything to play for as sides jostle for position even this early in the season.
It had been something of a Merseyside double act at the top of the table. No, not Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, or even Jimmy Tarbuck and Stan Boardman, but City of Liverpool and Litherland REMYCA. However, that all changed in midweek as Remy were on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline at Stockport Town so come into the weekend matches in third position.
Remy welcome AFC Blackpool to the Litherland Sports Park on Saturday. As Manager Phil Stafford has said recently, the club are gaining experience and stability and now feel ready to push for at least a play-off spot this season. Current form suggests that they are well placed to do just that although it is still early days. Progress in the Buildbase FA Vase is no doubt welcome and a home tie against Northern League Shildon awaits in October. Before then there are plenty of League points to be garnered.
The visitors are struggling somewhat following relegation to the First Division for this season. A lack of goals seems to be the main problem so far this season and this is not an unfamiliar story. A change in fortunes needs to be worked on and not just hoped for but it will be a tough ask to take anything back from the LSP to the seaside on Saturday.
City of Liverpool went from 2-1 up with 10 minutes to go to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Whitchurch Alport in the midweek match in front of a fine crowd of 471 at the Delta Taxis Stadium. They now make the trip to Yorkshire to face Silsden at the Keighley Road Stadium.
I was an interested neutral when Silsden came away from FC Oswestry Town with just a single point having scored six goals, and again in midweek where a narrow 2-1 victory over Chadderton brought three valuable League points back to Yorkshire. Indeed, there are goals aplenty in this side with 30 in the “For” column in the League table already this season. The Cobbydalers are handily placed at the moment with a game or two in hand over most of their nearest rivals.
“The Purps” are enjoying themselves in their first season of League football. A good travelling support means that they never play in quiet stadiums and that atmosphere is certainly good for the side and for all who attend their matches. I was pleased to be at Holker Old Boys when City of Liverpool were in town in September where the experienced duo of Danny Dalton and Franny Barry hit the back of the net to secure all three points. They are not the first, and won’t be the last, of the fan-owned clubs and the objective seems to be clear in that ambitions are high. Former Runcorn Town Manager Simon Burton has put together a side playing in a very attractive manner and winning most matches. Unbeaten in the month of August, City of Liverpool experienced their first reversal away at Daisy Hill on the first Saturday of September.
Not sure that anyone would like to try to predict the score in this one but all the evidence indicates that this match will not lack goals.
Our final First Division match this week features Whitchurch Alport and Chadderton at Yockings Park. The home side struggled last season in their first year in the NWCFL but fortunes have certainly changed this term as some impressive results see them lying 2nd in the League table. That away win in midweek at City of Liverpool was just the latest in a run of good results but the majority of those have been away from home since the middle of August. The chance to bring that away form “home” comes this Saturday.
Chadderton came into the midweek match in good form and will have been disappointed to take nothing away from the match against Silsden. They are another of our sides with a Buildbase FA Vase match to look forward to later in October when the travel to face Northern Counties East League opponents AFC Emley in the First Round Proper. Before then, League points are needed for a push into the top half of the League table. Having said that, it is easy sometimes to be distracted by the thoughts of big cup matches and none come much bigger in the area than the home match against former NWCFL side FC United of Manchester in the Manchester Premier Cup next Tuesday. Concentration levels will need to be high on Saturday to take anything from this match.
So there we have it, six games all with something to offer and, as usual, wherever you watch your non-league football this Saturday, enjoy the match.
Division One Preview - Saturday 1st October 2016
Fri 30th September 2016 | General
By Stewart Taylor
Six League matches for us to consider this Saturday, as a number of our First Division clubs are in action in the 1st Round of the Macron Cup, and there is intrigue in all of them.
All at Edge Green Street will accept that Ashton Town have not had the best of starts to the season with just one league victory so far. However, a morale boosting win in the Buildbase FA Vase against Premier Division opposition in the shape of Barnton last Saturday was most welcome. This has set up a home tie against Billingham Town of the Northern League Division 2 (Step 6) in the next round. Does this progress in the Buildbase FA Vase represent a change of fortune? Has a corner been turned? Is it no looking back from now on in? Of course, we don’t know and that is just one of the fascinations of the beautiful game. The chance to at least guess which way the wind is blowing for Ashton Town comes on Saturday as they entertain Charnock Richard.
League newcomers Charnock Richard have had a fine start to the 2016/17 campaign. Riding high in the League, still in the Buildbase FA Vase and with a fine win in midweek against higher lever opposition in the shape of Evo-Stik NPL 1(N) side Bamber Bridge in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy, there is much to look forward to for the Lancashire outfit.
In that we can say that Ashton Town have not had the best of starts, the same comment applies to Eccleshall who were bottom of the First Division table until their first win of the season at Cheadle Town last Saturday. That looks to have been an interesting match with Eccleshall coming out 5-3 winners with two goals at the death to convert what was looking like a well earned away draw into a very precious three points.
Bacup Borough, who lost a tight match at home to Padiham in the Lancashire FA Challenge Trophy in midweek, are the visitors to Pershall Park on Saturday. One of a number of descriptions which can be applied to the form of football clubs is enigmatic. Whilst not quite the true, strict, usage for the word we know what it means and that, more simply, is that we never really know what we are about to see when Bacup Borough take to the field. For that reason and, equally, that the welcome and hospitality at Eccleshall is excellent, this is my choice of match on Saturday.
Cheadle Town took the lead in the midweek match at home to Widnes but ended the match on the wrong end of a 4-1 scoreline. A positive reaction to this reversal and the defeat at the hands of Eccleshall last Saturday will be paramount as they travel to the picturesque surroundings of South Lakeland to take on Holker Old Boys. We may also describe Cheadle Town as somewhat enigmatic but a better word might in inconsistent. The highlight of the season so far must have been the victory over Evo-Stik NPL1(S) side Northwich Victoria in the Emirates FA Cup back in August. How to re-capture that form and move forward now must be one of the questions exercising the minds of all involved at Park Road.
The home side come into this match at Rakesmoor having made progress in the Buildbase FA Vase with a fine win away at Northern Alliance Premier Division (Step 7) side Birtley last Saturday. No midweek game this week so preparations for Saturday will be as thorough as they can be. The Old Boys sit nicely in the middle of the League table at the moment and such is the nature of a League where play-off places are available there is everything to play for as sides jostle for position even this early in the season.
It had been something of a Merseyside double act at the top of the table. No, not Kenny Dalglish and Ian Rush, or even Jimmy Tarbuck and Stan Boardman, but City of Liverpool and Litherland REMYCA. However, that all changed in midweek as Remy were on the wrong end of a 4-0 scoreline at Stockport Town so come into the weekend matches in third position.
Remy welcome AFC Blackpool to the Litherland Sports Park on Saturday. As Manager Phil Stafford has said recently, the club are gaining experience and stability and now feel ready to push for at least a play-off spot this season. Current form suggests that they are well placed to do just that although it is still early days. Progress in the Buildbase FA Vase is no doubt welcome and a home tie against Northern League Shildon awaits in October. Before then there are plenty of League points to be garnered.
The visitors are struggling somewhat following relegation to the First Division for this season. A lack of goals seems to be the main problem so far this season and this is not an unfamiliar story. A change in fortunes needs to be worked on and not just hoped for but it will be a tough ask to take anything back from the LSP to the seaside on Saturday.
City of Liverpool went from 2-1 up with 10 minutes to go to a 3-2 defeat at the hands of Whitchurch Alport in the midweek match in front of a fine crowd of 471 at the Delta Taxis Stadium. They now make the trip to Yorkshire to face Silsden at the Keighley Road Stadium.
I was an interested neutral when Silsden came away from FC Oswestry Town with just a single point having scored six goals, and again in midweek where a narrow 2-1 victory over Chadderton brought three valuable League points back to Yorkshire. Indeed, there are goals aplenty in this side with 30 in the “For” column in the League table already this season. The Cobbydalers are handily placed at the moment with a game or two in hand over most of their nearest rivals.
“The Purps” are enjoying themselves in their first season of League football. A good travelling support means that they never play in quiet stadiums and that atmosphere is certainly good for the side and for all who attend their matches. I was pleased to be at Holker Old Boys when City of Liverpool were in town in September where the experienced duo of Danny Dalton and Franny Barry hit the back of the net to secure all three points. They are not the first, and won’t be the last, of the fan-owned clubs and the objective seems to be clear in that ambitions are high. Former Runcorn Town Manager Simon Burton has put together a side playing in a very attractive manner and winning most matches. Unbeaten in the month of August, City of Liverpool experienced their first reversal away at Daisy Hill on the first Saturday of September.
Not sure that anyone would like to try to predict the score in this one but all the evidence indicates that this match will not lack goals.
Our final First Division match this week features Whitchurch Alport and Chadderton at Yockings Park. The home side struggled last season in their first year in the NWCFL but fortunes have certainly changed this term as some impressive results see them lying 2nd in the League table. That away win in midweek at City of Liverpool was just the latest in a run of good results but the majority of those have been away from home since the middle of August. The chance to bring that away form “home” comes this Saturday.
Chadderton came into the midweek match in good form and will have been disappointed to take nothing away from the match against Silsden. They are another of our sides with a Buildbase FA Vase match to look forward to later in October when the travel to face Northern Counties East League opponents AFC Emley in the First Round Proper. Before then, League points are needed for a push into the top half of the League table. Having said that, it is easy sometimes to be distracted by the thoughts of big cup matches and none come much bigger in the area than the home match against former NWCFL side FC United of Manchester in the Manchester Premier Cup next Tuesday. Concentration levels will need to be high on Saturday to take anything from this match.
So there we have it, six games all with something to offer and, as usual, wherever you watch your non-league football this Saturday, enjoy the match.
