Division One Preview - Saturday 14th January 2017
Fri 13th January 2017 | General | By Gary Langley
With the promotion races starting to heat up in both divisions it's rather ironic that the forecast for this weekend is for rather chilly and frosty conditions. However if the forecasters have, heaven forbid - got it wrong - then we could see some great action around the Hallmark Security League Division One this weekend.
So we will start this Preview with one of the games of the day which has to be Whitchurch Alport vs Ashton Town at Yockings Park. It's the classic top against bottom clash which at many levels of the game can mean very little by way of form. Alport are three points clear at the top and unbeaten in the league since mid-November, whilst Ashton Town do remain adrift at the bottom of the table. Observers at their last few games suggest that they are capable of making a real fight of it until the end of the season. Form suggests an Alport victory is likely here, especially at Fortress Yockings Park, however history shows that nothing is set in stone in these type of games.
Litherland Remyca face Carlisle City at Litherland Sports Park with The Remy' looking like real candidates for automatic promotion at the moment, especially given their impressive looking win at Charnock Richard last weekend. Phil Stafford's men have only lost one of their last eleven in all competitions whilst Carlisle City head down the M6 in fairly inconsistent form at present and haven't travelled too well of late. City are comfortable in mid-table whilst Remyca are four points behind second place but have two games in hand on both of the top sides.
Charnock Richard will be looking to bounce back following that home defeat to Litherland Remyca last weekend, however in order to do so they must travel to Prestwich Heys. This is not an easy task as Heys have been decent at Adie Moran Park this season and are still very much in the hunt for a play-off spot. Charnock Richard still have three games in hand on the two sides above them but they are currently five points behind the leaders.
Widnes are the side in form at the moment, but despite having many games in hand on everyone around them at the moment they can't clock the points up quickly enough to break into the top six. Unbeaten in any competition since mid-October they are the side that are the ones no-one are wanting to face at the moment. They welcome FC Oswestry Town this weekend for their home fixture which will be played at Barnton's Hinchliffe Homes Stadium.
FC Oswestry ended a four game losing streak last week as they fought out a goal-less draw with Stockport Town, that untimely dip in form has seen them slip from being strong play-off spot contenders to outsiders at the moment. If they can string a few results together though they are. It out of the race as yet but face a tough task this weekend.
Alsager Town welcome the purple machine as City of Liverpool travel to Woodland Court on this second (The Bullets) vs fifth (The Purps) battle. This game sees both clubs going into the match in good form so this should prove a stern test of both sides promotion credentials. Last time out, Alsager recorded a 3-1 away with at Chadderton, which consolidated their fifth spot in the table whilst City of Liverpool saw off AFC Blackpool with a convincing 6-2 home win. The Purps' have netted sixteen goals in their last two games and seem to be coming on strong at the right time, however there are a number of clubs just beneath them, Alsager included who will have their eye on that second spot.
Stockport Town did well last week and showed early signs of recovery from the mass exodus of coaching and playing staff to another club over the festive period. They travelled to FC Oswestry Town last week and came away with a decent looking point for the new look side. They host Bacup Borough this weekend, a club who have under achieved by their own standards this campaign, they will be looking to put an end to a run of five consecutive league defeats this weekend.
AFC Blackpool are not out of the mire yet when it comes to the relegation zone, however there were signs of optimism sprouting out of their defeat last weekend at City of Liverpool. Observers at the game saw a side who created ample opportunities and they do what many sides hadn't been able to do and that was net twice against the promotion candidates on their own patch. They welcome Sandbach United to the Mechanics Stadium on Saturday with the visitors in good form, only one defeat in their last six and still holding on tightly to sixth place.
Atherton LR are looking to stay as far clear of that drop zone as possible and they have a home fixture against Holker Old Boys this Saturday. Mid-table Holker aren't in too bad a form going into this game, losing only two of their last six games in all competitions, whilst the home side haven't been too great on their home turf. Just a footnote for those going along to this game, this is scheduled to be a 2pm kick off.
Eccleshall are currently in a battle with Ashton Town to avoid finishing bottom so it seems rather apt that their next opportunity to gain some points takes place at Ashton Towns Edge Green Street Ground where they face St. Helens Town who are tenants there this week. To add extra irony, it's the second consecutive Saturday that Eccleshall have made the trip there, but with one win and a draw in their last ten games in all competitions they will be looking to take the spoils to keep the pressure on Atherton LR above them in the table. St Helens Town put an end to three straight defeats last weekend with a decent 4-3 win over Holker Old Boys, a victory that took them back into the top ten in the table.
In mid-table, Daisy Hill host Chadderton at New Sirs with only a point separating these two in the table and at Park road two of the divisions improving sides go head to head as Cheadle Town host Silsden. Cheadle are unbeaten in their last three games and that includes a highly reputable draw last weekend against leaders Whitchurch Alport. Silsden have lost only one of their last five league games and are currently upwardly mobile in thirteenth in the table having up until a few weeks back looking in freefall.
Division One Preview - Saturday 14th January 2017
Fri 13th January 2017 | General
By Gary Langley
With the promotion races starting to heat up in both divisions it's rather ironic that the forecast for this weekend is for rather chilly and frosty conditions. However if the forecasters have, heaven forbid - got it wrong - then we could see some great action around the Hallmark Security League Division One this weekend.
So we will start this Preview with one of the games of the day which has to be Whitchurch Alport vs Ashton Town at Yockings Park. It's the classic top against bottom clash which at many levels of the game can mean very little by way of form. Alport are three points clear at the top and unbeaten in the league since mid-November, whilst Ashton Town do remain adrift at the bottom of the table. Observers at their last few games suggest that they are capable of making a real fight of it until the end of the season. Form suggests an Alport victory is likely here, especially at Fortress Yockings Park, however history shows that nothing is set in stone in these type of games.
Litherland Remyca face Carlisle City at Litherland Sports Park with The Remy' looking like real candidates for automatic promotion at the moment, especially given their impressive looking win at Charnock Richard last weekend. Phil Stafford's men have only lost one of their last eleven in all competitions whilst Carlisle City head down the M6 in fairly inconsistent form at present and haven't travelled too well of late. City are comfortable in mid-table whilst Remyca are four points behind second place but have two games in hand on both of the top sides.
Charnock Richard will be looking to bounce back following that home defeat to Litherland Remyca last weekend, however in order to do so they must travel to Prestwich Heys. This is not an easy task as Heys have been decent at Adie Moran Park this season and are still very much in the hunt for a play-off spot. Charnock Richard still have three games in hand on the two sides above them but they are currently five points behind the leaders.
Widnes are the side in form at the moment, but despite having many games in hand on everyone around them at the moment they can't clock the points up quickly enough to break into the top six. Unbeaten in any competition since mid-October they are the side that are the ones no-one are wanting to face at the moment. They welcome FC Oswestry Town this weekend for their home fixture which will be played at Barnton's Hinchliffe Homes Stadium.
FC Oswestry ended a four game losing streak last week as they fought out a goal-less draw with Stockport Town, that untimely dip in form has seen them slip from being strong play-off spot contenders to outsiders at the moment. If they can string a few results together though they are. It out of the race as yet but face a tough task this weekend.
Alsager Town welcome the purple machine as City of Liverpool travel to Woodland Court on this second (The Bullets) vs fifth (The Purps) battle. This game sees both clubs going into the match in good form so this should prove a stern test of both sides promotion credentials. Last time out, Alsager recorded a 3-1 away with at Chadderton, which consolidated their fifth spot in the table whilst City of Liverpool saw off AFC Blackpool with a convincing 6-2 home win. The Purps' have netted sixteen goals in their last two games and seem to be coming on strong at the right time, however there are a number of clubs just beneath them, Alsager included who will have their eye on that second spot.
Stockport Town did well last week and showed early signs of recovery from the mass exodus of coaching and playing staff to another club over the festive period. They travelled to FC Oswestry Town last week and came away with a decent looking point for the new look side. They host Bacup Borough this weekend, a club who have under achieved by their own standards this campaign, they will be looking to put an end to a run of five consecutive league defeats this weekend.
AFC Blackpool are not out of the mire yet when it comes to the relegation zone, however there were signs of optimism sprouting out of their defeat last weekend at City of Liverpool. Observers at the game saw a side who created ample opportunities and they do what many sides hadn't been able to do and that was net twice against the promotion candidates on their own patch. They welcome Sandbach United to the Mechanics Stadium on Saturday with the visitors in good form, only one defeat in their last six and still holding on tightly to sixth place.
Atherton LR are looking to stay as far clear of that drop zone as possible and they have a home fixture against Holker Old Boys this Saturday. Mid-table Holker aren't in too bad a form going into this game, losing only two of their last six games in all competitions, whilst the home side haven't been too great on their home turf. Just a footnote for those going along to this game, this is scheduled to be a 2pm kick off.
Eccleshall are currently in a battle with Ashton Town to avoid finishing bottom so it seems rather apt that their next opportunity to gain some points takes place at Ashton Towns Edge Green Street Ground where they face St. Helens Town who are tenants there this week. To add extra irony, it's the second consecutive Saturday that Eccleshall have made the trip there, but with one win and a draw in their last ten games in all competitions they will be looking to take the spoils to keep the pressure on Atherton LR above them in the table. St Helens Town put an end to three straight defeats last weekend with a decent 4-3 win over Holker Old Boys, a victory that took them back into the top ten in the table.
In mid-table, Daisy Hill host Chadderton at New Sirs with only a point separating these two in the table and at Park road two of the divisions improving sides go head to head as Cheadle Town host Silsden. Cheadle are unbeaten in their last three games and that includes a highly reputable draw last weekend against leaders Whitchurch Alport. Silsden have lost only one of their last five league games and are currently upwardly mobile in thirteenth in the table having up until a few weeks back looking in freefall.
