Premier Division Preview - 15th and 16th September 2017
Fri 15th September 2017 | Match Reviews | By Martin Stewart
This week, Martin Stewart, best known these days for his role on the Counties Podcast Panel of pundits has taken time out to preview this weekends Hallmark Security League Premier Division games.
It seems like such a long time since I was last asked to do a preview article for this prestigious website. So much has changed in the last 12 months, in this fast-paced exciting league of ours and on Friday and Saturday we go again in a Premier Division campaign that is already warming up to be one of the most competitive ever.
Of course, potentially one extra promotion spot and the possibility of extra relegation places is always going to mix things up in the division. The addition of 4 new teams playing in the division for the first time ever and one returning after a 20-year sabbatical has meant the league feels so much different this year than it has for a long, long time.
The second qualifying round of the FA Cup deprives us of the services of 1874 Northwich and Ashton Athletic this weekend, so a slightly truncated version of normal events. But it's great to have our sides doing so well in the competition and the best of luck to both our remaining representatives.
Onto the games then and first up we have a Friday night fixture which see Squires Gate take on Widnes at the Brian Addison Stadium.
The home side really need something from this one, as so far their league campaign has yielded no points from 5 games. Add to that defeats in both the FA Cup and the FA Vase and it's been a thoroughly dismal start for Danny Penswick's men.
Whilst results haven't been quite as bad, Joey Dunn's return to the top flight hasn't been as easy as many predicted. Another who have exited both big cup competitions far too early, the league campaign has been up and down with just two wins and a draw to show for their opening six matches.
Our first Saturday fixture sees Abbey Hey at home to AFC Liverpool. This will be Abbey's first league game since 26th August, having been in FA Cup and Vase action for the last five outings, which culminated in a 1-0 defeat to Hallam in a Vase replay on Tuesday night.
All this cup action means their league campaign has suffered with just three games played so far and only a win against Northwich Vics to show for it, which leaves them currently in 20th spot in the table.
After their exit from the FA Cup to neighbours Litherland REMYCA back in August, AFC Liverpool have mounted a spirited start to their league campaign with three wins and a draw so far, putting them in 6th place overall. Last weekend they also despatched Athersley Recreation 3-2 in the Vase so will be fancying their chances for this one.
Last season Abbey Hey won both league matches between these two teams, but a 3-2 victory for AFC Liverpool in the Vase meant that the Mancunian side didn't have it all their own way against Liverpolitain rivals.
You have to go back to 1994 for the last meeting between our next two sides, and back even further in your time machine to 1985 to see Burscough taking on Congleton Town in front of a crowd of mullet wearing men in stone-washed denim and moonboots. On that occasion, it was a 1-1 draw but the form book for this one puts Congleton possibly in the driving seat this weekend.
The Linnets have yet to win a league match since their return to the division and this is despite Alexander Parkes hitting the net from the penalty spot three times in the last three matches. Last weekend though they went to table topping Runcorn Town and despite taking the lead just after half time, they eventually went down 3-2.
Declan Fletcher is a striker in hot form, whose 7 goals so far have helped Congleton to FA Cup and Vase success but done little to arrest poor form in the league. A hat-trick in a 6-2 win over AFC Darwen back on August 12th remains their only league win. A brace last weekend in an identical 6-2 win over Squires Gate in the Vase at least sees them going into this one with some form behind them.
Just when the Purples had got used to referring to their rented home as 'the DTS', landlords Bootle go and sign a new sponsorship deal that leaves them with a fresh three letter acronym to remember. City of Liverpool FC take on Barnton this weekend in the newly named TDP Solicitors Stadium.
Simon Burton's men started off the season on fire with impressive FA Cup wins over Padiham and Prescot Cables as well as a Champions Cup win over last season's title winners Atherton Collieries.
League form too was looking good as Maine Road and Irlam were both despatched 5-0. But the last 10 days has seen them fall back a bit, after an unlucky last minute defeat to Nantwich Town in the FA Cup and then a 5-1 defeat at home to Runcorn Linnets.
Barnton only picked up their first win of the season on Tuesday night with a 3-2 victory over Penistone Church in the Vase. Worryingly for Steve Llyod his team currently lie 22nd out of 23 having played seven league fixtures.
If you remember Victoria Wood's classic comedy 'Dinner Ladies' then you will know that there are two ways to get to our next hosts, Irlam. After an inauspicious start, Irlam have picked up of late, enjoying big wins at home to Squires gate and West Didsbury and Chorlton as well as a narrow win over Atherton LR in the Vase on Tuesday night.
Lying in 11th spot, Irlam will feel they've got over those early wobbles and are now well set to move further up the table.
Standing in their way this week are a Barnoldswick team that got off to a great start, dumping accomplished Northern League outfit Dunston UTS out of the FA Cup before a narrow defeat to Runcorn Town and a win at Squires gate opened their league campaign. Lately though they've been going in the opposite direction to this week's opponents with three defeats in a row, including revenge for Dunston UTS last Saturday in the Vase.
From Victoria Wood to Northwich Victoria (tenuous I know). The Vics adapted quickly to life in Step Five with opening wins over Padiham and City of Liverpool, Brian Matthews scoring 5 times in the two games. Since then the goals have dried up for Brian, as too have the results for his team and a shock defeat at home to Stockport Town last week is their fifth game in a row without victory.
Bootle have dealt with early exits in both cup competitions to concentrate on the league. Their form is inconsistent, but three wins and two draws does leave them up amongst the front runners in 4th place.
As usual, Runcorn Linnets have hit the ground running this season with only the phenomenal form of cross town rivals keeping them off top spot in the league. Games involving Michael Ellison's men are also guaranteed entertainment with his team in the top five for both goals scored and goals conceded this season.
Linnets have responded brilliantly to their 4-0 defeat at West Didsbury and Chorlton on bank holiday Monday, posting 6-1 and 5-1 wins over Padiham and City of Liverpool in the 8 days following.
Maine Road are in the middle of a tough run of fixtures. High flying Pontefract Collieries dumped them out of the Vase last week and after facing off against Linnets on Saturday they then have less than 48 hours to prepare to face Runcorn Town on Monday. These are the sort of runs seasons are built on and a couple of wins now could see them make a vast improvement on a lowly 16th place in the league so far.
They will have to buck recent trends to do it though as Runcorn Linnets have won the last 4 games in a row between the two sides, and you have to go all the way back to October 2012 for the last time the men from South Manchester beat these opponents.
The second half of a South Manchester/Runcorn double header sees West Didsbury & Chorlton take on Runcorn Town. This promises to be the battle of the league's big hitters, with Craig Cairns of Runcorn and West's Tom Bailey scoring 22 goals between them so far this season.
Eighth place in the league doesn't quite reflect West's form so far as when they win, they tend to win big. The aforementioned 4-0 win over Runcorn Linnets last month was the 6th time they had scored 3 or more goals in a match so far this season, and after a shock 3-0 defeat to Irlam the following week, they went on to demolish AFC Blackpool 6-1 in last weekend's Vase qualifiying.
What more can be said about Runcorn Town's record so far? Seven wins from seven games, 20 goals scored and top of the table. The only blot is a narrow 2-1 away defeat in the FA Cup to a Frickley Athletic riding high a whole division above them in the Evo-Stik South. But the Recreation Ground isn't the happiest of places for Runcorn teams to travel to as last season's 4-1 defeat shows, so if there is anywhere Chris Herbert's men should fear at the moment, it is there.
The final Premier Division fixture of the week sees Winsford United take on AFC Darwen. Winsford have been the model of inconsistency so far with a record that reads three, two and three from their opening eight games. They are up to 5th in the league however, albeit with most of the next 10 teams below them having games in hand to play.
AFC Darwen, are the one team in that pack that don't have games in hand on Winsford, and just two wins this season sees them in 14th spot. Goals scored and conceded seem to be a problem for the Lancashire outfit with only the league's bottom two sides having a worse goal difference than their -11. Last season, both games between these two sides were score draws, so will this one buck the trend?
That's all this week's Premier League action taken in and digested now, all that remains for me is to settle back in my big comfy chair by the fireplace and sip red wine from a massively over-sized glass and watch the action unfold on Twitter. As if……this is non-league, and here we like to get our hands dirty and actually go down to the games. If there is nothing in that lot above that appeals to you, then stick a pin in the fixture list and get along to a game anyway.
Premier Division Preview - 15th and 16th September 2017
Fri 15th September 2017 | Match Reviews
By Martin Stewart
This week, Martin Stewart, best known these days for his role on the Counties Podcast Panel of pundits has taken time out to preview this weekends Hallmark Security League Premier Division games.
It seems like such a long time since I was last asked to do a preview article for this prestigious website. So much has changed in the last 12 months, in this fast-paced exciting league of ours and on Friday and Saturday we go again in a Premier Division campaign that is already warming up to be one of the most competitive ever.
Of course, potentially one extra promotion spot and the possibility of extra relegation places is always going to mix things up in the division. The addition of 4 new teams playing in the division for the first time ever and one returning after a 20-year sabbatical has meant the league feels so much different this year than it has for a long, long time.
The second qualifying round of the FA Cup deprives us of the services of 1874 Northwich and Ashton Athletic this weekend, so a slightly truncated version of normal events. But it's great to have our sides doing so well in the competition and the best of luck to both our remaining representatives.
Onto the games then and first up we have a Friday night fixture which see Squires Gate take on Widnes at the Brian Addison Stadium.
The home side really need something from this one, as so far their league campaign has yielded no points from 5 games. Add to that defeats in both the FA Cup and the FA Vase and it's been a thoroughly dismal start for Danny Penswick's men.
Whilst results haven't been quite as bad, Joey Dunn's return to the top flight hasn't been as easy as many predicted. Another who have exited both big cup competitions far too early, the league campaign has been up and down with just two wins and a draw to show for their opening six matches.
Our first Saturday fixture sees Abbey Hey at home to AFC Liverpool. This will be Abbey's first league game since 26th August, having been in FA Cup and Vase action for the last five outings, which culminated in a 1-0 defeat to Hallam in a Vase replay on Tuesday night.
All this cup action means their league campaign has suffered with just three games played so far and only a win against Northwich Vics to show for it, which leaves them currently in 20th spot in the table.
After their exit from the FA Cup to neighbours Litherland REMYCA back in August, AFC Liverpool have mounted a spirited start to their league campaign with three wins and a draw so far, putting them in 6th place overall. Last weekend they also despatched Athersley Recreation 3-2 in the Vase so will be fancying their chances for this one.
Last season Abbey Hey won both league matches between these two teams, but a 3-2 victory for AFC Liverpool in the Vase meant that the Mancunian side didn't have it all their own way against Liverpolitain rivals.
You have to go back to 1994 for the last meeting between our next two sides, and back even further in your time machine to 1985 to see Burscough taking on Congleton Town in front of a crowd of mullet wearing men in stone-washed denim and moonboots. On that occasion, it was a 1-1 draw but the form book for this one puts Congleton possibly in the driving seat this weekend.
The Linnets have yet to win a league match since their return to the division and this is despite Alexander Parkes hitting the net from the penalty spot three times in the last three matches. Last weekend though they went to table topping Runcorn Town and despite taking the lead just after half time, they eventually went down 3-2.
Declan Fletcher is a striker in hot form, whose 7 goals so far have helped Congleton to FA Cup and Vase success but done little to arrest poor form in the league. A hat-trick in a 6-2 win over AFC Darwen back on August 12th remains their only league win. A brace last weekend in an identical 6-2 win over Squires Gate in the Vase at least sees them going into this one with some form behind them.
Just when the Purples had got used to referring to their rented home as 'the DTS', landlords Bootle go and sign a new sponsorship deal that leaves them with a fresh three letter acronym to remember. City of Liverpool FC take on Barnton this weekend in the newly named TDP Solicitors Stadium.
Simon Burton's men started off the season on fire with impressive FA Cup wins over Padiham and Prescot Cables as well as a Champions Cup win over last season's title winners Atherton Collieries.
League form too was looking good as Maine Road and Irlam were both despatched 5-0. But the last 10 days has seen them fall back a bit, after an unlucky last minute defeat to Nantwich Town in the FA Cup and then a 5-1 defeat at home to Runcorn Linnets.
Barnton only picked up their first win of the season on Tuesday night with a 3-2 victory over Penistone Church in the Vase. Worryingly for Steve Llyod his team currently lie 22nd out of 23 having played seven league fixtures.
If you remember Victoria Wood's classic comedy 'Dinner Ladies' then you will know that there are two ways to get to our next hosts, Irlam. After an inauspicious start, Irlam have picked up of late, enjoying big wins at home to Squires gate and West Didsbury and Chorlton as well as a narrow win over Atherton LR in the Vase on Tuesday night.
Lying in 11th spot, Irlam will feel they've got over those early wobbles and are now well set to move further up the table.
Standing in their way this week are a Barnoldswick team that got off to a great start, dumping accomplished Northern League outfit Dunston UTS out of the FA Cup before a narrow defeat to Runcorn Town and a win at Squires gate opened their league campaign. Lately though they've been going in the opposite direction to this week's opponents with three defeats in a row, including revenge for Dunston UTS last Saturday in the Vase.
From Victoria Wood to Northwich Victoria (tenuous I know). The Vics adapted quickly to life in Step Five with opening wins over Padiham and City of Liverpool, Brian Matthews scoring 5 times in the two games. Since then the goals have dried up for Brian, as too have the results for his team and a shock defeat at home to Stockport Town last week is their fifth game in a row without victory.
Bootle have dealt with early exits in both cup competitions to concentrate on the league. Their form is inconsistent, but three wins and two draws does leave them up amongst the front runners in 4th place.
As usual, Runcorn Linnets have hit the ground running this season with only the phenomenal form of cross town rivals keeping them off top spot in the league. Games involving Michael Ellison's men are also guaranteed entertainment with his team in the top five for both goals scored and goals conceded this season.
Linnets have responded brilliantly to their 4-0 defeat at West Didsbury and Chorlton on bank holiday Monday, posting 6-1 and 5-1 wins over Padiham and City of Liverpool in the 8 days following.
Maine Road are in the middle of a tough run of fixtures. High flying Pontefract Collieries dumped them out of the Vase last week and after facing off against Linnets on Saturday they then have less than 48 hours to prepare to face Runcorn Town on Monday. These are the sort of runs seasons are built on and a couple of wins now could see them make a vast improvement on a lowly 16th place in the league so far.
They will have to buck recent trends to do it though as Runcorn Linnets have won the last 4 games in a row between the two sides, and you have to go all the way back to October 2012 for the last time the men from South Manchester beat these opponents.
The second half of a South Manchester/Runcorn double header sees West Didsbury & Chorlton take on Runcorn Town. This promises to be the battle of the league's big hitters, with Craig Cairns of Runcorn and West's Tom Bailey scoring 22 goals between them so far this season.
Eighth place in the league doesn't quite reflect West's form so far as when they win, they tend to win big. The aforementioned 4-0 win over Runcorn Linnets last month was the 6th time they had scored 3 or more goals in a match so far this season, and after a shock 3-0 defeat to Irlam the following week, they went on to demolish AFC Blackpool 6-1 in last weekend's Vase qualifiying.
What more can be said about Runcorn Town's record so far? Seven wins from seven games, 20 goals scored and top of the table. The only blot is a narrow 2-1 away defeat in the FA Cup to a Frickley Athletic riding high a whole division above them in the Evo-Stik South. But the Recreation Ground isn't the happiest of places for Runcorn teams to travel to as last season's 4-1 defeat shows, so if there is anywhere Chris Herbert's men should fear at the moment, it is there.
The final Premier Division fixture of the week sees Winsford United take on AFC Darwen. Winsford have been the model of inconsistency so far with a record that reads three, two and three from their opening eight games. They are up to 5th in the league however, albeit with most of the next 10 teams below them having games in hand to play.
AFC Darwen, are the one team in that pack that don't have games in hand on Winsford, and just two wins this season sees them in 14th spot. Goals scored and conceded seem to be a problem for the Lancashire outfit with only the league's bottom two sides having a worse goal difference than their -11. Last season, both games between these two sides were score draws, so will this one buck the trend?
That's all this week's Premier League action taken in and digested now, all that remains for me is to settle back in my big comfy chair by the fireplace and sip red wine from a massively over-sized glass and watch the action unfold on Twitter. As if……this is non-league, and here we like to get our hands dirty and actually go down to the games. If there is nothing in that lot above that appeals to you, then stick a pin in the fixture list and get along to a game anyway.
