Five Things We Learned - w/e Sunday 7th January 2017
Mon 8th January 2018 | General | By Ian Templeman
A special day for 1874 Northwich
One of the biggest games in the short history of 1874 Northwich was also one of the saddest and most emotional.
The first game after the sad death of Chairman Paul Stockton was always going to be a difficult one to negotiate, and the fact that it happened to be a home tie in the Fourth Round of the FA Vase - previously uncharted territory for the club - just elevated an already special event to an even higher level.
With Paul's family in the stands, his grandchildren walking out with the team as mascots, and a record crowd for an 1874 home game in attendance, it was a day that seemed just destined to mark the memory of Paul's leadership with a win, and after a minute's applause in his memory before the game, the players delivered in style with a 3-1 win over Pontefract Collieries.
Paul would have been very proud.
Weather again a winner
Although 15 games managed to beat the weather on Saturday, there's no disguising the fact that for many clubs, it's going to be a busy time between now and the end of season.
The weather forecast for the coming week is not great, and with several clubs already destined to be playing most, if not all, midweeks between now and early May, further bad weather could begin to present a real problem for some.
This season more than ever, with the re-organisation of leagues across the non-league pyramid, the FA are likely to take an extremely hard line when it comes to considering any requests from leagues to extend the season beyond the designated date.
It's going to mean a feast of football for most, and potentially an overdose for a few, but sympathy from the FA is going to be hard to come by when it comes to complaints about too many games.
Widnes bandwagon keeps on rolling
Widnes continued their remarkable run of form on Saturday, with the 1-0 win at Burscough being their tenth in a row, if you include the penalty shoot out win over Carlisle City.
It's a fine run that has moved them into third place in the table, and although they have played a good few more games than the teams around them, you wouldn't bet against a top five finish if they maintain their current levels of performance.
Defensive toughness a good sign for Linnets
Runcorn Linnets recent move to the top of the Premier Division table is due in no small way to their recent defensive strength.
Saturday's 4-0 win at Winsford United was the fifth time in six games they have kept a clean sheet, with the one blip being at home to Marske United in the FA Vase at the end of November.
A feature of most successful sides is their ability to keep the opposition at bay, and if Linnets can continue keeping clean sheets at this rate, they will take some stopping.
Away days still fun for Charnock Richard
From the moment they joined the league last season, Charnock Richard have displayed impressive away form, and their fine record on the road continued at the weekend.
The 2-1 win at Abbey Hey was their 11th in 14 away games this season, with just two defeats on their travels so far.
With four more away games to come during January, that record will be tested, but there's little doubt that host sides will face a tough gig when Andy Westwell's men come to town.
Five Things We Learned - w/e Sunday 7th January 2017
Mon 8th January 2018 | General
By Ian Templeman
A special day for 1874 Northwich
One of the biggest games in the short history of 1874 Northwich was also one of the saddest and most emotional.
The first game after the sad death of Chairman Paul Stockton was always going to be a difficult one to negotiate, and the fact that it happened to be a home tie in the Fourth Round of the FA Vase - previously uncharted territory for the club - just elevated an already special event to an even higher level.
With Paul's family in the stands, his grandchildren walking out with the team as mascots, and a record crowd for an 1874 home game in attendance, it was a day that seemed just destined to mark the memory of Paul's leadership with a win, and after a minute's applause in his memory before the game, the players delivered in style with a 3-1 win over Pontefract Collieries.
Paul would have been very proud.
Weather again a winner
Although 15 games managed to beat the weather on Saturday, there's no disguising the fact that for many clubs, it's going to be a busy time between now and the end of season.
The weather forecast for the coming week is not great, and with several clubs already destined to be playing most, if not all, midweeks between now and early May, further bad weather could begin to present a real problem for some.
This season more than ever, with the re-organisation of leagues across the non-league pyramid, the FA are likely to take an extremely hard line when it comes to considering any requests from leagues to extend the season beyond the designated date.
It's going to mean a feast of football for most, and potentially an overdose for a few, but sympathy from the FA is going to be hard to come by when it comes to complaints about too many games.
Widnes bandwagon keeps on rolling
Widnes continued their remarkable run of form on Saturday, with the 1-0 win at Burscough being their tenth in a row, if you include the penalty shoot out win over Carlisle City.
It's a fine run that has moved them into third place in the table, and although they have played a good few more games than the teams around them, you wouldn't bet against a top five finish if they maintain their current levels of performance.
Defensive toughness a good sign for Linnets
Runcorn Linnets recent move to the top of the Premier Division table is due in no small way to their recent defensive strength.
Saturday's 4-0 win at Winsford United was the fifth time in six games they have kept a clean sheet, with the one blip being at home to Marske United in the FA Vase at the end of November.
A feature of most successful sides is their ability to keep the opposition at bay, and if Linnets can continue keeping clean sheets at this rate, they will take some stopping.
Away days still fun for Charnock Richard
From the moment they joined the league last season, Charnock Richard have displayed impressive away form, and their fine record on the road continued at the weekend.
The 2-1 win at Abbey Hey was their 11th in 14 away games this season, with just two defeats on their travels so far.
With four more away games to come during January, that record will be tested, but there's little doubt that host sides will face a tough gig when Andy Westwell's men come to town.
