Division One Preview - Boxing Day
Sat 24th December 2016 | General | By Stewart Taylor
Christmas comes but once a year
Now it's here, now it's here
Bringing lots of joy and cheer
Tra la la la la
These words come from a 1930s short animated film directed by Dave Fleischer which captures the magic of Christmas Day. For many football supporters the magic of Christmas extends into Boxing Day with the opportunity to blow away the cobwebs by taking in a local football match. We have 10 matches in the First Division this Boxing Day to tempt you away from the excesses of the season with the emphasis on local derbies.
We start at Woodland Court where hosts Alsager Town welcome their visitors from over the Staffordshire border in the shape of Eccleshall.
It has been something of a contrasting season for these two clubs with the Bullets occupying a play-off position in their quest to make an immediate return to the Premier Division. Their current form can best be described as average although three postponed matches in the last six doesn’t help to generate momentum.
Eccleshall come into this match at the wrong end of the table with just two victories all season. There wasn’t too much between the sides when Eccleshall visited Litherland REMYCA last Saturday but points on the board count for most and the new management team at Pershall Park will look to improved performances bringing their reward in the tangible form of league points.
Occupying the last position in the League table are Ashton Town with just a single League victory to celebrate this season. The club motto is “Onwards and Upwards” and all at Edge Green Street will be making this their Christmas wish as they welcome Daisy Hill on Boxing Day. One of the more frustrating aspects of football is for sides who put in lots of effort during matches only for those efforts to bring no reward. Ashton Town never want for effort and must hope that the tide will turn in their favour in the second half of the season.
Equally frustrating are postponed matches and this was the fate of the match last Saturday at New Sirs. There have been goals aplenty when Daisy Hill take to the field and, from their perspective, not always at the right end. Leading scorer Ashley Stott has 29 goals to his credit this season which is helping his side stay in touch with the play-off positions but a big push is needed to move up the table and now would be a good time to start.
Up in the north of our region, League newcomers Carlisle City have been settling in well and currently lie in mid-table. Recent form has been somewhat variable with alternating victories and defeats but they will be looking to make home advantage count as their nearest neighbours, Holker Old Boys, make the trip to Gillford Park. Memories of the defeat at Rakesmoor in the reverse fixture back in September may well be recalled as inspiration for this match.
Holker Old Boys have had a similar season to Carlisle City in many ways with consistency being hard to find. There are frequently a good number of goals when Holker play and this match has all the indications of providing excellent entertainment.
Chadderton are yet to pass the half way mark in terms of the number of League matches played this season so a glance at the table may well be a bit misleading. However, the old saying that we’d rather have points in the bag than games in hand may well be relevant here. As with all our mid-table clubs, a string of victories will see Chaddy shoot up the table but with every other club looking to do the same thing in a very competitive League it does make it interesting for the neutral observer. Current form is pretty decent and an intriguing match is in prospect at the ARK Fleetech Stadium as Sandbach United make the trip up from Cheshire.
Sandbach United currently occupy the final play off place in the League table in their first season in the Hallmark Security League. Despite losing their first two League matches back in August, their form has been good with the side getting stronger through experience. There have been a number of notable recent victories but probably none more so that the one over fellow League newcomers City of Liverpool in front of a good home crowd last Saturday.
If we continue the theme of clubs new to the League and doing well, we can certainly put Charnock Richard in that category. A thumping 5-0 away win at FC Oswestry Town last Saturday was just the latest in a run of results which has seen the side move into an automatic promotion slot with games in hand over the sides immediately above and below them. Consecutive Macron Club of the Month Awards in September and October has recognised the performances of a side which has lost only three League matches all season. With leading scorer Carl Grimshaw in excellent form the opportunity beckons for the Lancashire side.
A tough afternoon at Mossie Park is in prospect for AFC Blackpool who come into this match very much in the lower reaches of the League table. This has been a disappointing campaign so far for the Mechanics, who came from the Premier Division into the First Division this season, with League wins few and far between. The side will need to pull out all the stops to get anything from this match.
All of the talk around Stockport Town in the last seven days has been related to management changes. Manager Calum Sykes, along with assistant Gareth Cross, left the club after the draw away at Holker Old Boys last Saturday to replace Paul Williams as manager of Premier Division side New Mills. Into the hot seat at Lambeth Grove, on an interim basis, comes experienced defender Jamie Kay. Teams often respond well to changes in management and this will be put to the test on Boxing Day as they travel to near neighbours Cheadle Town. Stockport Town are one of many of our clubs who are ambitious to progress and they will hope that this management change can spur them on from the current 9th position in the League table into a play off position at least come the end of the season.
The home side for this match have had a disappointing season overall, not matching the ambition which accompanied the start of the season. Two late goals by Liam Tongue away at Bacup Borough last Saturday secured a welcome three points for Terry Hincks and his side but more of the same is needed with some tough looking matches coming up in the New Year.
Another of the newcomers to the Hallmark Security League for this season are Prestwich Heys. Although founder members of the NWCFL back in 1982, we have not seen a Heys side grace our League for many a long year. With a change of ground they are back and enjoying life at Step 6 in the National League System. The side play some pretty effective football, with the experienced Jamie Baguley pulling the strings from midfield, and have stayed in touch with the upper half of the League table all season. A dip in form saw four defeats in all competitions as October moved into November. Four consecutive postponements didn’t help but the side have got back to winning ways recently only to see the momentum slowed last Saturday as the match away at Ashton Town was abandoned due to fog with Heys leading 5-2.
Atherton LR provide the opposition at Adie Moran Park on Boxing Day. It’s been a difficult season for the Crilly Park outfit with a string of League defeats broken by a much needed three points from a home win over Carlisle City last Saturday. The side will need to look back to that win and try to build some momentum but nothing is easy and it will be difficult for the visitors to take anything away from this match.
There have been some excellent ground improvements at the Keighley Road Stadium this season with new, stylishly designed and built, dug outs and a new hospitality and kitchen suite. On the field, Silsden’s results have been somewhat variable with some big wins featuring amongst some disappointing defeats. Several wins this season have come in cup matches against higher ranked opposition but this has yet to be backed up by solid League form. The match last Saturday at Widnes was abandoned due to fog with the Cobbydalers 4-1 down.
Bacup Borough make the trip over to Yorkshire on Boxing Day having had a pretty traumatic time recently both on and off the field. We have referred above to the last minute reverse at the hands of Cheadle Town last Saturday which must have been frustrating to say the least. Off the field, Bacup saw the worst effects of the autumn storms with considerable structural damage to the stand. This coming at a time when other ground improvements were ongoing meant that a couple of matches were postponed. Manager Brent Peters will be hoping that his, and his teams, luck will change as we enter the New Year and a good result at Silsden will help that process.
St Helens Town would have expected to be in their new home at Ruskin Drive by the end of the year but it was not to be. Valerie Park, Prescot is, therefore, the destination for Litherland REMYCA for the match on Boxing Day.
Town’s recent League form has been good which has seen them climb the table to be one of the sides pushing for a play off position. A victory in the reverse League fixture at the Litherland Sports Park in the first month of the season will be encouraging but that was quite some time ago and fortunes can change as witnessed by a defeat to the same opposition in the Liverpool Senior Cup last month. There are still plenty of matches remaining the season so plenty of points to be won.
Having said that, this has all of the hallmarks of a tough match for both sides as the visitors are in decent form themselves. Remy come into this match having taken points from all of their previous 10 League matches bar the defeat at Holker Old Boys at the end of last month. A 3-1 win over Eccleshall in their match last Saturday helped to continue the good form and this one could well be tight.
Our final match sees a Shropshire derby as FC Oswestry Town travel to Yockings Park to take on Whitchurch Alport.
The home side finished bottom of the First Division table last season with just 2 wins but what a change this season! 16 League wins already this term puts them top of the League table and confidence is sky high with the side regularly collecting maximum points in front of ever growing attendances. With goals coming regularly from Simon Everall and Michael Blundell, Alport are a force to be reckoned with and the home fans will be looking for this form to continue not only on Boxing Day but through into the New Year.
FC Oswestry Town are another of our new clubs for this season, and, with the others, have been adapting well. Relatively new manager Michael Barton has faith in his side to get a play off position and wins in his first two League matches seemed to back that up. However, recent reversals at the hands of Prestwich Heys and Charnock Richard simply confirms that there is much work to do in what is proving to be a most competitive League this season. Expect goals and a good atmosphere at this match.
So there we have it and, to slightly misquote a well known phrase or saying often associated with this time of the year, we can offer a feast fit for a king. Maybe not on a plate but certainly on the football field.
Have a calm, peaceful and, most importantly, a safe Christmas and wherever you decide to get your footy fix on Boxing Day – enjoy the match.
Division One Preview - Boxing Day
Sat 24th December 2016 | General
By Stewart Taylor
Christmas comes but once a year
Now it's here, now it's here
Bringing lots of joy and cheer
Tra la la la la
These words come from a 1930s short animated film directed by Dave Fleischer which captures the magic of Christmas Day. For many football supporters the magic of Christmas extends into Boxing Day with the opportunity to blow away the cobwebs by taking in a local football match. We have 10 matches in the First Division this Boxing Day to tempt you away from the excesses of the season with the emphasis on local derbies.
We start at Woodland Court where hosts Alsager Town welcome their visitors from over the Staffordshire border in the shape of Eccleshall.
It has been something of a contrasting season for these two clubs with the Bullets occupying a play-off position in their quest to make an immediate return to the Premier Division. Their current form can best be described as average although three postponed matches in the last six doesn’t help to generate momentum.
Eccleshall come into this match at the wrong end of the table with just two victories all season. There wasn’t too much between the sides when Eccleshall visited Litherland REMYCA last Saturday but points on the board count for most and the new management team at Pershall Park will look to improved performances bringing their reward in the tangible form of league points.
Occupying the last position in the League table are Ashton Town with just a single League victory to celebrate this season. The club motto is “Onwards and Upwards” and all at Edge Green Street will be making this their Christmas wish as they welcome Daisy Hill on Boxing Day. One of the more frustrating aspects of football is for sides who put in lots of effort during matches only for those efforts to bring no reward. Ashton Town never want for effort and must hope that the tide will turn in their favour in the second half of the season.
Equally frustrating are postponed matches and this was the fate of the match last Saturday at New Sirs. There have been goals aplenty when Daisy Hill take to the field and, from their perspective, not always at the right end. Leading scorer Ashley Stott has 29 goals to his credit this season which is helping his side stay in touch with the play-off positions but a big push is needed to move up the table and now would be a good time to start.
Up in the north of our region, League newcomers Carlisle City have been settling in well and currently lie in mid-table. Recent form has been somewhat variable with alternating victories and defeats but they will be looking to make home advantage count as their nearest neighbours, Holker Old Boys, make the trip to Gillford Park. Memories of the defeat at Rakesmoor in the reverse fixture back in September may well be recalled as inspiration for this match.
Holker Old Boys have had a similar season to Carlisle City in many ways with consistency being hard to find. There are frequently a good number of goals when Holker play and this match has all the indications of providing excellent entertainment.
Chadderton are yet to pass the half way mark in terms of the number of League matches played this season so a glance at the table may well be a bit misleading. However, the old saying that we’d rather have points in the bag than games in hand may well be relevant here. As with all our mid-table clubs, a string of victories will see Chaddy shoot up the table but with every other club looking to do the same thing in a very competitive League it does make it interesting for the neutral observer. Current form is pretty decent and an intriguing match is in prospect at the ARK Fleetech Stadium as Sandbach United make the trip up from Cheshire.
Sandbach United currently occupy the final play off place in the League table in their first season in the Hallmark Security League. Despite losing their first two League matches back in August, their form has been good with the side getting stronger through experience. There have been a number of notable recent victories but probably none more so that the one over fellow League newcomers City of Liverpool in front of a good home crowd last Saturday.
If we continue the theme of clubs new to the League and doing well, we can certainly put Charnock Richard in that category. A thumping 5-0 away win at FC Oswestry Town last Saturday was just the latest in a run of results which has seen the side move into an automatic promotion slot with games in hand over the sides immediately above and below them. Consecutive Macron Club of the Month Awards in September and October has recognised the performances of a side which has lost only three League matches all season. With leading scorer Carl Grimshaw in excellent form the opportunity beckons for the Lancashire side.
A tough afternoon at Mossie Park is in prospect for AFC Blackpool who come into this match very much in the lower reaches of the League table. This has been a disappointing campaign so far for the Mechanics, who came from the Premier Division into the First Division this season, with League wins few and far between. The side will need to pull out all the stops to get anything from this match.
All of the talk around Stockport Town in the last seven days has been related to management changes. Manager Calum Sykes, along with assistant Gareth Cross, left the club after the draw away at Holker Old Boys last Saturday to replace Paul Williams as manager of Premier Division side New Mills. Into the hot seat at Lambeth Grove, on an interim basis, comes experienced defender Jamie Kay. Teams often respond well to changes in management and this will be put to the test on Boxing Day as they travel to near neighbours Cheadle Town. Stockport Town are one of many of our clubs who are ambitious to progress and they will hope that this management change can spur them on from the current 9th position in the League table into a play off position at least come the end of the season.
The home side for this match have had a disappointing season overall, not matching the ambition which accompanied the start of the season. Two late goals by Liam Tongue away at Bacup Borough last Saturday secured a welcome three points for Terry Hincks and his side but more of the same is needed with some tough looking matches coming up in the New Year.
Another of the newcomers to the Hallmark Security League for this season are Prestwich Heys. Although founder members of the NWCFL back in 1982, we have not seen a Heys side grace our League for many a long year. With a change of ground they are back and enjoying life at Step 6 in the National League System. The side play some pretty effective football, with the experienced Jamie Baguley pulling the strings from midfield, and have stayed in touch with the upper half of the League table all season. A dip in form saw four defeats in all competitions as October moved into November. Four consecutive postponements didn’t help but the side have got back to winning ways recently only to see the momentum slowed last Saturday as the match away at Ashton Town was abandoned due to fog with Heys leading 5-2.
Atherton LR provide the opposition at Adie Moran Park on Boxing Day. It’s been a difficult season for the Crilly Park outfit with a string of League defeats broken by a much needed three points from a home win over Carlisle City last Saturday. The side will need to look back to that win and try to build some momentum but nothing is easy and it will be difficult for the visitors to take anything away from this match.
There have been some excellent ground improvements at the Keighley Road Stadium this season with new, stylishly designed and built, dug outs and a new hospitality and kitchen suite. On the field, Silsden’s results have been somewhat variable with some big wins featuring amongst some disappointing defeats. Several wins this season have come in cup matches against higher ranked opposition but this has yet to be backed up by solid League form. The match last Saturday at Widnes was abandoned due to fog with the Cobbydalers 4-1 down.
Bacup Borough make the trip over to Yorkshire on Boxing Day having had a pretty traumatic time recently both on and off the field. We have referred above to the last minute reverse at the hands of Cheadle Town last Saturday which must have been frustrating to say the least. Off the field, Bacup saw the worst effects of the autumn storms with considerable structural damage to the stand. This coming at a time when other ground improvements were ongoing meant that a couple of matches were postponed. Manager Brent Peters will be hoping that his, and his teams, luck will change as we enter the New Year and a good result at Silsden will help that process.
St Helens Town would have expected to be in their new home at Ruskin Drive by the end of the year but it was not to be. Valerie Park, Prescot is, therefore, the destination for Litherland REMYCA for the match on Boxing Day.
Town’s recent League form has been good which has seen them climb the table to be one of the sides pushing for a play off position. A victory in the reverse League fixture at the Litherland Sports Park in the first month of the season will be encouraging but that was quite some time ago and fortunes can change as witnessed by a defeat to the same opposition in the Liverpool Senior Cup last month. There are still plenty of matches remaining the season so plenty of points to be won.
Having said that, this has all of the hallmarks of a tough match for both sides as the visitors are in decent form themselves. Remy come into this match having taken points from all of their previous 10 League matches bar the defeat at Holker Old Boys at the end of last month. A 3-1 win over Eccleshall in their match last Saturday helped to continue the good form and this one could well be tight.
Our final match sees a Shropshire derby as FC Oswestry Town travel to Yockings Park to take on Whitchurch Alport.
The home side finished bottom of the First Division table last season with just 2 wins but what a change this season! 16 League wins already this term puts them top of the League table and confidence is sky high with the side regularly collecting maximum points in front of ever growing attendances. With goals coming regularly from Simon Everall and Michael Blundell, Alport are a force to be reckoned with and the home fans will be looking for this form to continue not only on Boxing Day but through into the New Year.
FC Oswestry Town are another of our new clubs for this season, and, with the others, have been adapting well. Relatively new manager Michael Barton has faith in his side to get a play off position and wins in his first two League matches seemed to back that up. However, recent reversals at the hands of Prestwich Heys and Charnock Richard simply confirms that there is much work to do in what is proving to be a most competitive League this season. Expect goals and a good atmosphere at this match.
So there we have it and, to slightly misquote a well known phrase or saying often associated with this time of the year, we can offer a feast fit for a king. Maybe not on a plate but certainly on the football field.
Have a calm, peaceful and, most importantly, a safe Christmas and wherever you decide to get your footy fix on Boxing Day – enjoy the match.
