Charnock Richard win the Macron Cup!
Tue 6th May 2025 | Macron Cup | By Jay Cooper
On bank holiday Monday, Ryan Donnellan’s Charnock Richard won the Macron Cup before a crowd of 607, defeating Stafford Town in a 6-2 goal-fest at the Wham Stadium, home of NWCFL founder members Accrington Stanley.
Charnock’s route to the final was an unusual one, having not faced any fellow NWCFL Premier Division side in that time. They were awarded a Bye in the first round, having been one of the two best-placed teams in the Prem in 2023/24; they defeated Ashton Town 4-3 in the second round; Droylsden 5-1 in the third round; Maghull 5-1 in the quarter-final; and Barnton 1-0 in the semi-final.
Their opponents in the all-important match, Stafford Town, had made the final by defeating Ashville 3-0 in the first round; Allscott Heath on penalties in the second round; Winsford United 3-1 in the third round; Premier Division Ramsbottom United 2-1 in the quarter-final; and AFC Blackpool 2-0 in the semi-final.
This was also Stafford’s third cup final appearance of the season, with them having lost the Edward Case Cup and First Division South play-off final earlier this season.
It didn’t take long for Charnock Ruchard to get the ball rolling, with Will Riding scoring the opener after just 8 minutes. He received the ball from Marcus Haydock on the right side of the box and made space with some neat footwork before slamming home.
Louis Holt added to proceedings on 23 minutes, with Haydock bagging another assist. The full-back fed the ball into the box from the left, and Holt was there to poke it home from inside the danger area.
Stafford were limited to few chances throughout the first half, but they came to life right before the break. First, captain Matty Hearsey headed home on 42 minutes from inside the box after a left-sided delivery by Jamie Fox.
Then, barely two minutes later, Patryk Mazurkiewicz levelled the game with a rebound from very close range. Again, Hearsey was involved, shooting after cutting in from the left, and Mazurkiewicz was happy to pick up the scraps after Ryan Hamer’s save.
In the second half, Charnock again came out on the front foot, with Matt Davies reinstating their lead nine minutes after the restart. This was another rebound goal, with Nathan Nickeas’ initial shot having been well saved by Corey Mallen, but Davies brought the loose ball down and blasted it home from inside the box.
The game quietened down for a while after that third Charnock goal, but there was a fourth to be had in the 81st minute. Substitute Jordan Darr converted from close range after Nickeas fed the ball across the face of goal to re-establish daylight between the two sides.
In the first half, Staffs had scored two late goals, but in the second, that honour would be Charnock’s. Firstly, Fenton Davies headed onto the post from a right-sided cross. The ball bounced across the face of goal and was scooped away by Mallen, but the linesman was quick to raise his flag and declare that the ball had crossed the line.
Then they put the icing on the cake right on 94 minutes. Nickeas, who had already been involved in several goals throughout thew afternoon for Charnock, grabbed one of his own with essentially the last kick of the game to seal a dominant 6-2 victory.
Following the match, Charnock gaffer Ryan Donnellan was kind enough to answer a few questions about his side's acheivement:
Looking at the final as a match, what can you say about your team's approach to the game and their performance?
“We approached the game very well and prepared thoroughly, on and off the pitch. The lads worked extremely hard in the build up to the game and on the day.”
What did you say at half time after conceding two quick-fire goals?
“It was a calm team talk at half time! It would have been easy to go in shouting after being 2-0 up and being dragged back to 2-2, but we took a minute, reset ourselves and set out to do only one thing in the second half – win the game!”
What can you say about your opponents on the day, Stafford Town?
“I thought for large periods of the game we were dominant, but to be fair to them they didn't give up. Many sides would have rolled over at 2-0 down in the first half, but they give us a really tough game until the latter period. You could see glimpses of why they have been up there in their league, and why they’ve been in multiple cup finals.”
What does it mean to you and the club to win the Macron Cup?
“It's a great achievement for us! For the lads, management, and the wider club community. We set out this season aiming for the play-offs, but unfortunately, we couldn't achieve that target. Still, it was nice to get a trophy for all the hard work everyone has put in since June last year.
“It's our second Macron Cup since I took over as manager six years ago, so it's great that we remain consistent and competitive.”
The trophy was presented to the manager, and captain Lewis Haydock by outgoing League Chairman Paul Lawler and League Management Committee member Martin Fallon.
As Ryan alluded to, this is Charnock Richard’s second Macron Cup victory in four years. In 2021, they won 5-0 against Cammell Laird 1907 in the final to win the trophy for the first time ever.
Congratulations to everyone involved at the club!
Charnock Richard win the Macron Cup!
Tue 6th May 2025 | Macron Cup
By Jay Cooper
On bank holiday Monday, Ryan Donnellan’s Charnock Richard won the Macron Cup before a crowd of 607, defeating Stafford Town in a 6-2 goal-fest at the Wham Stadium, home of NWCFL founder members Accrington Stanley.
Charnock’s route to the final was an unusual one, having not faced any fellow NWCFL Premier Division side in that time. They were awarded a Bye in the first round, having been one of the two best-placed teams in the Prem in 2023/24; they defeated Ashton Town 4-3 in the second round; Droylsden 5-1 in the third round; Maghull 5-1 in the quarter-final; and Barnton 1-0 in the semi-final.
Their opponents in the all-important match, Stafford Town, had made the final by defeating Ashville 3-0 in the first round; Allscott Heath on penalties in the second round; Winsford United 3-1 in the third round; Premier Division Ramsbottom United 2-1 in the quarter-final; and AFC Blackpool 2-0 in the semi-final.
This was also Stafford’s third cup final appearance of the season, with them having lost the Edward Case Cup and First Division South play-off final earlier this season.
It didn’t take long for Charnock Ruchard to get the ball rolling, with Will Riding scoring the opener after just 8 minutes. He received the ball from Marcus Haydock on the right side of the box and made space with some neat footwork before slamming home.
Louis Holt added to proceedings on 23 minutes, with Haydock bagging another assist. The full-back fed the ball into the box from the left, and Holt was there to poke it home from inside the danger area.
Stafford were limited to few chances throughout the first half, but they came to life right before the break. First, captain Matty Hearsey headed home on 42 minutes from inside the box after a left-sided delivery by Jamie Fox.
Then, barely two minutes later, Patryk Mazurkiewicz levelled the game with a rebound from very close range. Again, Hearsey was involved, shooting after cutting in from the left, and Mazurkiewicz was happy to pick up the scraps after Ryan Hamer’s save.
In the second half, Charnock again came out on the front foot, with Matt Davies reinstating their lead nine minutes after the restart. This was another rebound goal, with Nathan Nickeas’ initial shot having been well saved by Corey Mallen, but Davies brought the loose ball down and blasted it home from inside the box.
The game quietened down for a while after that third Charnock goal, but there was a fourth to be had in the 81st minute. Substitute Jordan Darr converted from close range after Nickeas fed the ball across the face of goal to re-establish daylight between the two sides.
In the first half, Staffs had scored two late goals, but in the second, that honour would be Charnock’s. Firstly, Fenton Davies headed onto the post from a right-sided cross. The ball bounced across the face of goal and was scooped away by Mallen, but the linesman was quick to raise his flag and declare that the ball had crossed the line.
Then they put the icing on the cake right on 94 minutes. Nickeas, who had already been involved in several goals throughout thew afternoon for Charnock, grabbed one of his own with essentially the last kick of the game to seal a dominant 6-2 victory.
Following the match, Charnock gaffer Ryan Donnellan was kind enough to answer a few questions about his side's acheivement:
Looking at the final as a match, what can you say about your team's approach to the game and their performance?
“We approached the game very well and prepared thoroughly, on and off the pitch. The lads worked extremely hard in the build up to the game and on the day.”
What did you say at half time after conceding two quick-fire goals?
“It was a calm team talk at half time! It would have been easy to go in shouting after being 2-0 up and being dragged back to 2-2, but we took a minute, reset ourselves and set out to do only one thing in the second half – win the game!”
What can you say about your opponents on the day, Stafford Town?
“I thought for large periods of the game we were dominant, but to be fair to them they didn't give up. Many sides would have rolled over at 2-0 down in the first half, but they give us a really tough game until the latter period. You could see glimpses of why they have been up there in their league, and why they’ve been in multiple cup finals.”
What does it mean to you and the club to win the Macron Cup?
“It's a great achievement for us! For the lads, management, and the wider club community. We set out this season aiming for the play-offs, but unfortunately, we couldn't achieve that target. Still, it was nice to get a trophy for all the hard work everyone has put in since June last year.
“It's our second Macron Cup since I took over as manager six years ago, so it's great that we remain consistent and competitive.”
The trophy was presented to the manager, and captain Lewis Haydock by outgoing League Chairman Paul Lawler and League Management Committee member Martin Fallon.
As Ryan alluded to, this is Charnock Richard’s second Macron Cup victory in four years. In 2021, they won 5-0 against Cammell Laird 1907 in the final to win the trophy for the first time ever.
Congratulations to everyone involved at the club!
