Week 37: Easter Weekend MEGA Review
Tue 7th April 2026 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper
Happy (late) Easter everyone! With the long weekend having been and gone, there is A LOT of NWCFL football to discuss. Let’s run through the best and worst of what the bank holiday weekend had to offer…
Friday:
Macron Cup, semi-finals:
The weekend began with a Good Friday clash to determine the first team in the Final of the 2025/26 Macron Cup. Hosts AFC Liverpool came up against a determined, table-topping Nelson from the First Division North, but two late goals from Elliot Taylor and Thomas Beckett secured Phil Stafford’s team a 3-1 win and a spot in the showpiece match.
Saturday:
Macron Cup, semi-finals:
In the second game of the weekend to determine the final two in the NWCFL’s premier cup competition, Burscough hosted West Didsbury & Chorlton at the Community Ground, with the visitors having only qualified for this game in last Wednesday’s rearranged quarter final. They came out on top then, and they did so again on Saturday, needing a 5-4 penalty shootout win to overcome Burscough after a 0-0 draw.
Premier Division:
With a dominant display on Saturday, Wythenshawe FC have now officially secured their place in at least the play-offs in the Prem, and they still lead the league table at the time of writing. They swept aside Barnoldswick Town on the road to start their long weekend, winning 6-1.
That result for the Ammies went hand in hand with an upset defeat for second-placed Ramsbottom United on Saturday. For the second time in a week, second-bottom side Litherland REMYCA beat one of the top two in the league 2-1 to give their battle against the drop an incredible boost.
Third-bottom Pilkington, caught in the midst of a devastating losing streak, will be looking in their rearview mirrors now more than ever now as the season comes to a close. They were unable to stop the rot against fifth placed Padiham on Saturday, falling to a 4-1 away defeat.
For the first time since November, third-placed Atherton LR were beaten on Saturday, and few would’ve bet on mid-table Charnock Richard to be the streak-breakers, especially with the game taking place at Crilly Park. Nevertheless, a 95th minute Jordan Darr winner sealed a 2-1 victory for Ryan Donnellan’s men.
Despite that, fourth-placed Chadderton were unable to leapfrog Atherton in the division after suffering a loss of their own on Saturday, also on home soil. They welcomed sixth placed Irlam to the Emplas Commercial North Stadium but were subject to a 2-1 comeback victory for the visitors.
In one of the weekend’s games that had no real stakes in the league standings beyond personal pride, it was hosts Euxton Villa who produced the goods. They smashed visiting South Liverpool 3-0 to set up a strong end to their first ever campaign in the Premier Division.
Other scores:
FC St Helens 0-0 Glossop North End
FC Isle of Man A-A Prestwich Heys
First Division North:
With Nelson pre-occupied with the Macron Cup, second-placed Droylsden had an unchallenged opportunity to close the gap on the league leaders on Saturday, but they couldn’t make the most of it. Visiting mid-table side Ashton Town snatched a late comeback victory with a 94th minute Adam Morris goal to make it 3-2.
The division’s Easter Saturday goal-fest came from Jericho Lane, where play-off chasing MSB Woolton welcomed bottom side Maine Road. Four goals in the first half and three in the second between the two clubs made for a thrilling 5-2 encounter that fell in favour of the hosts.
Not wanting to be outdone inside the top five, Maghull also steamrolled their opponents on Saturday to maintain their own promotion push. They were on the road to relegation threatened Colne to open their weekend, and pitched a shutout, winning 3-0, featuring a William Dunne brace.
Darwen FC are another team with dreams of playing Step Five football next season and knew that Saturday presented a better chance than ever for them to state their intentions. It took the majority of the game, but a Bruno De Almedia Severino brace inside the final 10 minutes off the game helped them see off promotion rivals Squires Gate 2-1 on home soil.
Holker Old Boys, for all their games in hand at the start of the weekend, saw their play-off hopes take a beating on Easter Saturday. They welcomed Fulwood Amateurs to the Handmark Engineering Stadium, and the visitors stole a 3-2 win in the 85th minute via Charlie Howarth, to cement a mid-table finish for Fulwood in their first ever NWCFL season.
The same way the door is closing on Holker’s chances at promotion, the same is happening to Garstang when it comes to their chances at survival. Beginning the day within rouching distance of the safety places, they were decisively beaten 4-0 at home by a Steeton side with little to fight for beyond pride at this stage of the campaign.
Other scores:
Ashton Athletic 0-2 Daisy Hill
Bacup Borough 1-2 Thornton Cleveleys
First Division South:
There were some HUGE late goals in the relegation battle in the First Division South on Saturday. Firstly, second-bottom Alsager Town, who hosted not-yet-safe Market Drayton Town, stole maximum points in the 93rd minute via Samuel Stephens to win 1-0.
Secondly, Shawbury United, who began the weekend third-bottom, gave their own survival hopes a fantastic leg-up to begin the weekend, winning 2-1 against mid-table Barnton thanks to a winner from Kyle Jordon in the 88th minute on the road.
Eccleshall have sewn up their play-off place for this season, and with runaway league leaders Runcorn Town having been already crowned champions, there is little to fight for beyond a home seeding in the play-offs for Liam Kelly’s men. With that in mind, Easter Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to lower-mid-table side Cammell Laird 1907 might not be as shocking as it once could’ve seemed, but it was a great result for the visitors, nonetheless.
Speaking of the champions, Runcorn Town were seen at the weekend as a major obstacle to overcome for another team looking to join them in promotion – third-placed Stockport Georgians. Avoiding defeat would’ve been enough for the home side to confirm their own spot in the top five, and they just about got the job done, drawing scoring twice in the last 10 to draw 2-2.
With victory on Saturday alone, New Mills would’ve been entirely reliant on results elsewhere to confirm their place in the play-offs for 2025/26. In any case, they did their part defeating Wolves Casuals 3-0 away from home.
However, a win for Stafford Town at the same was enough to ensure the Millers would have to wait until at least Easter Monday. Stafford kept their own play-off ambitions very much alive in the 2-1 win over bottom side Haughmond – a result which also confirmed that the Mond would be relegated from the division.
Other scores:
Allscott Heath 1-3 Foley Meir
Cheadle Heath Nomads 3-1 Telford Town
Monday:
Premier Division:
No rest for the weary! Another full fixture list to bring you from Bank Holiday Monday, beginning with leaders Wythenshawe taking yet another step towards an immediate return to Step Four by stepping over West Didsbury & Chorlton on home soil, winning 1-0 – a result that officially takes West out of the running for the top five.
Ramsbottom United managed to avoid a second defeat in one weekend but couldn’t avoid dropping points as they hosted Longridge Town on Monday. It took a 92nd minute Luke Sephton goal for the Rams to secure a 2-2 draw, which leaves them six points adrift of the Ammies in the title race.
Third placed Atherton LR, following defeat on Saturday, course-corrected on Monday with a 2-0 away win over mid-table Burscough to all be concretely seal their place in the play-offs with two games left to play.
Fifth placed Padiham remain architects of their own play-off push, despite falling to defeat on Monday. They were victims of a 2-1 defeat by Barnoldswick Town away from home thanks to strikes by Andrew Hill and Samuel Wrigley for the home team.
However, a simultaneous defeat for sixth-placed Irlam, away at mid-table Glossop North End, also by a 2-1 scoreline, means that the Storks still hold the majority of the cards in the race for the top five.
Two second half goals were not enough for third-bottom Pilkington to avoid another defeat on Easter Monday, as they were undone 3-2 on the road against FC St Helens. The winner came with 10 minutes left, via Thomas McNamara from the penalty spot.
However, Pilks remain three points ahead of the drop zone, after Litherland REMYCA had their momentum from two straight wins halted on Monday. They visited the Berry Street Garage Stadium to face AFC Liverpool and were beaten 3-1, with the hosts now on a seven-game winning streak.
There were dominant wins for two teams for whom a strong finish to the season will act as merely a morale and points booster. Ninth placed Stockport Town won 3-0 against FC Isle of Man at Stockport Sports Village; and 15th placed South Liverpool went two better, recovering from Saturday’s defeat to win 5-0 against already relegated City of Liverpool at Jericho Lane.
Other scores:
Abbey Hey 1-1 Cheadle Town
Charnock Richard 2-2 Euxton Villa
First Division North:
League leaders Nelson returned to league action on Easter Monday, and it was business as usual for the Little Wembley side. Billy Preistley’s goal in the 84th minute was enough to secure a 1-0 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Darwen FC on home soil.
At the same time, second-placed Droylsden were looking to right the wrongs of Saturday’s defeat with a bounce-back win over bottom club Maine Road, whose status in the division was on the line on Monday. A 4-0 win for the Bloods was enough not only to preserve the title race, but also to condemn Road to relegation.
Despite Saturday’s result, Squires Gate were able to reascend into the play-off places on Easter Monday, needing just one goal to do it. With Darwen’s loss, a Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid strike was enough for Gate to see off AFC Blackpool by a 1-0 scoreline and retake fifth place.
Fourth-bottom Colne, who were still just a point clear of the bottom three at the start of Monday, have finally extended that margin, and arguably, at the perfect time. They managed their first win in six thanks to a sole Barney Wiggin goal, defeating Steeton 1-0 at home.
That result spelled potential disaster for third-bottom Ashton Athletic, who played their penultimate game of the season on Easter Monday, and defeat, partnered with that Colne win, would’ve been enough to seal their fate. Ultimately, they fell short on the day, losing 3-2 at home to local rivals Ashton Town, thereby confirming their position in the bottom three for 2025/26.
There’s still a lifeline, mind you, for second-bottom Garstang. Avoiding defeat on Monday was imperative, and they managed to do that, although it was a draw that would’ve felt more like a loss. They conceded a 93rd minute penalty to Jamie Hodgson and were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw with Holker Old Boys, leaving them four points from safety with two games to play.
Other scores:
Daisy Hill 1-1 Bacup Borough
Fulwood Amateurs 0-0 Thornton Cleveleys
Maghull 0-0 MSB Woolton
First Division South:
Incredibly, two teams in the South played their final game for the season on Easter Monday. One of them were Shawbury United, for whom it was their last chance to secure their own safety in the division. They were away from home at already relegated Haughmond, and a James King double got the job done in a 2-1 win that confirms Shawbury’s place in the division, results elsewhere be damned.
Also aiming to give themselves the best possible boost in their final game on Monday were play-off chasing Stafford Town, who were scheduled to face Foley Meir. Whilst they failed to win, they also avoided defeat, drawing 1-1 to earn a point that, at least temporarily, takes them to fifth in the table.
Stafford were able to sneak into the play-offs by virtue of an away defeat for Ashville, who began the weekend inside of the top five. However, two Ben Wood penalties saw them defeated 2-1 by mid-table Cammell Laird 1907, who recorded an impressive six points from six over the long weekend against two promotion hopefuls.
Both Stafford’s and Ashville’s result also had huge ramifications for New Mills, for whom a win would now be enough to confirm their spot inside of the top five for the season. They did what was needed of them and managed a clean sheet in the process, defeating Telford Town 2-0 on the road.
Whilst they are not relegated yet, Alsager Town were dealt a hammer blow on Easter Monday in their survival scramble. The only team they can catch in the standings now are Market Drayton Town, who drew on Monday, but Alsager were undone when welcoming Sandbach United to Wood Park, who beat them 1-0 thanks to a Jake Pollard penalty on the hour mark. This result leaves the hosts four points behind with two games left.
Other scores:
Cheadle Heath Nomads 1-0 Stockport Georgians
Market Drayton Town 0-0 Eccleshall
Runcorn Town 3-1 Barnton
Week 37: Easter Weekend MEGA Review
Tue 7th April 2026 | Match Reviews
By Jay Cooper
Happy (late) Easter everyone! With the long weekend having been and gone, there is A LOT of NWCFL football to discuss. Let’s run through the best and worst of what the bank holiday weekend had to offer…
Friday:
Macron Cup, semi-finals:
The weekend began with a Good Friday clash to determine the first team in the Final of the 2025/26 Macron Cup. Hosts AFC Liverpool came up against a determined, table-topping Nelson from the First Division North, but two late goals from Elliot Taylor and Thomas Beckett secured Phil Stafford’s team a 3-1 win and a spot in the showpiece match.
Saturday:
Macron Cup, semi-finals:
In the second game of the weekend to determine the final two in the NWCFL’s premier cup competition, Burscough hosted West Didsbury & Chorlton at the Community Ground, with the visitors having only qualified for this game in last Wednesday’s rearranged quarter final. They came out on top then, and they did so again on Saturday, needing a 5-4 penalty shootout win to overcome Burscough after a 0-0 draw.
Premier Division:
With a dominant display on Saturday, Wythenshawe FC have now officially secured their place in at least the play-offs in the Prem, and they still lead the league table at the time of writing. They swept aside Barnoldswick Town on the road to start their long weekend, winning 6-1.
That result for the Ammies went hand in hand with an upset defeat for second-placed Ramsbottom United on Saturday. For the second time in a week, second-bottom side Litherland REMYCA beat one of the top two in the league 2-1 to give their battle against the drop an incredible boost.
Third-bottom Pilkington, caught in the midst of a devastating losing streak, will be looking in their rearview mirrors now more than ever now as the season comes to a close. They were unable to stop the rot against fifth placed Padiham on Saturday, falling to a 4-1 away defeat.
For the first time since November, third-placed Atherton LR were beaten on Saturday, and few would’ve bet on mid-table Charnock Richard to be the streak-breakers, especially with the game taking place at Crilly Park. Nevertheless, a 95th minute Jordan Darr winner sealed a 2-1 victory for Ryan Donnellan’s men.
Despite that, fourth-placed Chadderton were unable to leapfrog Atherton in the division after suffering a loss of their own on Saturday, also on home soil. They welcomed sixth placed Irlam to the Emplas Commercial North Stadium but were subject to a 2-1 comeback victory for the visitors.
In one of the weekend’s games that had no real stakes in the league standings beyond personal pride, it was hosts Euxton Villa who produced the goods. They smashed visiting South Liverpool 3-0 to set up a strong end to their first ever campaign in the Premier Division.
Other scores:
FC St Helens 0-0 Glossop North End
FC Isle of Man A-A Prestwich Heys
First Division North:
With Nelson pre-occupied with the Macron Cup, second-placed Droylsden had an unchallenged opportunity to close the gap on the league leaders on Saturday, but they couldn’t make the most of it. Visiting mid-table side Ashton Town snatched a late comeback victory with a 94th minute Adam Morris goal to make it 3-2.
The division’s Easter Saturday goal-fest came from Jericho Lane, where play-off chasing MSB Woolton welcomed bottom side Maine Road. Four goals in the first half and three in the second between the two clubs made for a thrilling 5-2 encounter that fell in favour of the hosts.
Not wanting to be outdone inside the top five, Maghull also steamrolled their opponents on Saturday to maintain their own promotion push. They were on the road to relegation threatened Colne to open their weekend, and pitched a shutout, winning 3-0, featuring a William Dunne brace.
Darwen FC are another team with dreams of playing Step Five football next season and knew that Saturday presented a better chance than ever for them to state their intentions. It took the majority of the game, but a Bruno De Almedia Severino brace inside the final 10 minutes off the game helped them see off promotion rivals Squires Gate 2-1 on home soil.
Holker Old Boys, for all their games in hand at the start of the weekend, saw their play-off hopes take a beating on Easter Saturday. They welcomed Fulwood Amateurs to the Handmark Engineering Stadium, and the visitors stole a 3-2 win in the 85th minute via Charlie Howarth, to cement a mid-table finish for Fulwood in their first ever NWCFL season.
The same way the door is closing on Holker’s chances at promotion, the same is happening to Garstang when it comes to their chances at survival. Beginning the day within rouching distance of the safety places, they were decisively beaten 4-0 at home by a Steeton side with little to fight for beyond pride at this stage of the campaign.
Other scores:
Ashton Athletic 0-2 Daisy Hill
Bacup Borough 1-2 Thornton Cleveleys
First Division South:
There were some HUGE late goals in the relegation battle in the First Division South on Saturday. Firstly, second-bottom Alsager Town, who hosted not-yet-safe Market Drayton Town, stole maximum points in the 93rd minute via Samuel Stephens to win 1-0.
Secondly, Shawbury United, who began the weekend third-bottom, gave their own survival hopes a fantastic leg-up to begin the weekend, winning 2-1 against mid-table Barnton thanks to a winner from Kyle Jordon in the 88th minute on the road.
Eccleshall have sewn up their play-off place for this season, and with runaway league leaders Runcorn Town having been already crowned champions, there is little to fight for beyond a home seeding in the play-offs for Liam Kelly’s men. With that in mind, Easter Saturday’s 3-2 home defeat to lower-mid-table side Cammell Laird 1907 might not be as shocking as it once could’ve seemed, but it was a great result for the visitors, nonetheless.
Speaking of the champions, Runcorn Town were seen at the weekend as a major obstacle to overcome for another team looking to join them in promotion – third-placed Stockport Georgians. Avoiding defeat would’ve been enough for the home side to confirm their own spot in the top five, and they just about got the job done, drawing scoring twice in the last 10 to draw 2-2.
With victory on Saturday alone, New Mills would’ve been entirely reliant on results elsewhere to confirm their place in the play-offs for 2025/26. In any case, they did their part defeating Wolves Casuals 3-0 away from home.
However, a win for Stafford Town at the same was enough to ensure the Millers would have to wait until at least Easter Monday. Stafford kept their own play-off ambitions very much alive in the 2-1 win over bottom side Haughmond – a result which also confirmed that the Mond would be relegated from the division.
Other scores:
Allscott Heath 1-3 Foley Meir
Cheadle Heath Nomads 3-1 Telford Town
Monday:
Premier Division:
No rest for the weary! Another full fixture list to bring you from Bank Holiday Monday, beginning with leaders Wythenshawe taking yet another step towards an immediate return to Step Four by stepping over West Didsbury & Chorlton on home soil, winning 1-0 – a result that officially takes West out of the running for the top five.
Ramsbottom United managed to avoid a second defeat in one weekend but couldn’t avoid dropping points as they hosted Longridge Town on Monday. It took a 92nd minute Luke Sephton goal for the Rams to secure a 2-2 draw, which leaves them six points adrift of the Ammies in the title race.
Third placed Atherton LR, following defeat on Saturday, course-corrected on Monday with a 2-0 away win over mid-table Burscough to all be concretely seal their place in the play-offs with two games left to play.
Fifth placed Padiham remain architects of their own play-off push, despite falling to defeat on Monday. They were victims of a 2-1 defeat by Barnoldswick Town away from home thanks to strikes by Andrew Hill and Samuel Wrigley for the home team.
However, a simultaneous defeat for sixth-placed Irlam, away at mid-table Glossop North End, also by a 2-1 scoreline, means that the Storks still hold the majority of the cards in the race for the top five.
Two second half goals were not enough for third-bottom Pilkington to avoid another defeat on Easter Monday, as they were undone 3-2 on the road against FC St Helens. The winner came with 10 minutes left, via Thomas McNamara from the penalty spot.
However, Pilks remain three points ahead of the drop zone, after Litherland REMYCA had their momentum from two straight wins halted on Monday. They visited the Berry Street Garage Stadium to face AFC Liverpool and were beaten 3-1, with the hosts now on a seven-game winning streak.
There were dominant wins for two teams for whom a strong finish to the season will act as merely a morale and points booster. Ninth placed Stockport Town won 3-0 against FC Isle of Man at Stockport Sports Village; and 15th placed South Liverpool went two better, recovering from Saturday’s defeat to win 5-0 against already relegated City of Liverpool at Jericho Lane.
Other scores:
Abbey Hey 1-1 Cheadle Town
Charnock Richard 2-2 Euxton Villa
First Division North:
League leaders Nelson returned to league action on Easter Monday, and it was business as usual for the Little Wembley side. Billy Preistley’s goal in the 84th minute was enough to secure a 1-0 win over fellow promotion hopefuls Darwen FC on home soil.
At the same time, second-placed Droylsden were looking to right the wrongs of Saturday’s defeat with a bounce-back win over bottom club Maine Road, whose status in the division was on the line on Monday. A 4-0 win for the Bloods was enough not only to preserve the title race, but also to condemn Road to relegation.
Despite Saturday’s result, Squires Gate were able to reascend into the play-off places on Easter Monday, needing just one goal to do it. With Darwen’s loss, a Saad Mekkaoui-Abouzaid strike was enough for Gate to see off AFC Blackpool by a 1-0 scoreline and retake fifth place.
Fourth-bottom Colne, who were still just a point clear of the bottom three at the start of Monday, have finally extended that margin, and arguably, at the perfect time. They managed their first win in six thanks to a sole Barney Wiggin goal, defeating Steeton 1-0 at home.
That result spelled potential disaster for third-bottom Ashton Athletic, who played their penultimate game of the season on Easter Monday, and defeat, partnered with that Colne win, would’ve been enough to seal their fate. Ultimately, they fell short on the day, losing 3-2 at home to local rivals Ashton Town, thereby confirming their position in the bottom three for 2025/26.
There’s still a lifeline, mind you, for second-bottom Garstang. Avoiding defeat on Monday was imperative, and they managed to do that, although it was a draw that would’ve felt more like a loss. They conceded a 93rd minute penalty to Jamie Hodgson and were forced to settle for a 3-3 draw with Holker Old Boys, leaving them four points from safety with two games to play.
Other scores:
Daisy Hill 1-1 Bacup Borough
Fulwood Amateurs 0-0 Thornton Cleveleys
Maghull 0-0 MSB Woolton
First Division South:
Incredibly, two teams in the South played their final game for the season on Easter Monday. One of them were Shawbury United, for whom it was their last chance to secure their own safety in the division. They were away from home at already relegated Haughmond, and a James King double got the job done in a 2-1 win that confirms Shawbury’s place in the division, results elsewhere be damned.
Also aiming to give themselves the best possible boost in their final game on Monday were play-off chasing Stafford Town, who were scheduled to face Foley Meir. Whilst they failed to win, they also avoided defeat, drawing 1-1 to earn a point that, at least temporarily, takes them to fifth in the table.
Stafford were able to sneak into the play-offs by virtue of an away defeat for Ashville, who began the weekend inside of the top five. However, two Ben Wood penalties saw them defeated 2-1 by mid-table Cammell Laird 1907, who recorded an impressive six points from six over the long weekend against two promotion hopefuls.
Both Stafford’s and Ashville’s result also had huge ramifications for New Mills, for whom a win would now be enough to confirm their spot inside of the top five for the season. They did what was needed of them and managed a clean sheet in the process, defeating Telford Town 2-0 on the road.
Whilst they are not relegated yet, Alsager Town were dealt a hammer blow on Easter Monday in their survival scramble. The only team they can catch in the standings now are Market Drayton Town, who drew on Monday, but Alsager were undone when welcoming Sandbach United to Wood Park, who beat them 1-0 thanks to a Jake Pollard penalty on the hour mark. This result leaves the hosts four points behind with two games left.
Other scores:
Cheadle Heath Nomads 1-0 Stockport Georgians
Market Drayton Town 0-0 Eccleshall
Runcorn Town 3-1 Barnton
