Division One Preview - Saturday 17th December 2016
Fri 16th December 2016 | General | By Gary Langley
The busy festive seasons fixtures really arrive in style this week as a full schedule of Division One fixtures is scheduled for this weekend. The weekends games show some mouth watering fixtures at the top and bottom of the table as all clubs look to bring some festive cheer to their campaigns.
We start this week at The Mechanics Stadium as AFC Blackpool's battle to stay clear of the relegation drop zone continues. They welcome Chadderton who are in mid-table at present and whom recorded a stunning 5-4 win last week at home against Daisy Hill. Blackpool currently sit five points clear of second to bottom Eccleshall but have played a couple of games more.
Widnes will be looking to continue their surge up the table as they host Silsden at the Select Security Stadium. Widnes are unbeaten in their last ten in all competitions and depending on results elsewhere a win could potentially lift them into the play-off zone. Silsden currently sit in seventeenth position but are clear enough of too much trouble to have to look over their shoulders. Last time out they ran Sandbach close, losing 1-2 at home but prior to that had been unbeaten in three.
Ashton Town welcome Prestwich Heys to Edge Green Street, they're still rooted to the bottom of the table and ten points adrift of safety, however they do still have three games in hand on AFC Blackpool in 20th which could at the end of the day be Town's salvation. Heys recorded an impressive 5-2 home win over Oswestry last weekend and with a couple of games in hand themselves at the other end of the table, they will be hungry to close that gap between themselves and the play-off pack.
Whitchurch Alport are one of three teams that could take top spot by the end of this weekend but with only one win in their last four games they will be looking for their twelfth man, Yockings Park to be the difference against St Helens Town. Whitchurch have been impressive at home this season and this has been reflected by the decent support that has been turning up to watch them. Town are another who can't string two wins together of late, however they have been climbing the table almost under the radar, currently sitting in tenth and by no means out of play-off contention. This looks a massive game for both clubs to be honest.
Atherton LR are by no means out of trouble and still likely to be looking over their shoulder at the bottom three. However, they go into this game on the back of five straight defeats and know that visitors Carlisle City will stand in their way of three much needed points at actually Park. These two sides met only a few weeks ago up at Carlisle and it was the then home team who ran out 3-0 winners. City are currently fourth in the divisional form table, however they are going to have to put a solid run together if they are to make the top six.
On the subject of the top six, in-form Sandbach in sixth take on league leaders City of Liverpool at the Sandbach Community Football Centre. This is the first meeting between these two sides and brings together two sides that have been very impressive of late.
I have said a couple of times of late in various media that if City of Liverpool can find some consistency then they will be very capable of going up automatically and they look to have found that at the right time. They are currently top of the pile in the league and second in the form table and go into this game on the back of a 6-1 home win against Holker last weekend.
Bacup Borough And Cheadle Town go head to head this weekend at the Brian Boys West View Stadium with both sitting in the lower third of the table and only a point separating them. Both will be keen for the points to get them over the half way line and build for a strong second half of the season.
Eccleshall have been a bit of a bogey side for high flying Litherland Remyca over the last few seasons and the Sefton side probably won't be over the moon to see them as their next opponents at Litherland Sports Park this weekend. The Remy' are struggling to get two wins together at the moment but they haven't lost too many and that's largely why they still find themselves fifth in the table and still very capable of mounting their own automatic promotion challenge. If they are to do that though, this will be in the 'must win' category for them.
Eccleshall go into this game on the back of four straight defeats and still sitting second bottom of the table and face two sides in the top six over what looks like it could be a challenging Christmas period.
Daisy Hill host Promotion chasing Alsager Town at New Sirs this Saturday and one thing that should be expected is goals. Daisy have shipped 22 goals in their last six in all comps but also bagged seventeen so with 39 goals in that period that's the place to be to see goals. In their way and hoping not to leak any will be Fourth placed Alsager Town, their form hasn't been too hot of late, 14th in the form table tells a story. They did however arrest some poor form last week with a thumping 6-1 home win over AFC Blackpool. With games against the current top two coming up over the next Three weeks the strength of their promotion credentials is going to be strongly tested.
Holker Old Boys will be looking to bounce back from their 6-1 reverse away at City of Liverpool last week with something from their home game against Stockport Town. Holker are currently fifteenth in the table but look to have a good run of fixtures over the coming weeks. Stockport looked out of it up until a few weeks ago but are very much in the chasing pack for the play-offs, currently sitting in eleventh but three wins in their last four suggests they are picking up the pace a bit.
FC Oswestry Town host Charnock Richard at the Venue this weekend with five wins from their last six league games, that would have been a full house had Prestwich Heys not have beaten them rather comprehensively 5-2 last weekend. They will be looking for a swift return to winning ways to continue their promotion campaign but come up against one of the divisions strongest sides.
Charnock Richard are getting back into the habit of playing league games again having had a long run of cup matches played. They come into this game off the back of a couple of good wins against Chadderton and Ashton Town, netting eight goals in the process. Depending on results elsewhere this weekend if they win they could reclaim top spot.
It's certainly an exciting weekend of league action, that's for sure and depending on results any one of three teams could be top by Saturday evening.
Division One Preview - Saturday 17th December 2016
Fri 16th December 2016 | General
By Gary Langley
The busy festive seasons fixtures really arrive in style this week as a full schedule of Division One fixtures is scheduled for this weekend. The weekends games show some mouth watering fixtures at the top and bottom of the table as all clubs look to bring some festive cheer to their campaigns.
We start this week at The Mechanics Stadium as AFC Blackpool's battle to stay clear of the relegation drop zone continues. They welcome Chadderton who are in mid-table at present and whom recorded a stunning 5-4 win last week at home against Daisy Hill. Blackpool currently sit five points clear of second to bottom Eccleshall but have played a couple of games more.
Widnes will be looking to continue their surge up the table as they host Silsden at the Select Security Stadium. Widnes are unbeaten in their last ten in all competitions and depending on results elsewhere a win could potentially lift them into the play-off zone. Silsden currently sit in seventeenth position but are clear enough of too much trouble to have to look over their shoulders. Last time out they ran Sandbach close, losing 1-2 at home but prior to that had been unbeaten in three.
Ashton Town welcome Prestwich Heys to Edge Green Street, they're still rooted to the bottom of the table and ten points adrift of safety, however they do still have three games in hand on AFC Blackpool in 20th which could at the end of the day be Town's salvation. Heys recorded an impressive 5-2 home win over Oswestry last weekend and with a couple of games in hand themselves at the other end of the table, they will be hungry to close that gap between themselves and the play-off pack.
Whitchurch Alport are one of three teams that could take top spot by the end of this weekend but with only one win in their last four games they will be looking for their twelfth man, Yockings Park to be the difference against St Helens Town. Whitchurch have been impressive at home this season and this has been reflected by the decent support that has been turning up to watch them. Town are another who can't string two wins together of late, however they have been climbing the table almost under the radar, currently sitting in tenth and by no means out of play-off contention. This looks a massive game for both clubs to be honest.
Atherton LR are by no means out of trouble and still likely to be looking over their shoulder at the bottom three. However, they go into this game on the back of five straight defeats and know that visitors Carlisle City will stand in their way of three much needed points at actually Park. These two sides met only a few weeks ago up at Carlisle and it was the then home team who ran out 3-0 winners. City are currently fourth in the divisional form table, however they are going to have to put a solid run together if they are to make the top six.
On the subject of the top six, in-form Sandbach in sixth take on league leaders City of Liverpool at the Sandbach Community Football Centre. This is the first meeting between these two sides and brings together two sides that have been very impressive of late.
I have said a couple of times of late in various media that if City of Liverpool can find some consistency then they will be very capable of going up automatically and they look to have found that at the right time. They are currently top of the pile in the league and second in the form table and go into this game on the back of a 6-1 home win against Holker last weekend.
Bacup Borough And Cheadle Town go head to head this weekend at the Brian Boys West View Stadium with both sitting in the lower third of the table and only a point separating them. Both will be keen for the points to get them over the half way line and build for a strong second half of the season.
Eccleshall have been a bit of a bogey side for high flying Litherland Remyca over the last few seasons and the Sefton side probably won't be over the moon to see them as their next opponents at Litherland Sports Park this weekend. The Remy' are struggling to get two wins together at the moment but they haven't lost too many and that's largely why they still find themselves fifth in the table and still very capable of mounting their own automatic promotion challenge. If they are to do that though, this will be in the 'must win' category for them.
Eccleshall go into this game on the back of four straight defeats and still sitting second bottom of the table and face two sides in the top six over what looks like it could be a challenging Christmas period.
Daisy Hill host Promotion chasing Alsager Town at New Sirs this Saturday and one thing that should be expected is goals. Daisy have shipped 22 goals in their last six in all comps but also bagged seventeen so with 39 goals in that period that's the place to be to see goals. In their way and hoping not to leak any will be Fourth placed Alsager Town, their form hasn't been too hot of late, 14th in the form table tells a story. They did however arrest some poor form last week with a thumping 6-1 home win over AFC Blackpool. With games against the current top two coming up over the next Three weeks the strength of their promotion credentials is going to be strongly tested.
Holker Old Boys will be looking to bounce back from their 6-1 reverse away at City of Liverpool last week with something from their home game against Stockport Town. Holker are currently fifteenth in the table but look to have a good run of fixtures over the coming weeks. Stockport looked out of it up until a few weeks ago but are very much in the chasing pack for the play-offs, currently sitting in eleventh but three wins in their last four suggests they are picking up the pace a bit.
FC Oswestry Town host Charnock Richard at the Venue this weekend with five wins from their last six league games, that would have been a full house had Prestwich Heys not have beaten them rather comprehensively 5-2 last weekend. They will be looking for a swift return to winning ways to continue their promotion campaign but come up against one of the divisions strongest sides.
Charnock Richard are getting back into the habit of playing league games again having had a long run of cup matches played. They come into this game off the back of a couple of good wins against Chadderton and Ashton Town, netting eight goals in the process. Depending on results elsewhere this weekend if they win they could reclaim top spot.
It's certainly an exciting weekend of league action, that's for sure and depending on results any one of three teams could be top by Saturday evening.
