NWCFL Groundhop Preview
Fri 6th March 2020 | Match Previews | By Martin Fallon
The 2020 NWCFL Groundhop comes around this weekend, with staggered kick off's at seven of our fixtures allowing groundhoppers and football fans the opportunity to watch a feast of football over the course of the next three days.
Friday 6th March
The action starts this evening when Sandbach United take Alsager Town in a South Cheshire Derby at Sandbach Community Football Centre, kick off 7.45pm. Sandbach are having a poor season compared to their previous ones since entering the league, and they currently lie in 17th position in the league table. They have won just two of their last six league games, with their last game being a 2-0 reverse at league leaders Vauxhall Motors on Tuesday evening.
Just five miles separate them from Alsager, and the Bullets are having a quite similar season to their opponents. They lie one place and two points behind Sandbach, and have won just one of their last six games themselves. This will though be Alsager's first game in almost a month and only their fifth since the turn of the year. They have won just two of their last six games.
The head to head indicates a draw maybe the outcome, that being the scoreline in half of the previous meetings between the sides, although Alsager will be going for a double after winning the previous meeting back in August.
Saturday 7th March
Onto Saturday and we have four games, all within a mile or so of each other in South Manchester. First up is a Derby on Saturday morning as Wythenshawe Amateurs entertain West Didsbury and Chorlton, 11.00am kick off.
The Ammies are 12th in the league but in good form after winning five of their last seven games, and scoring for fun whilst doing so. However they haven't played for almost a month as their last six scheduled games have all been postponed by the weather.
West were many people's tip to win promotion this season, and they sit handily in sixth place in the table. Like their opponents, they haven't kicked a ball for four weeks, but prior to that they had lost just one of their previous eight games in the league.
The two sides have faced off lots of times previously but since the Ammies joined the NWCFL last season, this is only their second meeting and the first at Hollyhedge Park Community Stadium. The return meeting in December saw West win 2-1.
The second game is also in Wythenshawe as Wythenshawe Town host Abbey Hey, kick off 1.45pm. This could be the game of the day, with Town 3rd in the league, Hey 5th, with just goal difference separating them.
Town are the form side in the division at present and have won their past six games and lost just one of their last 14. They also have the best defensive record and second best strike rate in the division.
Abbey Hey will prove stern opponents though as they have lost just one of their last five games after an indifferent start to the year, and they beat promotion chasing Stone Old Alleynians in their last game.
This is the first meeting between the sides in the NWCFL at Ericstan Park, their only previous league meeting coming between Christmas and New Year when they drew 1-1.
We then head down the road towards Stockport as Cheadle Heath Nomads host Stockport Town at 4.20pm. Again its a close game, with Nomads in 11th place in the league table and Stockport just one place ahead.
Cheadle Heath aren't in the greatest of form, with just two wins from their last 13 games, but both of those were convincing 4-1 wins so they can certainly turn on the style if they are on their game.
Stockport have won four and lost four of their last eight games, and a 1-0 victory over in-form FC Oswestry Town in their last game shows what they are capable of. But that win was over a month ago with Stockport having not played since.
This is only their fourth ever meeting, and last season saw both win their home league games. They also met in November, Nomads winning 2-1 at Stockport, and they are chasing a league double this weekend.
The final Saturday game of the Groundhop is also in Cheadle as Cheadle Town host Maine Road in another local Derby, kick off 7.30pm. There is just one place separating these clubs also with 8th v 9th, and both will still believe they can clinch that fourth automatic promotion spot.
Cheadle Town have had a weird 2020 so far. Unbeaten in January with performances good enough to win Club of the Month, to losing the three games that they played in February. It has been almost four weeks since their last game though so a good chance to press the reset button.
Its a similar story at Maine Road, where some great performances towards the end of January have been forgotten and they have failed to win in seven games. Watch out for forward Jack Coop in this game, who has scored nine goals in Maine Roads last ten games.
The two are established NWCFL sides with the first meeting in the league coming back in the old Second Division in 1987/88. Maine Road have historically had the upper hand, and have won on their last five visits to Park Road, but the meeting earlier this season was a 2-2 draw.
Sunday 8th March
Onto Sunday and we have two games with big attendances expected at both of these. We start at 11.30am at Congleton Town who host Northwich Victoria.
Congleton are having an indifferent season, sifting in 13th place, but a lot of their bad form has been away from home. At home they have lost just one of their last eight games, and they won their last home game 5-0.
Vics are another side who many fancied this season but have underachieved, and they come into this game one place and two points above Congleton. Steve Wilkes' men are without a win in their last four games, but away from home they have lost just one of their last five games.
League meetings between the two have only occurred in the last three seasons as Vics were historically playing higher up the pyramid. And there's nothing to choose between the sides, with two wins each and one draw.
The final game of the 2020 Groundhop is at Winsford United, with former tenants 1874 Northwich heading back to the Barton Stadium for the first time since leaving at the end of last season.
Winsford's last win came before Christmas, with four draws and four losses in their eight games since. The weather has been unkind to them recently though with their last six games postponed, and this game will be a month since their last game.
1874 Northwich are flying this season, top of the league and in the Semi Finals of the Macron Cup. They are also up there in the form guide, with just one loss in their last 20 matches, that coming at NPL side Warrington Town. They are unbeaten in the league since the start of November.
This is the 15th meeting between the two sides, and there's little to choose between the sides with 1874 winning six in the past to Winsford's five. 1874 are going for a league double after beating Winsford in the opening week of the season.
NWCFL Groundhop Preview
Fri 6th March 2020 | Match Previews
By Martin Fallon
The 2020 NWCFL Groundhop comes around this weekend, with staggered kick off's at seven of our fixtures allowing groundhoppers and football fans the opportunity to watch a feast of football over the course of the next three days.
Friday 6th March
The action starts this evening when Sandbach United take Alsager Town in a South Cheshire Derby at Sandbach Community Football Centre, kick off 7.45pm. Sandbach are having a poor season compared to their previous ones since entering the league, and they currently lie in 17th position in the league table. They have won just two of their last six league games, with their last game being a 2-0 reverse at league leaders Vauxhall Motors on Tuesday evening.
Just five miles separate them from Alsager, and the Bullets are having a quite similar season to their opponents. They lie one place and two points behind Sandbach, and have won just one of their last six games themselves. This will though be Alsager's first game in almost a month and only their fifth since the turn of the year. They have won just two of their last six games.
The head to head indicates a draw maybe the outcome, that being the scoreline in half of the previous meetings between the sides, although Alsager will be going for a double after winning the previous meeting back in August.
Saturday 7th March
Onto Saturday and we have four games, all within a mile or so of each other in South Manchester. First up is a Derby on Saturday morning as Wythenshawe Amateurs entertain West Didsbury and Chorlton, 11.00am kick off.
The Ammies are 12th in the league but in good form after winning five of their last seven games, and scoring for fun whilst doing so. However they haven't played for almost a month as their last six scheduled games have all been postponed by the weather.
West were many people's tip to win promotion this season, and they sit handily in sixth place in the table. Like their opponents, they haven't kicked a ball for four weeks, but prior to that they had lost just one of their previous eight games in the league.
The two sides have faced off lots of times previously but since the Ammies joined the NWCFL last season, this is only their second meeting and the first at Hollyhedge Park Community Stadium. The return meeting in December saw West win 2-1.
The second game is also in Wythenshawe as Wythenshawe Town host Abbey Hey, kick off 1.45pm. This could be the game of the day, with Town 3rd in the league, Hey 5th, with just goal difference separating them.
Town are the form side in the division at present and have won their past six games and lost just one of their last 14. They also have the best defensive record and second best strike rate in the division.
Abbey Hey will prove stern opponents though as they have lost just one of their last five games after an indifferent start to the year, and they beat promotion chasing Stone Old Alleynians in their last game.
This is the first meeting between the sides in the NWCFL at Ericstan Park, their only previous league meeting coming between Christmas and New Year when they drew 1-1.
We then head down the road towards Stockport as Cheadle Heath Nomads host Stockport Town at 4.20pm. Again its a close game, with Nomads in 11th place in the league table and Stockport just one place ahead.
Cheadle Heath aren't in the greatest of form, with just two wins from their last 13 games, but both of those were convincing 4-1 wins so they can certainly turn on the style if they are on their game.
Stockport have won four and lost four of their last eight games, and a 1-0 victory over in-form FC Oswestry Town in their last game shows what they are capable of. But that win was over a month ago with Stockport having not played since.
This is only their fourth ever meeting, and last season saw both win their home league games. They also met in November, Nomads winning 2-1 at Stockport, and they are chasing a league double this weekend.
The final Saturday game of the Groundhop is also in Cheadle as Cheadle Town host Maine Road in another local Derby, kick off 7.30pm. There is just one place separating these clubs also with 8th v 9th, and both will still believe they can clinch that fourth automatic promotion spot.
Cheadle Town have had a weird 2020 so far. Unbeaten in January with performances good enough to win Club of the Month, to losing the three games that they played in February. It has been almost four weeks since their last game though so a good chance to press the reset button.
Its a similar story at Maine Road, where some great performances towards the end of January have been forgotten and they have failed to win in seven games. Watch out for forward Jack Coop in this game, who has scored nine goals in Maine Roads last ten games.
The two are established NWCFL sides with the first meeting in the league coming back in the old Second Division in 1987/88. Maine Road have historically had the upper hand, and have won on their last five visits to Park Road, but the meeting earlier this season was a 2-2 draw.
Sunday 8th March
Onto Sunday and we have two games with big attendances expected at both of these. We start at 11.30am at Congleton Town who host Northwich Victoria.
Congleton are having an indifferent season, sifting in 13th place, but a lot of their bad form has been away from home. At home they have lost just one of their last eight games, and they won their last home game 5-0.
Vics are another side who many fancied this season but have underachieved, and they come into this game one place and two points above Congleton. Steve Wilkes' men are without a win in their last four games, but away from home they have lost just one of their last five games.
League meetings between the two have only occurred in the last three seasons as Vics were historically playing higher up the pyramid. And there's nothing to choose between the sides, with two wins each and one draw.
The final game of the 2020 Groundhop is at Winsford United, with former tenants 1874 Northwich heading back to the Barton Stadium for the first time since leaving at the end of last season.
Winsford's last win came before Christmas, with four draws and four losses in their eight games since. The weather has been unkind to them recently though with their last six games postponed, and this game will be a month since their last game.
1874 Northwich are flying this season, top of the league and in the Semi Finals of the Macron Cup. They are also up there in the form guide, with just one loss in their last 20 matches, that coming at NPL side Warrington Town. They are unbeaten in the league since the start of November.
This is the 15th meeting between the two sides, and there's little to choose between the sides with 1874 winning six in the past to Winsford's five. 1874 are going for a league double after beating Winsford in the opening week of the season.