Division One Preview - 25th February 2017
Fri 24th February 2017 | General | By Gary Langley
Things are hotting up in Division One with many of the top six sides due to face each other over the next few weeks. Only ten points separate first from sixth and many of those clubs have various levels of games in hand on each other so it is way too close to call.
Looking at this weekends games, the fixtures computer has not been kind to Atherton LR as they welcome Litherland Remyca to Crilly Park. The league leaders visit is the third consecutive game for LR against a side from the top three! Atherton are eight points clear of the relegation zone but as fixtures come thick and fast for them they would clearly like to put a bit more daylight between themselves and the trap door. Meanwhile, The Remy' are looking to regain their footing at the top having suffered a bit of a Club of the Month Curse. Since Geoff Wilkinson presented them with the award they have lost against Prestwich and drew with Widnes last time out. They do travel well though, but given recent form there is potential for this to be a coupon buster.
City of Liverpool seem to have hit a purple patch at just the right time as they have consolidated second spot and are in a position to stake a claim for the summit again. They face a tough looking challenge this weekend though as they host Charnock Richard. City of Liverpool have been strong of late winning five of their last six games, their only defeat being the 2-4 reverse at home by Litherland Remyca a few weeks back. The visitors form has been pretty poor since the turn of the year with just one win in their last five putting them at real risk of slipping out of the top six. Given they were the early season pace setters their current position raises an eyebrow at the moment.
AFC Blackpool hist Whitchurch Alport this weekend with both clubs desperate for the points for vastly differing reasons. Blackpool really caught the eye last weekend as Ashton Town really turned them over convincingly with a 0-5 win at the Mechanics Stadium. They can't afford too many defeats like that as whilst they're clear enough on points at the moment to have at least some breathing space, that may not last long if Ashton Town's resurgence continues. Alport have slipped out of the top two recently and really need to keep the two sides from Sefton in their sights if they are to continue their automatic promotion challenge. They are currently level on points with second placed City of Liverpool but all of the sides below them in the immediate vicinity have 2-3 games in hand on them.
Stockport Town host Sandbach United this weekend in a battle of two of the divisions form sides. Only one defeat between them in their last twelve games combined. Stockport still have a feint chance of making the play-offs whilst Sandbach have their eyes on a bigger prize as with a couple of games in hand on sides around them they are very much in the automatic promotion chase.
Prescot Cables Volair Park is the setting for a Derby game as St Helens Town face a rejuvenated Ashton Town who will still be buzzing from their comprehensive win away at AFC Blackpool last weekend. Ashton Town still have a long way to go but they will be looking to build momentum against a St Helens side without a win in their last three games. Prescot has been a relatively happy hunting ground for St Helens though so they will be hoping for more of the same.
Widnes have been striving to catch up with the top six for a while now but just haven't been able to get enough games played to force their way into the top six. If they are able to re-discover their form after a couple of inconsistent results then they are now in touching distance of that higher plain. They face a Holker Old Boys side that fought valiantly against them in November and ground out a 2-2 draw at the Select Security Stadium. Holker currently sit sixteenth in the table and go into the game after three consecutive defeats.
Daisy Hill welcome FC Oswestry Town to New Sirs with both sides either side of mid-table, 17th placed Daisy Hill lost 2-1 to Prestwich Heys last weekend whilst Oswestry in eleventh were more successful with a 4-2 win at home against Holker.
With both Widnes and Prestwich Heys putting pressure on the top six over the last few weeks, Alsager Town will be looking to consolidate their position. They travel up the M6 to face Carlisle City at Gillford Park. City go into this game off the back of three straight defeats, the most recent being a 0-4 reverse away at Chadderton.
There has been no stopping of Cheadle Town of late, second in the form table and only one defeat in their last nine games has seen them rocket up the table to tenth spot with maybe still an albeit remote chance of still catching a play-off spot. They welcome Bacup Borough who are the club normally putting these late runs together themselves. They're currently eighteenth in the table and nine defeats and one draw in their last ten games is completely out of character for a Brent Peters team. They're likely to have one eye on next season at this point but will still want to finish with a flourish.
If Eccleshall are to make a run for survival they really need to do so sooner rather than later. The sides above them don't seem to be putting them out of sight so they will be looking to grab all three points from their game against Prestwich Heys. They've leaked fifteen goals in their last four games though and as well as looking above they will need to keep an eye on Ashton Town below them too who reminded everyone last week that nothing is cut and dried yet. Prestwich Heys impressed me when I saw them at Litherland a couple of weeks ago. Their ability to toggle between their passing game and a more direct approach when required is something that all clubs who have got out of this division in recent times have possessed.
Division One Preview - 25th February 2017
Fri 24th February 2017 | General
By Gary Langley
Things are hotting up in Division One with many of the top six sides due to face each other over the next few weeks. Only ten points separate first from sixth and many of those clubs have various levels of games in hand on each other so it is way too close to call.
Looking at this weekends games, the fixtures computer has not been kind to Atherton LR as they welcome Litherland Remyca to Crilly Park. The league leaders visit is the third consecutive game for LR against a side from the top three! Atherton are eight points clear of the relegation zone but as fixtures come thick and fast for them they would clearly like to put a bit more daylight between themselves and the trap door. Meanwhile, The Remy' are looking to regain their footing at the top having suffered a bit of a Club of the Month Curse. Since Geoff Wilkinson presented them with the award they have lost against Prestwich and drew with Widnes last time out. They do travel well though, but given recent form there is potential for this to be a coupon buster.
City of Liverpool seem to have hit a purple patch at just the right time as they have consolidated second spot and are in a position to stake a claim for the summit again. They face a tough looking challenge this weekend though as they host Charnock Richard. City of Liverpool have been strong of late winning five of their last six games, their only defeat being the 2-4 reverse at home by Litherland Remyca a few weeks back. The visitors form has been pretty poor since the turn of the year with just one win in their last five putting them at real risk of slipping out of the top six. Given they were the early season pace setters their current position raises an eyebrow at the moment.
AFC Blackpool hist Whitchurch Alport this weekend with both clubs desperate for the points for vastly differing reasons. Blackpool really caught the eye last weekend as Ashton Town really turned them over convincingly with a 0-5 win at the Mechanics Stadium. They can't afford too many defeats like that as whilst they're clear enough on points at the moment to have at least some breathing space, that may not last long if Ashton Town's resurgence continues. Alport have slipped out of the top two recently and really need to keep the two sides from Sefton in their sights if they are to continue their automatic promotion challenge. They are currently level on points with second placed City of Liverpool but all of the sides below them in the immediate vicinity have 2-3 games in hand on them.
Stockport Town host Sandbach United this weekend in a battle of two of the divisions form sides. Only one defeat between them in their last twelve games combined. Stockport still have a feint chance of making the play-offs whilst Sandbach have their eyes on a bigger prize as with a couple of games in hand on sides around them they are very much in the automatic promotion chase.
Prescot Cables Volair Park is the setting for a Derby game as St Helens Town face a rejuvenated Ashton Town who will still be buzzing from their comprehensive win away at AFC Blackpool last weekend. Ashton Town still have a long way to go but they will be looking to build momentum against a St Helens side without a win in their last three games. Prescot has been a relatively happy hunting ground for St Helens though so they will be hoping for more of the same.
Widnes have been striving to catch up with the top six for a while now but just haven't been able to get enough games played to force their way into the top six. If they are able to re-discover their form after a couple of inconsistent results then they are now in touching distance of that higher plain. They face a Holker Old Boys side that fought valiantly against them in November and ground out a 2-2 draw at the Select Security Stadium. Holker currently sit sixteenth in the table and go into the game after three consecutive defeats.
Daisy Hill welcome FC Oswestry Town to New Sirs with both sides either side of mid-table, 17th placed Daisy Hill lost 2-1 to Prestwich Heys last weekend whilst Oswestry in eleventh were more successful with a 4-2 win at home against Holker.
With both Widnes and Prestwich Heys putting pressure on the top six over the last few weeks, Alsager Town will be looking to consolidate their position. They travel up the M6 to face Carlisle City at Gillford Park. City go into this game off the back of three straight defeats, the most recent being a 0-4 reverse away at Chadderton.
There has been no stopping of Cheadle Town of late, second in the form table and only one defeat in their last nine games has seen them rocket up the table to tenth spot with maybe still an albeit remote chance of still catching a play-off spot. They welcome Bacup Borough who are the club normally putting these late runs together themselves. They're currently eighteenth in the table and nine defeats and one draw in their last ten games is completely out of character for a Brent Peters team. They're likely to have one eye on next season at this point but will still want to finish with a flourish.
If Eccleshall are to make a run for survival they really need to do so sooner rather than later. The sides above them don't seem to be putting them out of sight so they will be looking to grab all three points from their game against Prestwich Heys. They've leaked fifteen goals in their last four games though and as well as looking above they will need to keep an eye on Ashton Town below them too who reminded everyone last week that nothing is cut and dried yet. Prestwich Heys impressed me when I saw them at Litherland a couple of weeks ago. Their ability to toggle between their passing game and a more direct approach when required is something that all clubs who have got out of this division in recent times have possessed.
