Five Things We Learned 2023/24 - Gameweek 29
Fri 16th February 2024 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. First monthly awards of 2024
It's that time again - here's you've super condensed summary of January 2024's Club, Player and GK of the Month award winners! For clubs, we have title-chasing Bury, who won 3 from 3 in January, including a 10-1 smashing of Skelmersdale. In the First Division North, play-off hopefuls Ashton Town scooped the plaudits for a month that included a 4-1 defeat of local rivals Ashton Athletic; and, in the South, Alsager Town won 3 from 4 with a goal difference of +6 to take the award.
For Players, Prem side Colne's Lucas Weaver scored 8 to earn his recognition; Carl Taylor took the individual praise for being central to Ashton's form in the North; and Barnton's Rodrigo Schmitdinger grabbed 2 MOTM awards from 3 games in the South. For GKs, the Reusch UK awards went to Bury's Harry Wright for 3 clean sheets from 3; in the North, Ashton made it a clean sweep with stopped James McClenaghan taking the crown; and Stockport Town's Joshua Schofield did enough to take the trophy in the First Division South.
2. Speaking of the storming Shakers...
It really is no wonder that Bury as a club took home the Club of the Month award for January, and that their 'keeper managed to take home an individual prize, too, when you consider that, between now and last week's list, they have ascended right to the top of the NWCFL Premier Division.
Well, technically, they're joint-top at the time of writing, with Wythenshawe Town, but they have 2 games in hand on their adversaries. They have a better goal difference, too, a stat helped along nicely by the fact that, in their last 5 league games, they've scored a whopping 23 goals - that's over 4 goals a game on average!
3, Big results near the bottom
Another few teams who will probably be just as happy as Bury with recent developments include the likes of Burscough and Squires Gate, and definitely doesn't include the likes of Cheadle Town and Skelmersdale United. Over the course of the weekend, Burscough salvaged a draw from Gigg Lane, and Gate pulled off a cracking 4-2 victory away against their relegation rivals.
Those rivals, to give them their name, were Cheadle Town, who are now only being kept from the foot of the division by Skelmersdale United. Pascal Chimbonda's side were beaten 3-0 at home by AFC Liverpool on Saturday. They've since held Burscough in something of a 6-pointer in midweek but are still 9 points away from second-bottom Cheadle.
4. 6's and 7's
It's always nice to highlight the high-scoring games from the week that's just gone by, isn't it? Feast your eyes on these goal-fests. We've already discussed Cheadle Town and Squires Gate playing a 2-4 thriller, but, also at the weekend, there was 1 game each from the Premier Division and First Division North that saw 7 goals go in - Prestwich Heys' narrow 4-3 loss at home to FC Isle of man, and league leaders FC St Helens putting AFC Blackpool to the sword in a 5-2 win.
Then, a few days later, another 4-3 scoreline reared its head with Glossop North End holding firm to deny Padiham in a home victory, and both Colne and Barnoldswick Town held firm against one another on the same evening to play out a 3-3 draw and share the spoils. There's always a treat or two on a matchday in the NWCFL.
5. Ashville's Cup confidence continues
It did seem like Ashville’s Macron Cup 2nd round tie against Glossop North End would never actually happen after it was postponed 4 times over the course of January. But we finally got there by Thursday 25th, and it was the on-paper underdogs who took the win and advanced to Round 3... where their game against Stockport Georgians was initially postponed.
No bother - good things come to those who wait, and Ashville reaped the rewards of their patience last weekend when they went away to their same-division opponents, and returned home with a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Joseph Dulson and Peter Morgan, and a place in Round 4. Let's just hope Mother Nature has had enough of giving Gary Jones' side a hard time.
Five Things We Learned 2023/24 - Gameweek 29
Fri 16th February 2024 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. First monthly awards of 2024
It's that time again - here's you've super condensed summary of January 2024's Club, Player and GK of the Month award winners! For clubs, we have title-chasing Bury, who won 3 from 3 in January, including a 10-1 smashing of Skelmersdale. In the First Division North, play-off hopefuls Ashton Town scooped the plaudits for a month that included a 4-1 defeat of local rivals Ashton Athletic; and, in the South, Alsager Town won 3 from 4 with a goal difference of +6 to take the award.
For Players, Prem side Colne's Lucas Weaver scored 8 to earn his recognition; Carl Taylor took the individual praise for being central to Ashton's form in the North; and Barnton's Rodrigo Schmitdinger grabbed 2 MOTM awards from 3 games in the South. For GKs, the Reusch UK awards went to Bury's Harry Wright for 3 clean sheets from 3; in the North, Ashton made it a clean sweep with stopped James McClenaghan taking the crown; and Stockport Town's Joshua Schofield did enough to take the trophy in the First Division South.
2. Speaking of the storming Shakers...
It really is no wonder that Bury as a club took home the Club of the Month award for January, and that their 'keeper managed to take home an individual prize, too, when you consider that, between now and last week's list, they have ascended right to the top of the NWCFL Premier Division.
Well, technically, they're joint-top at the time of writing, with Wythenshawe Town, but they have 2 games in hand on their adversaries. They have a better goal difference, too, a stat helped along nicely by the fact that, in their last 5 league games, they've scored a whopping 23 goals - that's over 4 goals a game on average!
3, Big results near the bottom
Another few teams who will probably be just as happy as Bury with recent developments include the likes of Burscough and Squires Gate, and definitely doesn't include the likes of Cheadle Town and Skelmersdale United. Over the course of the weekend, Burscough salvaged a draw from Gigg Lane, and Gate pulled off a cracking 4-2 victory away against their relegation rivals.
Those rivals, to give them their name, were Cheadle Town, who are now only being kept from the foot of the division by Skelmersdale United. Pascal Chimbonda's side were beaten 3-0 at home by AFC Liverpool on Saturday. They've since held Burscough in something of a 6-pointer in midweek but are still 9 points away from second-bottom Cheadle.
4. 6's and 7's
It's always nice to highlight the high-scoring games from the week that's just gone by, isn't it? Feast your eyes on these goal-fests. We've already discussed Cheadle Town and Squires Gate playing a 2-4 thriller, but, also at the weekend, there was 1 game each from the Premier Division and First Division North that saw 7 goals go in - Prestwich Heys' narrow 4-3 loss at home to FC Isle of man, and league leaders FC St Helens putting AFC Blackpool to the sword in a 5-2 win.
Then, a few days later, another 4-3 scoreline reared its head with Glossop North End holding firm to deny Padiham in a home victory, and both Colne and Barnoldswick Town held firm against one another on the same evening to play out a 3-3 draw and share the spoils. There's always a treat or two on a matchday in the NWCFL.
5. Ashville's Cup confidence continues
It did seem like Ashville’s Macron Cup 2nd round tie against Glossop North End would never actually happen after it was postponed 4 times over the course of January. But we finally got there by Thursday 25th, and it was the on-paper underdogs who took the win and advanced to Round 3... where their game against Stockport Georgians was initially postponed.
No bother - good things come to those who wait, and Ashville reaped the rewards of their patience last weekend when they went away to their same-division opponents, and returned home with a 2-0 win, thanks to goals from Joseph Dulson and Peter Morgan, and a place in Round 4. Let's just hope Mother Nature has had enough of giving Gary Jones' side a hard time.
