Division One preview - Saturday 26th August 2017
Fri 25th August 2017 | General | By Martin Wild
There’s a full fixture list in the Hallmark Security League First Division this weekend, with six teams having to cram in 2 games over a 48hr period. Yes, it’s Bank Holiday time.
Some choose to hook up their caravans to spend hours in motorway traffic jams as their idea of fun. And there are those that even sit out on riverbanks in the pouring rain putting worms on hooks - in the forlorn hope of catching a goldfish.
Not for us lot though, oh no - it’s the beautiful game with holidays booked around fixture lists, and households across the NWCL squabbling over a trip to the seaside or one to Carlisle City instead.
We start our review with my lot Whitchurch Alport who sit at the top of the table with an unblemished record thus far. No squabble in my house where I asked ‘er indoors if she fancied a trip out to Blackpool this weekend. I might have omitted to tell her that I meant AFC Blackpool and not the Pleasure Beach, but I’ll cross that bridge when we pull into the Mechanics Ground around 2 o’clock.
The Tangerines have lost both their home games so far but will be fired up for the visit of the league leaders, who despite their three straight victories, have yet to find fifth gear and are always seeking improvement both on and off the pitch.
Blackpool already have a Shropshire scalp under their belts having won at FC Oswestry Town on the opening day, but they’ll have to pull out all the stops to make it a Shropshire double. If Luke Goddard’s men do manage to win on the Fylde Coast, they will have a chance to complete the month with five straight wins should they account for Abbey Hulton United at Yockings Park on Monday afternoon.
Silsden also have three wins from three and there’s a mouth-watering clash at The Cobbydale Construction Stadium as Alsager Town make the trip across the Pennines. Town dropped their first points in the derby game against Sandbach United last weekend which ended 1-1, and you get the feeling that they would be delighted to return home with a similar scoreline from Silsden.
A win for the home side would surely send out a message that they mean business this season, and the first goal of the match could prove pivotal in deciding the outcome of this one.
Staying with the 100 per-centers and one side will lose that tag at the LSP where Litherland REMYCA entertain Chadderton. Neither side has conceded a goal yet but will Chadderton be a touch ring-rusty having only completed one league game back on the opening day?
I expect both sides to be up there at the end, and despite the risk of getting splinters in my backside, I’m sitting on the fence and saying this will end up all square with two very good sides evenly matched.
Abbey Hulton United come up against Stockport Town who have lost heavily at Remy and Whitchurch in their two away games to date. There’s a fair case to present that they might be the two toughest away trips for any team, but Abbey Hulton won’t be an easy place to get a result.
United host their first ever Counties game at their Birches Head Road ground knowing a win will preserve their perfect start to life at Step 6. It will be a physical battle and again I’m finding it difficult to pick a winner. Stockport might be more confident for Monday when they welcome Eccleshall to Lambeth Grove, and a win in the Potteries would give them a great chance of a six point haul across the two games.
New Mills are yet to drop a point and with Nelson relegated along with the Derbyshire club in April, the two teams are well known to one another.
The pair meet at Church Lane but there are contrasting fortunes for the clubs with Nelson not yet off the mark. The Millers will fancy their chances of heaping more misery on the Lancashire outfit and the form book would suggest they can make it nine points from nine.
Bacup Borough are going well, and having turned around a half-time deficit to win at AFC Blackpool last time out, this weekend sees them travel a few fair junctions higher up the M6 to Gilliford Park, home of Carlisle City.
City responded well to a 4-0 mauling at home to Chadderton by winning 4-0 at Nelson. Despite defeat at home to Silsden on Saturday, the margin of defeat (0-1) demonstrates that Bacup might not have it all their own way in Cumbria. There’s a much shorter trip in store for Bacup fans on Monday when they travel to close rivals, Nelson.
Heading in the other direction of the M6 are Holker Old Boys who might have their hands full at Prestwich Heys. Holker lost 5-1 at Whitchurch on the opening day and Prestwich put five past FC Oswestry Town a week ago.
Heys will be hoping for three more points which should be enough to keep them amongst the early pace setters, and with both their home games resulting in winning margins of three goals, it might be another day where their goal difference receives a boost.
Atherton LR had the unusual experience of an August postponement when their scheduled Crilly Park fixture was washed out last weekend. They’ll hope for better tomorrow when Cammell Laird 1907 come to town and it will need a home win to see LR climb above their opponents.
With both having played just two matches it’s hard to gauge the form, but if they are to avoid another season towards the lower end of the table, Atherton will need to make sure they make Crilly a difficult place for teams to go and get points.
Daisy Hill and Sandbach United meet at New Sirs and United – although having started slowly – will be encouraged by last week’s draw at promotion hopefuls, Alsager. By all accounts Sandbach were the better side on the day, but they will want to get the proverbial monkey off their backs and get that all important first win under their belts.
Daisy relied on the goalscoring exploits of Ashley Stott last term, so how they will fill that 42-goal gap is anyone’s guess. Both their points gained to date have come on their travels but another point here should satisfy the management team.
Cheadle Town have a win, a draw and a defeat from their first three and they will fancy their chances on the artificial surface at Park Hall Stadium, home of FC Oswestry Town.
Town dispensed with the services of Michael Barton at the end of the season, and replaced him with a Richard Williams-Cooke and Ryan Butcher combo with both knowing the Welsh Leagues pretty well. But the duo haven’t made quite the start they would have liked and remain pointless and in the bottom two on goal difference.
Finally, it’s rock bottom Eccleshall who welcome St Helens Town to Pershall Park.
Eccleshall have a young side full of energy, and they could put points on the board against a Town side that has only completed one game, following the ‘Floodlightgate’ abandonment in their homecoming fixture against Abbey Hulton ended in controversy last week. It’s hard to separate these two; perhaps both will have points to take home from the clash in Staffordshire?
Division One preview - Saturday 26th August 2017
Fri 25th August 2017 | General
By Martin Wild
There’s a full fixture list in the Hallmark Security League First Division this weekend, with six teams having to cram in 2 games over a 48hr period. Yes, it’s Bank Holiday time.
Some choose to hook up their caravans to spend hours in motorway traffic jams as their idea of fun. And there are those that even sit out on riverbanks in the pouring rain putting worms on hooks - in the forlorn hope of catching a goldfish.
Not for us lot though, oh no - it’s the beautiful game with holidays booked around fixture lists, and households across the NWCL squabbling over a trip to the seaside or one to Carlisle City instead.
We start our review with my lot Whitchurch Alport who sit at the top of the table with an unblemished record thus far. No squabble in my house where I asked ‘er indoors if she fancied a trip out to Blackpool this weekend. I might have omitted to tell her that I meant AFC Blackpool and not the Pleasure Beach, but I’ll cross that bridge when we pull into the Mechanics Ground around 2 o’clock.
The Tangerines have lost both their home games so far but will be fired up for the visit of the league leaders, who despite their three straight victories, have yet to find fifth gear and are always seeking improvement both on and off the pitch.
Blackpool already have a Shropshire scalp under their belts having won at FC Oswestry Town on the opening day, but they’ll have to pull out all the stops to make it a Shropshire double. If Luke Goddard’s men do manage to win on the Fylde Coast, they will have a chance to complete the month with five straight wins should they account for Abbey Hulton United at Yockings Park on Monday afternoon.
Silsden also have three wins from three and there’s a mouth-watering clash at The Cobbydale Construction Stadium as Alsager Town make the trip across the Pennines. Town dropped their first points in the derby game against Sandbach United last weekend which ended 1-1, and you get the feeling that they would be delighted to return home with a similar scoreline from Silsden.
A win for the home side would surely send out a message that they mean business this season, and the first goal of the match could prove pivotal in deciding the outcome of this one.
Staying with the 100 per-centers and one side will lose that tag at the LSP where Litherland REMYCA entertain Chadderton. Neither side has conceded a goal yet but will Chadderton be a touch ring-rusty having only completed one league game back on the opening day?
I expect both sides to be up there at the end, and despite the risk of getting splinters in my backside, I’m sitting on the fence and saying this will end up all square with two very good sides evenly matched.
Abbey Hulton United come up against Stockport Town who have lost heavily at Remy and Whitchurch in their two away games to date. There’s a fair case to present that they might be the two toughest away trips for any team, but Abbey Hulton won’t be an easy place to get a result.
United host their first ever Counties game at their Birches Head Road ground knowing a win will preserve their perfect start to life at Step 6. It will be a physical battle and again I’m finding it difficult to pick a winner. Stockport might be more confident for Monday when they welcome Eccleshall to Lambeth Grove, and a win in the Potteries would give them a great chance of a six point haul across the two games.
New Mills are yet to drop a point and with Nelson relegated along with the Derbyshire club in April, the two teams are well known to one another.
The pair meet at Church Lane but there are contrasting fortunes for the clubs with Nelson not yet off the mark. The Millers will fancy their chances of heaping more misery on the Lancashire outfit and the form book would suggest they can make it nine points from nine.
Bacup Borough are going well, and having turned around a half-time deficit to win at AFC Blackpool last time out, this weekend sees them travel a few fair junctions higher up the M6 to Gilliford Park, home of Carlisle City.
City responded well to a 4-0 mauling at home to Chadderton by winning 4-0 at Nelson. Despite defeat at home to Silsden on Saturday, the margin of defeat (0-1) demonstrates that Bacup might not have it all their own way in Cumbria. There’s a much shorter trip in store for Bacup fans on Monday when they travel to close rivals, Nelson.
Heading in the other direction of the M6 are Holker Old Boys who might have their hands full at Prestwich Heys. Holker lost 5-1 at Whitchurch on the opening day and Prestwich put five past FC Oswestry Town a week ago.
Heys will be hoping for three more points which should be enough to keep them amongst the early pace setters, and with both their home games resulting in winning margins of three goals, it might be another day where their goal difference receives a boost.
Atherton LR had the unusual experience of an August postponement when their scheduled Crilly Park fixture was washed out last weekend. They’ll hope for better tomorrow when Cammell Laird 1907 come to town and it will need a home win to see LR climb above their opponents.
With both having played just two matches it’s hard to gauge the form, but if they are to avoid another season towards the lower end of the table, Atherton will need to make sure they make Crilly a difficult place for teams to go and get points.
Daisy Hill and Sandbach United meet at New Sirs and United – although having started slowly – will be encouraged by last week’s draw at promotion hopefuls, Alsager. By all accounts Sandbach were the better side on the day, but they will want to get the proverbial monkey off their backs and get that all important first win under their belts.
Daisy relied on the goalscoring exploits of Ashley Stott last term, so how they will fill that 42-goal gap is anyone’s guess. Both their points gained to date have come on their travels but another point here should satisfy the management team.
Cheadle Town have a win, a draw and a defeat from their first three and they will fancy their chances on the artificial surface at Park Hall Stadium, home of FC Oswestry Town.
Town dispensed with the services of Michael Barton at the end of the season, and replaced him with a Richard Williams-Cooke and Ryan Butcher combo with both knowing the Welsh Leagues pretty well. But the duo haven’t made quite the start they would have liked and remain pointless and in the bottom two on goal difference.
Finally, it’s rock bottom Eccleshall who welcome St Helens Town to Pershall Park.
Eccleshall have a young side full of energy, and they could put points on the board against a Town side that has only completed one game, following the ‘Floodlightgate’ abandonment in their homecoming fixture against Abbey Hulton ended in controversy last week. It’s hard to separate these two; perhaps both will have points to take home from the clash in Staffordshire?
