Premier Division Preview - w/e Saturday 31st December 2016
Fri 30th December 2016 | General | By Patrick Burke
With games taking place across the final two days of 2016, there is no shortage of opportunities for supporters to fit some Hallmark Security League football into what you might describe as their ‘pre-New Year’ schedule.
We start with Friday night’s fixtures, when three of the more obvious title contenders are in action.
Padiham vs Atherton Collieries is one that particularly catches the eye. Four consecutive wins have consolidated the hosts’ 6th placed spot, with three of those victories by three goals or more.
Colls, meanwhile, have won ten of their last eleven in all competitions to climb up to 3rd, and they are just three points off top spot with a game in hand. Mark Battersby is also back in the team and back amongst the goals, so Padiham will have to be at their best if they are to continue their good run of form.
Just below Colls in 4th place, Runcorn Linnets also face an awkward-looking away trip to mid-table Irlam. Linnets had to settle for a point in the Runcorn Derby against Town on Monday, but had won back-to-back games prior to that.
Steve Nixon’s 11th placed Irlam were narrowly defeated at Abbey Hey in their last outing, but similarly to their opponents, recorded impressive wins against Squires Gate and Ashton Athletic before that. They have already taken points off Bootle, Colls and 1874 Northwich this season, so are capable of throwing a spanner in Linnets’ works.
1874 are on the road on Friday night too, travelling to bottom side Cammell Laird 1907. Three encouraging performances had suggested that Mick McGraa’s Lairds had turned the corner, but a 6-0 loss at Barnton made it a Boxing Day to forget.
Admittedly, the visitors were several key players down, but 1874 will be formidable opponents if they perform as they did in recent wins against Runcorn Town and AFC Liverpool. Losing 4-0 at ‘home’ to Winsford United on Boxing Day was a shock, but they will no doubt be desperate for a response.
Two of the teams promoted last season face off as 9th placed Hanley Town entertain 17th placed Barnton. Credit must go to both clubs for the way they have taken Premier Division football in their stride, and despite winning just one of their last six in all competitions, Dean Owen’s Hanley drew 0-0 at Congleton a few days back.
They will no doubt need that kind of defensive solidity against a Barnton side buoyed by their biggest victory of the season against Lairds. It was the perfect way to end a run of four winless games, and leaves them 12 points clear of the drop zone.
Maine Road were on a run of three consecutive defeats just over a week ago, but a 1-0 win against Barnton and 1-1 draw at West Didsbury & Chorlton later and they are sitting nicely in 12th place.
AFC Darwen are the visitors to Brantingham Road, and though they lie just a place above the dotted line, triumphs away at Nelson and New Mills in December may turn out to be crucial come the end of the season. Those six points have them seven clear of the Millers in 20th, though they lost 7-1 to Bootle in between.
Now under the stewardship of Calum Sykes, New Mills will be hoping to end a rotten run of eight straight defeats when they welcome 10th placed Abbey Hey in the new manager’s first home match. The early signs are promising - only a saved penalty denied them a point at Colls on Boxing Day.
Although they have been eliminated from the Macron Cup and well beaten at Runcorn Town in December, the away side’s recent form has been solid: they kicked off the month with a valuable 2-2 draw at Linnets, followed by wins against Barnoldswick Town and Irlam.
Onto Saturday’s offerings, and there are two games kicking off at 1pm, with three more following suit two hours later.
Runcorn Town’s home fixture against Squires Gate makes up one of the early kick-offs. The current table toppers are aiming for a 10th consecutive home league win, but have taken just one point from recent away games at fellow title hopefuls 1874 Northwich and Runcorn Linnets.
Although 15th placed Gate have only won once in their last four outings, they have done the double over Bootle, drawn at Colls and beaten 1874 Northwich this season, with Danny Penswick’s men also unfortunate to lose 4-3 at Linnets last month, so this may not be a straight forward task for Town.
The other early start on Saturday is AFC Liverpool against West Didsbury & Chorlton, with the hosts in 7th just one place ahead of their opponents. Five successive wins had the home side top of the form table, but they have lost three times since then.
The 4-3 defeat at Bootle on Boxing Day will have been the toughest to take having led 3-0, so they will need to put that behind them as soon as possible. Four games unbeaten, with victories in three of them, suggests that Steve Settle’s West are over their blip in form, and they won an FA Cup replay at the Marine Travel Arena in August.
The final side in the top five to play during this round of fixtures will be Bootle, who travel to Nelson at 3pm on Saturday. The hosts are second from bottom, but have been bolstered by several high profile signings, most notably striker Jason Hart. Linnets grabbed a late winner against the Admirals last time out, but they now look ready for a bid to stave off relegation. Bootle are 2nd and morale should be high after that dramatic derby victory on Boxing Day, so this should be a good match up.
Having played out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture last week, there is another 3pm kick-off at Brocstedes Park as Ashton Athletic welcome Barnoldswick Town. The hosts have lost top scorer Isaac Kusaloka to Runcorn Town and are in 13th place, but took a decent point from a Boxing Day trip to Squires Gate. Barlick are 18th, and form has been inconsistent of late, shown when they knocked Abbey Hey out of the Macron Cup at the start of December before losing 2-0 at the same opponents a few days later.
The final game sees Winsford host Congleton, again at 3pm, and after their recent results, it’s fair to say it can’t come quick enough for the hosts! They have beaten 1874 Northwich 4-0 and AFC Liverpool 2-0 in their last two matches, climbing to 16th place and underlining the fact that they can beat anyone on their day.
Congleton’s recent games have been a lot closer, their last seven all either drawn or settled by one goal. Most recently, they lost 2-1 at Padiham before drawing against Hanley, so will aim for a return to winning ways here.
Plenty of options for everyone depending on whether you’re a fan of a top of the table clash between two in form teams, a top vs bottom affair or if you’re more of a mid-table battle kind of person. There’s also choice for those who love a game under the floodlights, a lunchtime start or a traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off, so why not get along to a game one last time in 2016?!
Premier Division Preview - w/e Saturday 31st December 2016
Fri 30th December 2016 | General
By Patrick Burke
With games taking place across the final two days of 2016, there is no shortage of opportunities for supporters to fit some Hallmark Security League football into what you might describe as their ‘pre-New Year’ schedule.
We start with Friday night’s fixtures, when three of the more obvious title contenders are in action.
Padiham vs Atherton Collieries is one that particularly catches the eye. Four consecutive wins have consolidated the hosts’ 6th placed spot, with three of those victories by three goals or more.
Colls, meanwhile, have won ten of their last eleven in all competitions to climb up to 3rd, and they are just three points off top spot with a game in hand. Mark Battersby is also back in the team and back amongst the goals, so Padiham will have to be at their best if they are to continue their good run of form.
Just below Colls in 4th place, Runcorn Linnets also face an awkward-looking away trip to mid-table Irlam. Linnets had to settle for a point in the Runcorn Derby against Town on Monday, but had won back-to-back games prior to that.
Steve Nixon’s 11th placed Irlam were narrowly defeated at Abbey Hey in their last outing, but similarly to their opponents, recorded impressive wins against Squires Gate and Ashton Athletic before that. They have already taken points off Bootle, Colls and 1874 Northwich this season, so are capable of throwing a spanner in Linnets’ works.
1874 are on the road on Friday night too, travelling to bottom side Cammell Laird 1907. Three encouraging performances had suggested that Mick McGraa’s Lairds had turned the corner, but a 6-0 loss at Barnton made it a Boxing Day to forget.
Admittedly, the visitors were several key players down, but 1874 will be formidable opponents if they perform as they did in recent wins against Runcorn Town and AFC Liverpool. Losing 4-0 at ‘home’ to Winsford United on Boxing Day was a shock, but they will no doubt be desperate for a response.
Two of the teams promoted last season face off as 9th placed Hanley Town entertain 17th placed Barnton. Credit must go to both clubs for the way they have taken Premier Division football in their stride, and despite winning just one of their last six in all competitions, Dean Owen’s Hanley drew 0-0 at Congleton a few days back.
They will no doubt need that kind of defensive solidity against a Barnton side buoyed by their biggest victory of the season against Lairds. It was the perfect way to end a run of four winless games, and leaves them 12 points clear of the drop zone.
Maine Road were on a run of three consecutive defeats just over a week ago, but a 1-0 win against Barnton and 1-1 draw at West Didsbury & Chorlton later and they are sitting nicely in 12th place.
AFC Darwen are the visitors to Brantingham Road, and though they lie just a place above the dotted line, triumphs away at Nelson and New Mills in December may turn out to be crucial come the end of the season. Those six points have them seven clear of the Millers in 20th, though they lost 7-1 to Bootle in between.
Now under the stewardship of Calum Sykes, New Mills will be hoping to end a rotten run of eight straight defeats when they welcome 10th placed Abbey Hey in the new manager’s first home match. The early signs are promising - only a saved penalty denied them a point at Colls on Boxing Day.
Although they have been eliminated from the Macron Cup and well beaten at Runcorn Town in December, the away side’s recent form has been solid: they kicked off the month with a valuable 2-2 draw at Linnets, followed by wins against Barnoldswick Town and Irlam.
Onto Saturday’s offerings, and there are two games kicking off at 1pm, with three more following suit two hours later.
Runcorn Town’s home fixture against Squires Gate makes up one of the early kick-offs. The current table toppers are aiming for a 10th consecutive home league win, but have taken just one point from recent away games at fellow title hopefuls 1874 Northwich and Runcorn Linnets.
Although 15th placed Gate have only won once in their last four outings, they have done the double over Bootle, drawn at Colls and beaten 1874 Northwich this season, with Danny Penswick’s men also unfortunate to lose 4-3 at Linnets last month, so this may not be a straight forward task for Town.
The other early start on Saturday is AFC Liverpool against West Didsbury & Chorlton, with the hosts in 7th just one place ahead of their opponents. Five successive wins had the home side top of the form table, but they have lost three times since then.
The 4-3 defeat at Bootle on Boxing Day will have been the toughest to take having led 3-0, so they will need to put that behind them as soon as possible. Four games unbeaten, with victories in three of them, suggests that Steve Settle’s West are over their blip in form, and they won an FA Cup replay at the Marine Travel Arena in August.
The final side in the top five to play during this round of fixtures will be Bootle, who travel to Nelson at 3pm on Saturday. The hosts are second from bottom, but have been bolstered by several high profile signings, most notably striker Jason Hart. Linnets grabbed a late winner against the Admirals last time out, but they now look ready for a bid to stave off relegation. Bootle are 2nd and morale should be high after that dramatic derby victory on Boxing Day, so this should be a good match up.
Having played out a goalless draw in the reverse fixture last week, there is another 3pm kick-off at Brocstedes Park as Ashton Athletic welcome Barnoldswick Town. The hosts have lost top scorer Isaac Kusaloka to Runcorn Town and are in 13th place, but took a decent point from a Boxing Day trip to Squires Gate. Barlick are 18th, and form has been inconsistent of late, shown when they knocked Abbey Hey out of the Macron Cup at the start of December before losing 2-0 at the same opponents a few days later.
The final game sees Winsford host Congleton, again at 3pm, and after their recent results, it’s fair to say it can’t come quick enough for the hosts! They have beaten 1874 Northwich 4-0 and AFC Liverpool 2-0 in their last two matches, climbing to 16th place and underlining the fact that they can beat anyone on their day.
Congleton’s recent games have been a lot closer, their last seven all either drawn or settled by one goal. Most recently, they lost 2-1 at Padiham before drawing against Hanley, so will aim for a return to winning ways here.
Plenty of options for everyone depending on whether you’re a fan of a top of the table clash between two in form teams, a top vs bottom affair or if you’re more of a mid-table battle kind of person. There’s also choice for those who love a game under the floodlights, a lunchtime start or a traditional Saturday 3pm kick-off, so why not get along to a game one last time in 2016?!
