Weekend preview - Saturday 2nd March 2019
Fri 1st March 2019 | General | By Patrick Burke
We’re a little short of a full schedule in the Hallmark Security League this weekend, but there are still 22 fixtures to look forward to across the three divisions.
We’ll start in the Premier Division, where a pair of 2-1 wins over Northwich Victoria and Ashton Athletic have got City of Liverpool back on track and preserved their eight point lead at the summit.
They travel to 8th placed Charnock Richard, who are in good form themselves as last weekend’s 2-1 victory at West Didsbury & Chorlton made it five wins and just one defeat from their last seven.
2nd placed Bootle’s impressive 6-1 dismantling of Padiham last weekend made it 11 successive league wins, and they will hope to continue in that vein when they host 1874 Northwich.
The away side sit 12th, but will be full of confidence as last Saturday’s 3-0 triumph over Abbey Hey made it three on the spin, and their 2-1 win in the reverse fixture underlines their threat to the Bucks’ excellent run.
There promises to be a good match-up at Brocstedes Park, where 7th placed Ashton Athletic host a Runcorn Town side sitting two positions and five points ahead of them.
The Yellows ran Southport close in an eventual 3-1 defeat in the Lancashire Challenge Trophy semi-final in the week, but had won seven on the bounce in the league prior to a 2-1 reverse at City of Liverpool.
Town meanwhile got back to winning ways last Saturday as they overcame Irlam 1-0.
6th placed Barnoldswick Town are a side who will be keen for a return to form, as last Saturday’s 5-2 loss at Squires Gate made it three defeats in a row and just one win from their last eight.
They visit Burscough, who have been similarly out of sorts as just one victory from six has seen them drop to 11th. They conceded a last minute penalty to draw 2-2 at Irlam on Tuesday.
Last weekend’s superb victory over Barnoldswick lifted Squires Gate up to 9th, and was what the doctor ordered after a run of just one win from six.
They will hope to pick up where they left off when Litherland REMYCA make the trip to the Fylde Coast, with Phil Stafford’s side 14th as last weekend’s 3-1 set-back against Whitchurch Alport made it three wins and three losses from their last six.
It’s just one win from six for Irlam, who go into Saturday’s home game against Whitchurch in 13th place.
The visitors’ victory at Litherland REMYCA last weekend was an important one as it ended a run of one win from nine, and keeps them in 15tb place but pulled them well away from the bottom two and on the cusp on mid-table.
There is a huge clash in Staffordshire, where Hanley Town in 18th meet Padiham in 17th.
The two teams are just one and two points ahead of the dotted line respectively, so with West Didsbury & Chorlton not in action it represents a great opportunity for the pair of them.
Hanley have been in decent form under Micky Morton, the 3-2 win over Runcorn Town last time out making it just one defeat from four.
Padiham, on the other hand, haven’t tasted victory since beating Hanley 4-1 in October – a run which stretches to 14 matches.
In the First Division North, leaders Longridge Town recorded a huge three points on Wednesday night, beating nearest challengers Avro 3-0 to move 12 points clear and make it eight wins and a draw from their last nine outings.
Lee Ashcroft’s team host Atherton LR, who are now 15 points from safety after going down 5-0 to Garstang in their fifth consecutive loss last Saturday.
Avro had won 12 and drawn one of their 13 games prior to Wednesday’s defeat, and they still have three games in hand on Longridge, so will hope to bounce back away at Cleator Moor Celtic.
The hosts sit 11th, and ended a run of five games without a victory last time out as they saw off Steeton by the odd goal in nine in a topsy-turvy encounter.
4th placed AFC Liverpool have the chance to take advantage of Lower Breck’s inactivity and move up a spot if they can make it nine league wins on the spin away at Holker Old Boys.
The home side are 18th, but are now five points clear of the bottom two after overcoming St Helens Town 2-1 last week – their third win in five. They also edged the reverse fixture 2-1, so will certainly pose a threat to their opponents.
Prestwich Heys in 5th were beaten 2-1 by AFC Liverpool last weekend, and have now lost four and won just one of their last six going into a trip to Nelson.
The Admirals are 16th and come into this one having suffered back-to-back defeats at Avro (3-1) and AFC Darwen (2-1).
However they knocked Heys out of the Macron Cup in December and earned a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture, so it looks a tough game to call.
Despite progressing to the First Division Cup semi-finals a fortnight back, 6th placed Carlisle City are enduring a poor run of form in the league, losing seven of their last eight after going down 7-0 at Longridge last weekend.
A home game against AFC Blackpool offers a chance to get back to winning ways, with the visitors 13th after a five game unbeaten run was ended emphatically with an 8-2 reverse against Lower Breck last Saturday.
Blackpool did, however, triumph 3-0 when the teams met back in August.
AFC Darwen moved up to 8th last weekend as their success over Nelson made it back-to-back wins. Next up is a trip to Bacup Borough, who sit two places and three points further down the table.
They come into this one having suffered back-to-back home defeats to high-flyers AFC Liverpool (0-2) and Avro (0-3).
12th placed Ashton Town have won three and lost just one of their last five going into a home fixture against Daisy Hill.
With the visitors now five points from safety with eight games to play, wins are imperative: it’s just one in their last 13 games, although they come into this one having drawn their last three (including against Prestwich a fortnight back).
Lastly, 15th placed Chadderton and 14th placed Steeton are separated by just a point as they meet.
It’s no win in five for the hosts, who drew 0-0 at Shelley last weekend, whilst the away side have gone 11 without victory.
There are just six games in the First Division South, but there are some big ones at both ends.
With Rylands not in action, 2nd placed Stone Old Alleynians can reduce the gap to two points if they take the spoils at home to FC Oswestry Town.
Back-to-back wins away at Alsager Town (3-1) and Stone Dominoes (6-0) have got the home side back on track, but their opponents represent a very tough test.
It was Oswestry who ended Alleynians’ unbeaten league start at the end of October, and the visitors have now won nine of their last 11 after seeing off Cammell Laird 1907 2-0 last weekend.
Wythenshawe Amateurs in 3rd can also cut the gap to four points with victory at Cheadle Heath Nomads.
The Ammies left it late to rescue a point against Rylands last weekend, but it was a good response to a first defeat in nine suffered at Oswestry.
Their opponents are 11th, and went down 4-2 at home to Sandbach United last weekend, making it just one win from 11. However they did win 2-1 at Wythenshawe in the First Division Cup in November, so will certainly be optimistic.
A 2-0 reverse at New Mills last weekend made it four defeats from five for 7th placed Abbey Hulton United, who will desperately be hoping to reignite their promotion push at home to Sandbach United.
The visitors sit a point behind their opponents and 12 behind Rylands with a game in hand on both, and having taken 13 points from the last 15 on offer, they will fancy their chances of making a late push in the upper reaches of the table.
12th placed Barnton made it two wins from three with an impressive 3-0 triumph at Cheadle Town last weekend, and will hope to add another away at Ellesmere Rangers.
The 19th placed Meresiders have been beaten by the odd goal in their last two matches, but it’s now just one win in nine and they need to start picking up victories to cut the eight point gap to safety.
Stockport Town in 13th are in good form as a 3-0 triumph at Stone Dominoes last weekend made it three wins from four in the league.
They face a tough test at a Maine Road side sitting a place and a point behind them. Ray Barnett and Jeff Newman had won their first six in charge of the Brantingham Road outfit, before they conceded two last gasp goals to lose 3-2 against Wythenshawe Town last weekend.
But they are certainly a very different beast from the one which lost 3-0 at Stockport in September.
And there’s a big clash at the bottom, where Cammell Laird 1907 host Stone Dominoes. Lairds may have a Cheshire Senior Cup semi-final to look forward to on Tuesday, but a 2-0 defeat at Oswestry last weekend means there is still work to be done in the league for a team sitting 18th.
They host bottom side Stone Dominoes, who are 11 points behind their opponents after their win against Barnton has been followed by defeats to Stockport Town (3-0) and Stone Old Alleynians (6-0).
We can’t promise the glorious summer-style weather that we’ve enjoyed for much of this week, but we can promise goals and some quality football across our three divisions!
Weekend preview - Saturday 2nd March 2019
Fri 1st March 2019 | General
By Patrick Burke
We’re a little short of a full schedule in the Hallmark Security League this weekend, but there are still 22 fixtures to look forward to across the three divisions.
We’ll start in the Premier Division, where a pair of 2-1 wins over Northwich Victoria and Ashton Athletic have got City of Liverpool back on track and preserved their eight point lead at the summit.
They travel to 8th placed Charnock Richard, who are in good form themselves as last weekend’s 2-1 victory at West Didsbury & Chorlton made it five wins and just one defeat from their last seven.
2nd placed Bootle’s impressive 6-1 dismantling of Padiham last weekend made it 11 successive league wins, and they will hope to continue in that vein when they host 1874 Northwich.
The away side sit 12th, but will be full of confidence as last Saturday’s 3-0 triumph over Abbey Hey made it three on the spin, and their 2-1 win in the reverse fixture underlines their threat to the Bucks’ excellent run.
There promises to be a good match-up at Brocstedes Park, where 7th placed Ashton Athletic host a Runcorn Town side sitting two positions and five points ahead of them.
The Yellows ran Southport close in an eventual 3-1 defeat in the Lancashire Challenge Trophy semi-final in the week, but had won seven on the bounce in the league prior to a 2-1 reverse at City of Liverpool.
Town meanwhile got back to winning ways last Saturday as they overcame Irlam 1-0.
6th placed Barnoldswick Town are a side who will be keen for a return to form, as last Saturday’s 5-2 loss at Squires Gate made it three defeats in a row and just one win from their last eight.
They visit Burscough, who have been similarly out of sorts as just one victory from six has seen them drop to 11th. They conceded a last minute penalty to draw 2-2 at Irlam on Tuesday.
Last weekend’s superb victory over Barnoldswick lifted Squires Gate up to 9th, and was what the doctor ordered after a run of just one win from six.
They will hope to pick up where they left off when Litherland REMYCA make the trip to the Fylde Coast, with Phil Stafford’s side 14th as last weekend’s 3-1 set-back against Whitchurch Alport made it three wins and three losses from their last six.
It’s just one win from six for Irlam, who go into Saturday’s home game against Whitchurch in 13th place.
The visitors’ victory at Litherland REMYCA last weekend was an important one as it ended a run of one win from nine, and keeps them in 15tb place but pulled them well away from the bottom two and on the cusp on mid-table.
There is a huge clash in Staffordshire, where Hanley Town in 18th meet Padiham in 17th.
The two teams are just one and two points ahead of the dotted line respectively, so with West Didsbury & Chorlton not in action it represents a great opportunity for the pair of them.
Hanley have been in decent form under Micky Morton, the 3-2 win over Runcorn Town last time out making it just one defeat from four.
Padiham, on the other hand, haven’t tasted victory since beating Hanley 4-1 in October – a run which stretches to 14 matches.
In the First Division North, leaders Longridge Town recorded a huge three points on Wednesday night, beating nearest challengers Avro 3-0 to move 12 points clear and make it eight wins and a draw from their last nine outings.
Lee Ashcroft’s team host Atherton LR, who are now 15 points from safety after going down 5-0 to Garstang in their fifth consecutive loss last Saturday.
Avro had won 12 and drawn one of their 13 games prior to Wednesday’s defeat, and they still have three games in hand on Longridge, so will hope to bounce back away at Cleator Moor Celtic.
The hosts sit 11th, and ended a run of five games without a victory last time out as they saw off Steeton by the odd goal in nine in a topsy-turvy encounter.
4th placed AFC Liverpool have the chance to take advantage of Lower Breck’s inactivity and move up a spot if they can make it nine league wins on the spin away at Holker Old Boys.
The home side are 18th, but are now five points clear of the bottom two after overcoming St Helens Town 2-1 last week – their third win in five. They also edged the reverse fixture 2-1, so will certainly pose a threat to their opponents.
Prestwich Heys in 5th were beaten 2-1 by AFC Liverpool last weekend, and have now lost four and won just one of their last six going into a trip to Nelson.
The Admirals are 16th and come into this one having suffered back-to-back defeats at Avro (3-1) and AFC Darwen (2-1).
However they knocked Heys out of the Macron Cup in December and earned a 1-1 draw in the reverse fixture, so it looks a tough game to call.
Despite progressing to the First Division Cup semi-finals a fortnight back, 6th placed Carlisle City are enduring a poor run of form in the league, losing seven of their last eight after going down 7-0 at Longridge last weekend.
A home game against AFC Blackpool offers a chance to get back to winning ways, with the visitors 13th after a five game unbeaten run was ended emphatically with an 8-2 reverse against Lower Breck last Saturday.
Blackpool did, however, triumph 3-0 when the teams met back in August.
AFC Darwen moved up to 8th last weekend as their success over Nelson made it back-to-back wins. Next up is a trip to Bacup Borough, who sit two places and three points further down the table.
They come into this one having suffered back-to-back home defeats to high-flyers AFC Liverpool (0-2) and Avro (0-3).
12th placed Ashton Town have won three and lost just one of their last five going into a home fixture against Daisy Hill.
With the visitors now five points from safety with eight games to play, wins are imperative: it’s just one in their last 13 games, although they come into this one having drawn their last three (including against Prestwich a fortnight back).
Lastly, 15th placed Chadderton and 14th placed Steeton are separated by just a point as they meet.
It’s no win in five for the hosts, who drew 0-0 at Shelley last weekend, whilst the away side have gone 11 without victory.
There are just six games in the First Division South, but there are some big ones at both ends.
With Rylands not in action, 2nd placed Stone Old Alleynians can reduce the gap to two points if they take the spoils at home to FC Oswestry Town.
Back-to-back wins away at Alsager Town (3-1) and Stone Dominoes (6-0) have got the home side back on track, but their opponents represent a very tough test.
It was Oswestry who ended Alleynians’ unbeaten league start at the end of October, and the visitors have now won nine of their last 11 after seeing off Cammell Laird 1907 2-0 last weekend.
Wythenshawe Amateurs in 3rd can also cut the gap to four points with victory at Cheadle Heath Nomads.
The Ammies left it late to rescue a point against Rylands last weekend, but it was a good response to a first defeat in nine suffered at Oswestry.
Their opponents are 11th, and went down 4-2 at home to Sandbach United last weekend, making it just one win from 11. However they did win 2-1 at Wythenshawe in the First Division Cup in November, so will certainly be optimistic.
A 2-0 reverse at New Mills last weekend made it four defeats from five for 7th placed Abbey Hulton United, who will desperately be hoping to reignite their promotion push at home to Sandbach United.
The visitors sit a point behind their opponents and 12 behind Rylands with a game in hand on both, and having taken 13 points from the last 15 on offer, they will fancy their chances of making a late push in the upper reaches of the table.
12th placed Barnton made it two wins from three with an impressive 3-0 triumph at Cheadle Town last weekend, and will hope to add another away at Ellesmere Rangers.
The 19th placed Meresiders have been beaten by the odd goal in their last two matches, but it’s now just one win in nine and they need to start picking up victories to cut the eight point gap to safety.
Stockport Town in 13th are in good form as a 3-0 triumph at Stone Dominoes last weekend made it three wins from four in the league.
They face a tough test at a Maine Road side sitting a place and a point behind them. Ray Barnett and Jeff Newman had won their first six in charge of the Brantingham Road outfit, before they conceded two last gasp goals to lose 3-2 against Wythenshawe Town last weekend.
But they are certainly a very different beast from the one which lost 3-0 at Stockport in September.
And there’s a big clash at the bottom, where Cammell Laird 1907 host Stone Dominoes. Lairds may have a Cheshire Senior Cup semi-final to look forward to on Tuesday, but a 2-0 defeat at Oswestry last weekend means there is still work to be done in the league for a team sitting 18th.
They host bottom side Stone Dominoes, who are 11 points behind their opponents after their win against Barnton has been followed by defeats to Stockport Town (3-0) and Stone Old Alleynians (6-0).
We can’t promise the glorious summer-style weather that we’ve enjoyed for much of this week, but we can promise goals and some quality football across our three divisions!
