Division One Preview - Saturday 10th December 2016
Fri 9th December 2016 | General | By Gary Langley
Following a busy mix of League and cup action last weekend, all eyes return on to the League as a full set of fixtures is set fair to take part to tempt people away from Christmas Markets and wrapping of presents. With the cold snap last weekend showing a bit of mercy, club groundsmen all over the parish will be hoping that this continues as the half way point approaches for a number of clubs.
Starting this week at Woodland Court where fifth placed Alsager Town host twentieth placed AFC Blackpool. On paper this looks like a near top versus near bottom fixture but Alsager are in poor form at the moment and this is reflected by their 18th place in the form charts. Wayne Brotherton’s side are with only one win in their last six games and that includes a defeat on home turf last weekend against Prestwich Heys.
AFC Blackpool are one of the clubs battling for survival at the bottom but they seem to be able to be able to magic up a win when they need one at the moment, they are actually better placed in the form table (13th) so they may well fancy their chances this weekend as they look to vault Atherton LR in their own mini-league at the moment.
Speaking of Atherton Laburnum Rovers, they have a tough looking ask this weekend as they travel to the Select Security Stadium to face in-form Widnes. LR are in nineteenth place at the moment only one point ahead of the aforementioned AFC Blackpool but with a game in hand on them. They are still very much looking over their shoulders though as only six points behind them lies the relegation trap door and all of the nervousness that could entail as the season heads into its second half.
Widnes on the other hand are continuing their good run, they are unbeaten in their last nine and fought out a strong looking 0-0 draw with City of Liverpool in midweek, hauling them back towards the chasing pack that indeed includes themselves and if results go their way this weekend they could find themselves in a play-off position.
St Helens Town continue to lodge at Valerie Park this weekend as they welcome Bacup Borough. St Helens have quietly upturned their form of late, rising to twelfth in the table and a win here could lift them to within a few wins of the play-offs. Whilst that may sound a lot, when you look at what their opponents have done over the last couple of seasons with strong second half performances then its not out of the question and only one defeat in their last six league games suggests things are on the up.
Bacup Borough will probably just be happy to get a game under their belt as with the ground damage sustained by the weather early last month they haven’t kicked a ball in anger for a few weeks. Form probably doesn’t represent anything in that respect at the moment.
Carlisle City will be looking to get over the disappointment of their Reusch cup exit at the hands of Sandbach last weekend by looking to take all three points from their home game against Cheadle Town. There is not much between these two clubs in the table and their seasons seem to have had similar paths. A Win for City though could see them return to the top ten subject to results elsewhere.
Seventeenth placed Chadderton welcome Daisy Hill to the ARK Fleetech Stadium looking to put some more daylight between them and the bottom five. Whilst they are not likely to get into trouble as things stand, they will be looking for a bit more comfort and with three wins from their last five in all competitions they will fancy their chances.
If I was allowed to bet on football, Daisy Hill would be my coupon buster every week. They score goals for fun, seventeen goals in their last five games but with three wins and three defeats in their last six this game is too close to call.
Litherland REMYCA will be looking to return to winning ways at Litherland Sports Park as they play host to title contenders, Whitchurch Alport. The Remy’ have been fairly consistent of late but would have been frustrated by the 2-2 home draw against Chadderton they picked up last weekend. They are currently in fourth position though and well poised to mount an attack on the automatic spots if any of the teams above slip up over the coming weeks.
Alport by their high standards will be looking to cement their candidacy for the title with a win on the road, their last three league games have seen a win, a draw and a defeat but with only three home league games scheduled between now and mid-March they will be clocking up some tiger tokens as the road tests their resolve.
City of Liverpool drew at Widnes in midweek, and whilst some questioned their form on social media you have to question whether this was justified as that to me represented a good point gained against a club that will be top four in my opinion come the end of the season. Unlike other clubs around them with games in hand they do have the points on the board which sees them as strong candidates. They will be thankful for a home league game this weekend as Holker Old Boys visit the Delta Taxis Stadium.
Holker are in fairly steady form this campaign, whilst they haven’t set the division on fire they have stayed well away from relegation trouble and seem to manage a couple of wins followed by a couple of defeats….. and repeat! They just seem to be bereft of a bit of consistency at the moment, they go into this game on the back of two wins.
Eccleshall are in trouble in the table and need to really pull out all of the stops against Stockport Town this weekend at Pershall Park. Yes, they have games in hand but they need to start picking up the points instead of having to rely on winning their games against the clubs around them on their run-in to avoid the drop. They won last time out a 5-4 epic game against Ashton Town at home and will be looking for a second win on the spin as they try and claw back the clubs above them. Mid-table Stockport Town had a rotten November as far as results go and will see this as an opportunity to engage with a much better December.
Prestwich Heys go head to head with FC Oswestry Town for the first ever meeting between these two clubs this weekend. Heys finally put to bed a five game losing run last weekend with a 2-1 win away at Alsager Town which brought them their first win since mid-October and back into the top ten in the table. With games in hand they could still be in with a shout of the play-offs.
Trying to keep them out of the play-off zone will be FC Oswestry Town, they currently occupy the final Golden Ticket to the end of season fun, they go into this game on the back of two straight wins (against LR and Cheadle) knowing that they have travelled quite well this season.
Silsden host Sandbach at Keighley Road Stadium buoyed by three straight wins in all competitions which includes the scalps of 1874 Northwich (Macron Cup Rd3), FC Halifax Town (West Riding County Cup Rd3) and a 6-0 away win in the League at AFC Blackpool so at present they are in form and upwardly mobile. Sandbach will be pressing hard for a win as they are just outside the play-offs at the moment, they have had two draws and an abandoned game in their last three so will be keen to get the game played and take it from there!
Last but by no means least sees Title chasing Charnock Richard at home to Ashton Town this weekend. Charnock have had a strange couple of months since last riding high at the top of the table, their last four attempts to play a league game have all either been postponed or abandoned, their last completed league game took place on 18th October but in the meantime have played six Cup games in four different competitions.
Ashton Town will be hoping this weekend for an upset, that’s what it will be if they can take something from this game. These sides last met at Ashton at the beginning of October and the visitors ran out 5-1 winners and it sees the divisions third best goal difference against the lowest. Ashton Town have some good individual players, they just don’t seem to have clicked yet, they will need to start clicking soon otherwise they are going to have a mountain to climb. In brighter news they are ten points behind third from bottom AFC Blackpool but have three games in hand on them so there is still hope yet.
Division One Preview - Saturday 10th December 2016
Fri 9th December 2016 | General
By Gary Langley
Following a busy mix of League and cup action last weekend, all eyes return on to the League as a full set of fixtures is set fair to take part to tempt people away from Christmas Markets and wrapping of presents. With the cold snap last weekend showing a bit of mercy, club groundsmen all over the parish will be hoping that this continues as the half way point approaches for a number of clubs.
Starting this week at Woodland Court where fifth placed Alsager Town host twentieth placed AFC Blackpool. On paper this looks like a near top versus near bottom fixture but Alsager are in poor form at the moment and this is reflected by their 18th place in the form charts. Wayne Brotherton’s side are with only one win in their last six games and that includes a defeat on home turf last weekend against Prestwich Heys.
AFC Blackpool are one of the clubs battling for survival at the bottom but they seem to be able to be able to magic up a win when they need one at the moment, they are actually better placed in the form table (13th) so they may well fancy their chances this weekend as they look to vault Atherton LR in their own mini-league at the moment.
Speaking of Atherton Laburnum Rovers, they have a tough looking ask this weekend as they travel to the Select Security Stadium to face in-form Widnes. LR are in nineteenth place at the moment only one point ahead of the aforementioned AFC Blackpool but with a game in hand on them. They are still very much looking over their shoulders though as only six points behind them lies the relegation trap door and all of the nervousness that could entail as the season heads into its second half.
Widnes on the other hand are continuing their good run, they are unbeaten in their last nine and fought out a strong looking 0-0 draw with City of Liverpool in midweek, hauling them back towards the chasing pack that indeed includes themselves and if results go their way this weekend they could find themselves in a play-off position.
St Helens Town continue to lodge at Valerie Park this weekend as they welcome Bacup Borough. St Helens have quietly upturned their form of late, rising to twelfth in the table and a win here could lift them to within a few wins of the play-offs. Whilst that may sound a lot, when you look at what their opponents have done over the last couple of seasons with strong second half performances then its not out of the question and only one defeat in their last six league games suggests things are on the up.
Bacup Borough will probably just be happy to get a game under their belt as with the ground damage sustained by the weather early last month they haven’t kicked a ball in anger for a few weeks. Form probably doesn’t represent anything in that respect at the moment.
Carlisle City will be looking to get over the disappointment of their Reusch cup exit at the hands of Sandbach last weekend by looking to take all three points from their home game against Cheadle Town. There is not much between these two clubs in the table and their seasons seem to have had similar paths. A Win for City though could see them return to the top ten subject to results elsewhere.
Seventeenth placed Chadderton welcome Daisy Hill to the ARK Fleetech Stadium looking to put some more daylight between them and the bottom five. Whilst they are not likely to get into trouble as things stand, they will be looking for a bit more comfort and with three wins from their last five in all competitions they will fancy their chances.
If I was allowed to bet on football, Daisy Hill would be my coupon buster every week. They score goals for fun, seventeen goals in their last five games but with three wins and three defeats in their last six this game is too close to call.
Litherland REMYCA will be looking to return to winning ways at Litherland Sports Park as they play host to title contenders, Whitchurch Alport. The Remy’ have been fairly consistent of late but would have been frustrated by the 2-2 home draw against Chadderton they picked up last weekend. They are currently in fourth position though and well poised to mount an attack on the automatic spots if any of the teams above slip up over the coming weeks.
Alport by their high standards will be looking to cement their candidacy for the title with a win on the road, their last three league games have seen a win, a draw and a defeat but with only three home league games scheduled between now and mid-March they will be clocking up some tiger tokens as the road tests their resolve.
City of Liverpool drew at Widnes in midweek, and whilst some questioned their form on social media you have to question whether this was justified as that to me represented a good point gained against a club that will be top four in my opinion come the end of the season. Unlike other clubs around them with games in hand they do have the points on the board which sees them as strong candidates. They will be thankful for a home league game this weekend as Holker Old Boys visit the Delta Taxis Stadium.
Holker are in fairly steady form this campaign, whilst they haven’t set the division on fire they have stayed well away from relegation trouble and seem to manage a couple of wins followed by a couple of defeats….. and repeat! They just seem to be bereft of a bit of consistency at the moment, they go into this game on the back of two wins.
Eccleshall are in trouble in the table and need to really pull out all of the stops against Stockport Town this weekend at Pershall Park. Yes, they have games in hand but they need to start picking up the points instead of having to rely on winning their games against the clubs around them on their run-in to avoid the drop. They won last time out a 5-4 epic game against Ashton Town at home and will be looking for a second win on the spin as they try and claw back the clubs above them. Mid-table Stockport Town had a rotten November as far as results go and will see this as an opportunity to engage with a much better December.
Prestwich Heys go head to head with FC Oswestry Town for the first ever meeting between these two clubs this weekend. Heys finally put to bed a five game losing run last weekend with a 2-1 win away at Alsager Town which brought them their first win since mid-October and back into the top ten in the table. With games in hand they could still be in with a shout of the play-offs.
Trying to keep them out of the play-off zone will be FC Oswestry Town, they currently occupy the final Golden Ticket to the end of season fun, they go into this game on the back of two straight wins (against LR and Cheadle) knowing that they have travelled quite well this season.
Silsden host Sandbach at Keighley Road Stadium buoyed by three straight wins in all competitions which includes the scalps of 1874 Northwich (Macron Cup Rd3), FC Halifax Town (West Riding County Cup Rd3) and a 6-0 away win in the League at AFC Blackpool so at present they are in form and upwardly mobile. Sandbach will be pressing hard for a win as they are just outside the play-offs at the moment, they have had two draws and an abandoned game in their last three so will be keen to get the game played and take it from there!
Last but by no means least sees Title chasing Charnock Richard at home to Ashton Town this weekend. Charnock have had a strange couple of months since last riding high at the top of the table, their last four attempts to play a league game have all either been postponed or abandoned, their last completed league game took place on 18th October but in the meantime have played six Cup games in four different competitions.
Ashton Town will be hoping this weekend for an upset, that’s what it will be if they can take something from this game. These sides last met at Ashton at the beginning of October and the visitors ran out 5-1 winners and it sees the divisions third best goal difference against the lowest. Ashton Town have some good individual players, they just don’t seem to have clicked yet, they will need to start clicking soon otherwise they are going to have a mountain to climb. In brighter news they are ten points behind third from bottom AFC Blackpool but have three games in hand on them so there is still hope yet.
