Premier Division Preview - Saturday 15th October 2016
Fri 14th October 2016 | General | By Patrick Burke
It is often said that it is important to go into an international break with some momentum behind you; applying that logic, this is a vital weekend of Hallmark Security League Premier Division football. There will be three weeks before another complete round of league fixtures so, notwithstanding midweek matches, it will be interesting to see if this affects teams’ mentalities.
Atherton Collieries head the table on goal difference, and they welcome Irlam to the Kensite Stadium on Friday night. Allowing a two goal lead to slip against Nelson on Monday will have been a bitter pill to swallow, but Colls had won four of their five games prior to that and are the division’s top scorers. Newly promoted Irlam will be happy with their start. They sit 9th in the league, drew 1-1 with Colls four weeks back and impressively won at West Didsbury & Chorlton last time out.
Saturday’s meeting between 6th placed West and 2nd placed 1874 Northwich looks a particularly attractive one. Three back-to-back losses in all competitions had seen the hosts wobble a little, but they returned to winning ways on Tuesday at Ashton Athletic. A comfortable defeat of Abbey Hey last weekend made it three consecutive wins for 1874, and they will be hoping for something similar to September’s 4-1 triumph over their opponents this weekend.
3rd placed Runcorn Town will be hoping for a ninth win from ten when Ashton Athletic visit Pavilions on Saturday. They won 3-0 at Congleton Town on Tuesday, and the goals of Craig Cairns (19 already this season) give Chris Herbert’s a real chance of winning any game. Athletic are 17th in the table, having won three and lost three of their last six. If they can perform as they did last Saturday in a 6-2 rout against Congleton, it won’t be long before the Yellows are competing further up the table.
Runcorn Linnets have already reached the nine wins from ten stage, their most recent three points coming against Cammell Laird 1907 in midweek. What was striking on Tuesday was the speed at which Michael Ellison’s side moved the ball about in the final third: a new-look side seems to have jelled superbly. Padiham are hosts on Saturday. The Storks were beaten 4-2 in the reverse fixture but you sense that going into the game on a three game unbeaten run, including a 6-1 win at Barnton, will be important.
One of the more intriguing clashes comes at the Delta Taxis Stadium for the first ever meeting between Bootle and Hanley Town. The Bucks are 5th with games in hand, and Joe Doran’s men have responded well to the 5-0 setback suffered at Linnets, taking six points from Barnoldswick Town and Barnton. Seven points from a possible nine means that the adverb ‘very’ can be adjoined to the adjective ‘good’ to describe Hanley’s start. Daniel Cope’s hat-trick helped to see off the challenge of Squires Gate last week, putting them in 7th place.
AFC Liverpool are just below them, squandering the opportunity to move up to 6th on Wednesday by losing 2-1 to Abbey Hey. Kevin Dally’s side have some very good players capable of leading an assault on the top of the table, so they will seek to bounce back against a New Mills side who they have already beaten this season. The visitors lie in 18th place, but are unbeaten in their last four away games across three competitions.
The teams from 10th to 16th may recount their first couple of months as ‘solid’. Two sides on the periphery of that chunk of the table go head-to-head on Saturday. Winsford United beat Maine Road on Monday to move up to 16th, and it should be pointed out that they have played fewer games than any other side. Barnoldswick Town dropped to 10th after three consecutive home defeats, most recently against Squires Gate on Tuesday. An away game, therefore, gives Stuart Airdrie’s men the chance to get back on track.
Occupying 11th place going into the weekend, Gate will hope to build on their midweek victory against Barnton. The Fylde Coast side have lost their last three matches on home turf, but will be hoping that Ric Seear carries his form into this match, having scored a hat-trick at Barnoldswick. Barnton are currently second from bottom after eight consecutive defeats, but four of those were by the odd goal, which suggests that Steve Lloyd’s Villagers are competing and are not too far away from where they want to be.
After a series of very narrow defeats earlier in the season, Nelson’s form has picked up of late, the excellent point gained at Atherton Collieries following up recent wins at Barnton (in the Macron Cup) and AFC Darwen. They remain 20th, but that should not faze the Admirals ahead of a visit to Abbey Hey. The hosts moved up to 12th after beating AFC Liverpool on Wednesday, winning the fixture against Nelson at Little Wembley by the same scoreline.
To say that Cammell Laird 1907 have had a difficult start would be an understatement: they lie bottom with just four points. Mick McGraa’s first game as permanent manager ended 0-0 at Darwen last weekend, but they missed a penalty and four or five great chances to win – a painfully familiar bad luck story! Lairds welcome 13th placed Maine Road to the North West Construction Stadium, both sides having been beaten by Runcorn Linnets in the past seven days. The teams played out a 1-1 draw in August, so this could be a well contested encounter.
The final game this weekend sees Congleton Town, in 15th, host AFC Darwen, in 19th. The Bears are without a win in four, but scored 14 times in the two games prior to that, showing what they can do in front of goal. Darwen were beaten 2-0 by Congleton in August, but Adam Douglas’ side picked up useful draws from clashes with Lairds and Padiham over the past week.
The weather might be alright this weekend. We won’t be able to say that in a couple of weeks’ time, so take advantage and get down to your local Hallmark Security League club!
Premier Division Preview - Saturday 15th October 2016
Fri 14th October 2016 | General
By Patrick Burke
It is often said that it is important to go into an international break with some momentum behind you; applying that logic, this is a vital weekend of Hallmark Security League Premier Division football. There will be three weeks before another complete round of league fixtures so, notwithstanding midweek matches, it will be interesting to see if this affects teams’ mentalities.
Atherton Collieries head the table on goal difference, and they welcome Irlam to the Kensite Stadium on Friday night. Allowing a two goal lead to slip against Nelson on Monday will have been a bitter pill to swallow, but Colls had won four of their five games prior to that and are the division’s top scorers. Newly promoted Irlam will be happy with their start. They sit 9th in the league, drew 1-1 with Colls four weeks back and impressively won at West Didsbury & Chorlton last time out.
Saturday’s meeting between 6th placed West and 2nd placed 1874 Northwich looks a particularly attractive one. Three back-to-back losses in all competitions had seen the hosts wobble a little, but they returned to winning ways on Tuesday at Ashton Athletic. A comfortable defeat of Abbey Hey last weekend made it three consecutive wins for 1874, and they will be hoping for something similar to September’s 4-1 triumph over their opponents this weekend.
3rd placed Runcorn Town will be hoping for a ninth win from ten when Ashton Athletic visit Pavilions on Saturday. They won 3-0 at Congleton Town on Tuesday, and the goals of Craig Cairns (19 already this season) give Chris Herbert’s a real chance of winning any game. Athletic are 17th in the table, having won three and lost three of their last six. If they can perform as they did last Saturday in a 6-2 rout against Congleton, it won’t be long before the Yellows are competing further up the table.
Runcorn Linnets have already reached the nine wins from ten stage, their most recent three points coming against Cammell Laird 1907 in midweek. What was striking on Tuesday was the speed at which Michael Ellison’s side moved the ball about in the final third: a new-look side seems to have jelled superbly. Padiham are hosts on Saturday. The Storks were beaten 4-2 in the reverse fixture but you sense that going into the game on a three game unbeaten run, including a 6-1 win at Barnton, will be important.
One of the more intriguing clashes comes at the Delta Taxis Stadium for the first ever meeting between Bootle and Hanley Town. The Bucks are 5th with games in hand, and Joe Doran’s men have responded well to the 5-0 setback suffered at Linnets, taking six points from Barnoldswick Town and Barnton. Seven points from a possible nine means that the adverb ‘very’ can be adjoined to the adjective ‘good’ to describe Hanley’s start. Daniel Cope’s hat-trick helped to see off the challenge of Squires Gate last week, putting them in 7th place.
AFC Liverpool are just below them, squandering the opportunity to move up to 6th on Wednesday by losing 2-1 to Abbey Hey. Kevin Dally’s side have some very good players capable of leading an assault on the top of the table, so they will seek to bounce back against a New Mills side who they have already beaten this season. The visitors lie in 18th place, but are unbeaten in their last four away games across three competitions.
The teams from 10th to 16th may recount their first couple of months as ‘solid’. Two sides on the periphery of that chunk of the table go head-to-head on Saturday. Winsford United beat Maine Road on Monday to move up to 16th, and it should be pointed out that they have played fewer games than any other side. Barnoldswick Town dropped to 10th after three consecutive home defeats, most recently against Squires Gate on Tuesday. An away game, therefore, gives Stuart Airdrie’s men the chance to get back on track.
Occupying 11th place going into the weekend, Gate will hope to build on their midweek victory against Barnton. The Fylde Coast side have lost their last three matches on home turf, but will be hoping that Ric Seear carries his form into this match, having scored a hat-trick at Barnoldswick. Barnton are currently second from bottom after eight consecutive defeats, but four of those were by the odd goal, which suggests that Steve Lloyd’s Villagers are competing and are not too far away from where they want to be.
After a series of very narrow defeats earlier in the season, Nelson’s form has picked up of late, the excellent point gained at Atherton Collieries following up recent wins at Barnton (in the Macron Cup) and AFC Darwen. They remain 20th, but that should not faze the Admirals ahead of a visit to Abbey Hey. The hosts moved up to 12th after beating AFC Liverpool on Wednesday, winning the fixture against Nelson at Little Wembley by the same scoreline.
To say that Cammell Laird 1907 have had a difficult start would be an understatement: they lie bottom with just four points. Mick McGraa’s first game as permanent manager ended 0-0 at Darwen last weekend, but they missed a penalty and four or five great chances to win – a painfully familiar bad luck story! Lairds welcome 13th placed Maine Road to the North West Construction Stadium, both sides having been beaten by Runcorn Linnets in the past seven days. The teams played out a 1-1 draw in August, so this could be a well contested encounter.
The final game this weekend sees Congleton Town, in 15th, host AFC Darwen, in 19th. The Bears are without a win in four, but scored 14 times in the two games prior to that, showing what they can do in front of goal. Darwen were beaten 2-0 by Congleton in August, but Adam Douglas’ side picked up useful draws from clashes with Lairds and Padiham over the past week.
The weather might be alright this weekend. We won’t be able to say that in a couple of weeks’ time, so take advantage and get down to your local Hallmark Security League club!
