Division One Preview - 11th March 2017
Fri 10th March 2017 | General | By Martin Wild
We are delighted this week to have Whitchurch Alport Press Officer, Martin Wild take a look at this weekend's fixtures involving Division One Clubs. It's a busy weekend for all clubs in the division and with a number of key fixtures due to be played, Martin casts his eye across a massive weekend for all sides.
It remains a fascinating battle at the top of the First Division, and a professional gambler would be reluctant to stake much more than a few bob on where the honours will reside in seven weeks time.
Presently, it’s the two big hitters from Merseyside who are laying down the gauntlet for those playing catch up and dreaming of Premier Division football come August. League leaders Litherland REMYCA and City of Liverpool have smashed an incredible 184 league goals between them in the league, leaving opposition goalkeepers quaking in their brightly coloured boots and oversized gloves.
A rare shut out at home to Sandbach on Tuesday night though, cost the Purples a chance to claim top spot. They face a Macron Cup Quarter Final tie tomorrow away at Silsden but will stay second no matter what the results are elsewhere.
Widnes are also in the last eight of the competition and they moved menacingly into the play-off places with a 6-0 thumping of beleaguered Ashton Town in midweek. Barnoldswick Town stand between Joey Dunn's men and a place in the semis with home advantage possibly a deciding factor. Chadderton make up the Div One representatives in the Macron and have already made it to Wembley (ok, Little Wembley) as they venture across the moors to take on Nelson. They’ll be looking to get last week’s 5-0 hiding at CoL out of their system quickly, and Cup football can sometimes prove a nice distraction.
Onto league matters for the weekend and Litherland could extend their lead at the top to five points if they can maintain the excellent form they've shown since December. Remy played host to Everton in a Liverpool Senior Cup Quarter Final on Wednesday night and against all the odds pulled off a sensational 1-0 win over the holders. But it’s league points rather than Cup glory that gaffer Phil Stafford will be prioritising and he’ll be making sure there’s no ‘After The Lord Mayor’s Show’ performance from his players tomorrow.
They host Charnock Richard and the Lancashire side could still make a challenge for the Division One crown. If they are to be taken as serious contenders, however, one feels that they must at least avoid defeat at the LSP. Charnock have stuttered a little of late with damaging away defeats at Sandbach and Stockport, and they’ll need to keep an eye on the two Colins – Quirk and McDonald – who’ve been terrorising defenders over a consistent period recently.
Another side who’ve had a dip in form are Whitchurch Alport and the Shropshire club have been left frustrated with two successive postponements since they beat Atherton LR three weeks ago – ending a run of three consecutive defeats. But they’re a tough nut to crack at their Yockings Park home with only one defeat there since November, although Brent Peters’ Bacup Borough could be a potential banana skin for the Reds.
You feel that Boro will need to demonstrate the kind of resilience that earned them an eye-catching 1-0 away win at Cheadle Town last time out if they are to take anything back with them to East Lancashire.
It took two late goals to help Sandbach United edge out Daisy Hill in a five goal thriller back in August, and it might be just as close in the return in Lancashire. After gaining a highly creditable point from a goalless draw away at City of Liverpool – becoming only the second side this season to shut out the home side - United will need a result to stay amongst the handful of clubs harbouring hopes of grabbing one of the two automatic promotion places.
Sandbach have had an outstanding debut season whatever their final placing might be with a League Cup Final place all but secured as well. For their part, Daisy are more than capable of claiming another scalp despite just two wins from their last 10 league outings.
Alsager Town go into their home clash with Cheadle Town disadvantaged by having played last night at St. Helens Town. Alsager have already lost four league games at Woodland Court - and a fifth would seriously damage their hopes of an immediate return to the Premier Division. They’ll need to be on point to get a result against a Cheadle side that saw their four-game winning sequence surprisingly ended a fortnight ago by Bacup at Park Road.
If it’s league placings that determined the outcome of football matches then The Bullets should bank the points, but they are under more pressure than their opponents and there are always surprises at this stage of the season. This has the potential to be one of them.
Prestwich Heys are on the peripheries but they cannot be discounted, especially with February away wins at Litherland and Whitchurch under their belts. The Manchester side will be licking their lips in anticipation ahead of their trip to basement boys Ashton Town. But football can be a funny old game, although no-one from Prestwich will be laughing if Ashton do manage to turn the form book upside down.
It looks like Ashton have left themselves too much to do to climb out of the bottom two and defeat tomorrow would simply hammer another nail into their coffin. That Tuesday night drubbing at the hands of Widnes will have done little to improve a fragile confidence.
Over at Stockport, what a superb job Dave Wild has done in turning around Town’s fortunes since taking charge of the Cheshire club. Their last defeat was one that still pains Lions fans – a ten goal Lambeth Grove mauling at the hands of City of Liverpool. But they are still to experience defeat under Wild’s leadership and have been showing the kind of form that took them all the way to the play-offs last term.
Town have a seaside trip to look forward to, with AFC Blackpool having recorded just one win all season at their Mechanics Ground home. Few would back against Wild to work the oracle once again on the Fylde Coast.
Carlisle City make one of their longest trips of the season to Shropshire where they will face FC Oswestry Town at Park Hall Stadium. With six defeats in their last eight outings, City sit bottom of the form table and Michael Barton’s men might just have enough about them to make it another miserable trip back up the M6 for City. However, only a late equaliser prevented Carlisle from taking three morale boosting points in their midweek clash at home to fellow Cumbrian outfit Holker.
To complete the round-up, St. Helens play for a second time in 48 hours and face a lengthy hike up to Holker’s Rakesmoor ground, where the Old Boys will still be smarting from their 3-1 home defeat to Sandbach in their League Cup semi-final first leg last weekend. There’s only pride to play for with both sides certain to be playing First Division football again next term.
(Martin Wild @wildym48)
Division One Preview - 11th March 2017
Fri 10th March 2017 | General
By Martin Wild
We are delighted this week to have Whitchurch Alport Press Officer, Martin Wild take a look at this weekend's fixtures involving Division One Clubs. It's a busy weekend for all clubs in the division and with a number of key fixtures due to be played, Martin casts his eye across a massive weekend for all sides.
It remains a fascinating battle at the top of the First Division, and a professional gambler would be reluctant to stake much more than a few bob on where the honours will reside in seven weeks time.
Presently, it’s the two big hitters from Merseyside who are laying down the gauntlet for those playing catch up and dreaming of Premier Division football come August. League leaders Litherland REMYCA and City of Liverpool have smashed an incredible 184 league goals between them in the league, leaving opposition goalkeepers quaking in their brightly coloured boots and oversized gloves.
A rare shut out at home to Sandbach on Tuesday night though, cost the Purples a chance to claim top spot. They face a Macron Cup Quarter Final tie tomorrow away at Silsden but will stay second no matter what the results are elsewhere.
Widnes are also in the last eight of the competition and they moved menacingly into the play-off places with a 6-0 thumping of beleaguered Ashton Town in midweek. Barnoldswick Town stand between Joey Dunn's men and a place in the semis with home advantage possibly a deciding factor. Chadderton make up the Div One representatives in the Macron and have already made it to Wembley (ok, Little Wembley) as they venture across the moors to take on Nelson. They’ll be looking to get last week’s 5-0 hiding at CoL out of their system quickly, and Cup football can sometimes prove a nice distraction.
Onto league matters for the weekend and Litherland could extend their lead at the top to five points if they can maintain the excellent form they've shown since December. Remy played host to Everton in a Liverpool Senior Cup Quarter Final on Wednesday night and against all the odds pulled off a sensational 1-0 win over the holders. But it’s league points rather than Cup glory that gaffer Phil Stafford will be prioritising and he’ll be making sure there’s no ‘After The Lord Mayor’s Show’ performance from his players tomorrow.
They host Charnock Richard and the Lancashire side could still make a challenge for the Division One crown. If they are to be taken as serious contenders, however, one feels that they must at least avoid defeat at the LSP. Charnock have stuttered a little of late with damaging away defeats at Sandbach and Stockport, and they’ll need to keep an eye on the two Colins – Quirk and McDonald – who’ve been terrorising defenders over a consistent period recently.
Another side who’ve had a dip in form are Whitchurch Alport and the Shropshire club have been left frustrated with two successive postponements since they beat Atherton LR three weeks ago – ending a run of three consecutive defeats. But they’re a tough nut to crack at their Yockings Park home with only one defeat there since November, although Brent Peters’ Bacup Borough could be a potential banana skin for the Reds.
You feel that Boro will need to demonstrate the kind of resilience that earned them an eye-catching 1-0 away win at Cheadle Town last time out if they are to take anything back with them to East Lancashire.
It took two late goals to help Sandbach United edge out Daisy Hill in a five goal thriller back in August, and it might be just as close in the return in Lancashire. After gaining a highly creditable point from a goalless draw away at City of Liverpool – becoming only the second side this season to shut out the home side - United will need a result to stay amongst the handful of clubs harbouring hopes of grabbing one of the two automatic promotion places.
Sandbach have had an outstanding debut season whatever their final placing might be with a League Cup Final place all but secured as well. For their part, Daisy are more than capable of claiming another scalp despite just two wins from their last 10 league outings.
Alsager Town go into their home clash with Cheadle Town disadvantaged by having played last night at St. Helens Town. Alsager have already lost four league games at Woodland Court - and a fifth would seriously damage their hopes of an immediate return to the Premier Division. They’ll need to be on point to get a result against a Cheadle side that saw their four-game winning sequence surprisingly ended a fortnight ago by Bacup at Park Road.
If it’s league placings that determined the outcome of football matches then The Bullets should bank the points, but they are under more pressure than their opponents and there are always surprises at this stage of the season. This has the potential to be one of them.
Prestwich Heys are on the peripheries but they cannot be discounted, especially with February away wins at Litherland and Whitchurch under their belts. The Manchester side will be licking their lips in anticipation ahead of their trip to basement boys Ashton Town. But football can be a funny old game, although no-one from Prestwich will be laughing if Ashton do manage to turn the form book upside down.
It looks like Ashton have left themselves too much to do to climb out of the bottom two and defeat tomorrow would simply hammer another nail into their coffin. That Tuesday night drubbing at the hands of Widnes will have done little to improve a fragile confidence.
Over at Stockport, what a superb job Dave Wild has done in turning around Town’s fortunes since taking charge of the Cheshire club. Their last defeat was one that still pains Lions fans – a ten goal Lambeth Grove mauling at the hands of City of Liverpool. But they are still to experience defeat under Wild’s leadership and have been showing the kind of form that took them all the way to the play-offs last term.
Town have a seaside trip to look forward to, with AFC Blackpool having recorded just one win all season at their Mechanics Ground home. Few would back against Wild to work the oracle once again on the Fylde Coast.
Carlisle City make one of their longest trips of the season to Shropshire where they will face FC Oswestry Town at Park Hall Stadium. With six defeats in their last eight outings, City sit bottom of the form table and Michael Barton’s men might just have enough about them to make it another miserable trip back up the M6 for City. However, only a late equaliser prevented Carlisle from taking three morale boosting points in their midweek clash at home to fellow Cumbrian outfit Holker.
To complete the round-up, St. Helens play for a second time in 48 hours and face a lengthy hike up to Holker’s Rakesmoor ground, where the Old Boys will still be smarting from their 3-1 home defeat to Sandbach in their League Cup semi-final first leg last weekend. There’s only pride to play for with both sides certain to be playing First Division football again next term.
(Martin Wild @wildym48)
