Division One Preview - Saturday 4th February 2017
Fri 3rd February 2017 | General | By Gary Langley
Despite the weather claiming the Premier Divisions fixtures last weekend it was with some surprise and satisfaction that a number of First Division Games survived the downpours. The games that did take place had a major affect on the table as it seemed that league positions reflected the form of the teams. This week has a similar look about it as a number of the teams in the upper echelons face a number of the sides in the lower half of the table.
Starting with the leaders as Whitchurch Alport host Prestwich Heys at Yockings Park. Whitchurch's game against St Helens Town was off last week which allowed Litherland to close the gap to just a point and really ramping up the heat on the long time custodians of the summit. Alport will be hoping the enforced break will have done them so good having had a win a draw and a defeat in their previous games. Like their opponents, Prestwich were also without a game last week, theybwill also hope for a change of form having lost their last two league games and in the process reducing their chances of clinging on to the play-off pack. For Heys this is arguably a must-win if they are to mount a late challenge.
Litherland Remyca will be hoping for a Whitchurch slip-up as they host bottom placed Ashton Town at Litherland Sports Park. The Remy go into this match on the back of six straight wins and are unbeaten in their last nine games in total. They had Lewis Murphy hospitalised in their last game and a few players sustained knocks at FC Oswestry a week Friday but will be looking to field a strong team to consolidate their challenge. Ashton Town's form is well documented, this despite favourable reports of performance emerging from games but they will know that they need to seriously clock up points quickly if they are to claw back the sides above them.
Carlisle City and City of Liverpool meet for the first time in a competitive game this Saturday at Gillford Park in what's likely to be a lively and vociferous game. City's form has been somewhat erratic of late but on their day they are capable of beating anyone and have been strong at home. Likewise City of Liverpool have been good on the road.
St Helens Town host Daisy Hilll at Ashton Towns Edge Green Street Ground in what is a local game for both sides. St Helens are in eleventh, thirteen points off the play-off zone but still mathematically in with a shout whilst Daisy seem to have slipped off the pace a bit of late and are currently seventeenth in the table but arguably too far away from any trouble. These clubs have met twice this season with the League game at New sirs finishing two apiece but Town netting a 2-0 home win in the Reusch Division Cup 2nd round game back in November. Form-wise St Helena go into the game off the back of two straight wins, however the weather hasn't been kind to them meaning they've not kicked a ball in anger for nearly three weeks.
Chadderton will be looking to build on their 7-1 drubbing of Eccleshall last week as they host FC Oswestry Town. Chadderton seem to be blowing hot and cold again this season, they can lose a few games on the spin then turn in a solid performance such as last weeks. They are currently twelfth in the table and have games in hand on many around them but they just seem to lack the consistency required to be considered play-off contenders. FC Oswestry were that until a few weeks ago, however only one win in their last seven as well as having played more games than any of the contenders around them sees them as likely outsiders now to break in to the top six.
Widnes welcome Stockport Town to the Select Security Stadium and will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat in any competition since October in midweek when Southport ran out 3-1 winners there in the Liverpool Senior Cup quarter finals. As far as League form goes, they have been the team to beat but Stockport are unbeaten in their last four games and that includes Dave Wild's first win as Manager which was a 2-1 win over Silsden last time out.
Silsden welcome Division One Club of the Month, Alsager Town to Keighley Road with both sides in vastly differing form going into the game. Silsden were narrowly beaten last time out away at Stockport Town, however that was their fourth successive defeat in all competitions which seemingly undone a lot of the good work they had put in the previous month. Alsager have wine five of their last six and the only defeat in that bunch was to leaders, Whitchurch Alport. Alsager are currently in fourth place, five points behind second placed Remyca but with two games in hand as the battle for automatic promotion really hits up.
Cheadle Town are in decent form at the moment with only one defeat in their last six games, they welcome Holker Old Boys to Park Road who aren't doing too badly themselves of late. Only a couple of points separate these teams in 14th (Cheadle) and 15th (Holker) place respectively and I suspect that this will be reflected on the park with what could be a really close game.
Sandbach are still keeping hold of sixth spot and welcome AFC Blackpool this weekend. The Seasiders will travel hoping to maintain the gap between themselves and the drop zone but face a tough task against a team in good form with five wins in their last seven league games. Sandbach themselves have been looking over their shoulder at in-form Widnes approaching, however instead of slipping under the pressure they have really tightened up the top seven in the table and could even put themselves within a whisper of third spot if other results go their way.
For many, looking at games near the top of the table normally defines their game to keep an eye on, however for me this weekend the Eccleshall vs Atherton LR game at Pershall Park is one of the most important games of the run-in. Atherton LR are in 20th position, on 18 points after 28 games but are only five points clear of Eccleshall who have a game in hand. Last weeks 1-7 reverse against Chadderton aside, Eccleshall have netted four points from their last four games, admittedly that's not earth shattering form but they have been slowly clawing away at LR and AFC Blackpool for weeks now and at one point before Christmas looked in all sorts of bother. They are potentially two results away from clawing their way out of it. This game is what cliche lovers class as the stereotypical six-pointer. With LR having played their last ten league games, nine defeats and one win the warning signs are there.
That game sums up the excitement of the league at the moment, everything is to play for at the top and the bottom. Every game matters which makes this one of the best Divisions to be watching at any Step six league at the moment.
Division One Preview - Saturday 4th February 2017
Fri 3rd February 2017 | General
By Gary Langley
Despite the weather claiming the Premier Divisions fixtures last weekend it was with some surprise and satisfaction that a number of First Division Games survived the downpours. The games that did take place had a major affect on the table as it seemed that league positions reflected the form of the teams. This week has a similar look about it as a number of the teams in the upper echelons face a number of the sides in the lower half of the table.
Starting with the leaders as Whitchurch Alport host Prestwich Heys at Yockings Park. Whitchurch's game against St Helens Town was off last week which allowed Litherland to close the gap to just a point and really ramping up the heat on the long time custodians of the summit. Alport will be hoping the enforced break will have done them so good having had a win a draw and a defeat in their previous games. Like their opponents, Prestwich were also without a game last week, theybwill also hope for a change of form having lost their last two league games and in the process reducing their chances of clinging on to the play-off pack. For Heys this is arguably a must-win if they are to mount a late challenge.
Litherland Remyca will be hoping for a Whitchurch slip-up as they host bottom placed Ashton Town at Litherland Sports Park. The Remy go into this match on the back of six straight wins and are unbeaten in their last nine games in total. They had Lewis Murphy hospitalised in their last game and a few players sustained knocks at FC Oswestry a week Friday but will be looking to field a strong team to consolidate their challenge. Ashton Town's form is well documented, this despite favourable reports of performance emerging from games but they will know that they need to seriously clock up points quickly if they are to claw back the sides above them.
Carlisle City and City of Liverpool meet for the first time in a competitive game this Saturday at Gillford Park in what's likely to be a lively and vociferous game. City's form has been somewhat erratic of late but on their day they are capable of beating anyone and have been strong at home. Likewise City of Liverpool have been good on the road.
St Helens Town host Daisy Hilll at Ashton Towns Edge Green Street Ground in what is a local game for both sides. St Helens are in eleventh, thirteen points off the play-off zone but still mathematically in with a shout whilst Daisy seem to have slipped off the pace a bit of late and are currently seventeenth in the table but arguably too far away from any trouble. These clubs have met twice this season with the League game at New sirs finishing two apiece but Town netting a 2-0 home win in the Reusch Division Cup 2nd round game back in November. Form-wise St Helena go into the game off the back of two straight wins, however the weather hasn't been kind to them meaning they've not kicked a ball in anger for nearly three weeks.
Chadderton will be looking to build on their 7-1 drubbing of Eccleshall last week as they host FC Oswestry Town. Chadderton seem to be blowing hot and cold again this season, they can lose a few games on the spin then turn in a solid performance such as last weeks. They are currently twelfth in the table and have games in hand on many around them but they just seem to lack the consistency required to be considered play-off contenders. FC Oswestry were that until a few weeks ago, however only one win in their last seven as well as having played more games than any of the contenders around them sees them as likely outsiders now to break in to the top six.
Widnes welcome Stockport Town to the Select Security Stadium and will be looking to bounce back from their first defeat in any competition since October in midweek when Southport ran out 3-1 winners there in the Liverpool Senior Cup quarter finals. As far as League form goes, they have been the team to beat but Stockport are unbeaten in their last four games and that includes Dave Wild's first win as Manager which was a 2-1 win over Silsden last time out.
Silsden welcome Division One Club of the Month, Alsager Town to Keighley Road with both sides in vastly differing form going into the game. Silsden were narrowly beaten last time out away at Stockport Town, however that was their fourth successive defeat in all competitions which seemingly undone a lot of the good work they had put in the previous month. Alsager have wine five of their last six and the only defeat in that bunch was to leaders, Whitchurch Alport. Alsager are currently in fourth place, five points behind second placed Remyca but with two games in hand as the battle for automatic promotion really hits up.
Cheadle Town are in decent form at the moment with only one defeat in their last six games, they welcome Holker Old Boys to Park Road who aren't doing too badly themselves of late. Only a couple of points separate these teams in 14th (Cheadle) and 15th (Holker) place respectively and I suspect that this will be reflected on the park with what could be a really close game.
Sandbach are still keeping hold of sixth spot and welcome AFC Blackpool this weekend. The Seasiders will travel hoping to maintain the gap between themselves and the drop zone but face a tough task against a team in good form with five wins in their last seven league games. Sandbach themselves have been looking over their shoulder at in-form Widnes approaching, however instead of slipping under the pressure they have really tightened up the top seven in the table and could even put themselves within a whisper of third spot if other results go their way.
For many, looking at games near the top of the table normally defines their game to keep an eye on, however for me this weekend the Eccleshall vs Atherton LR game at Pershall Park is one of the most important games of the run-in. Atherton LR are in 20th position, on 18 points after 28 games but are only five points clear of Eccleshall who have a game in hand. Last weeks 1-7 reverse against Chadderton aside, Eccleshall have netted four points from their last four games, admittedly that's not earth shattering form but they have been slowly clawing away at LR and AFC Blackpool for weeks now and at one point before Christmas looked in all sorts of bother. They are potentially two results away from clawing their way out of it. This game is what cliche lovers class as the stereotypical six-pointer. With LR having played their last ten league games, nine defeats and one win the warning signs are there.
That game sums up the excitement of the league at the moment, everything is to play for at the top and the bottom. Every game matters which makes this one of the best Divisions to be watching at any Step six league at the moment.
