Matchday 3: Review

Mon 5th August 2024 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper

The season has well and truly begun now! With the second weekend of the new NWCFL season now in the history books, let’s go back and look at what was from the First Divisions North and South, as well as the FA Cup.

On Friday, AFC Liverpool were again in action before the rest of their compatriots, and they played host to fellow NWCFL Prem side Abbey Hey in the FA Cup Extra Preliminary Round. Goals from Caleb Jones and Bradley Shearwood either side of a Rhys Clooney equaliser for Abbey Hey were enough to see AFC Liverpool win 2-1 and advance into the next round of English Football’s oldest competition.

On Saturday, there were plenty of NWCFL sides in action. Not all 60, like last weekend, but more than enough for a fan to get their fix.

FA Cup:

• Bury FC travelled to the home of former NWCFL regulars Congleton Town for their extra preliminary fixture in this season’s FA Cup, and had to fight strong to survive against the Bears. A Tanaka Cherera hat-trick helped Dave McNabb’s side massively on their way to a 4-2 victory.
• South Liverpool left things as late as they could in their battle with Handsworth. After going into half-time 2-1 down, it took until the 97^th minute for an Elliot Owen penalty to save South’s chances in the FA Cup for this season. The game finished 2-2.
• Litherland REMYCA and Glossop North End were another pair of NWCFL sides who were drawn against one another in the FA Cup, and it would be the away side in Glossop who secured a place in the Preliminary Round with a 3-1 win, featuring a brace by Tom Lawless.
• Stocksbridge Park Steels - the first club that ever gave Jamie Vardy any senior playing time – were in action against the NWCFL’s Prestwich Heys on Saturday, and overcame their visitors in a 2-1 victory.
• West Didsbury and Chorlton were another side who left it late in their duel with Burscough. After going 2-0 up and conceding twice to see the game drawn level, it would be Lewis Billingsley who saved West in the 94^th minute of the game and helped them to a 3-2 win.
• Wythenshawe Town proved that they are more than capable of hanging in the NPL system after last season’s promotion, as they faced an NWCFL side in their first FA Cup game of the season. They played host to Chadderton, and ran out 7-1 winners at Ericstan Park.

Other scores:

• Barnoldswick Town 0-0 Brighouse Town
• Colne 0-4 Mossley
• Longridge Town 2-0 Cheadle Town
• Northwich Victoria 3-2 Squires Gate
• Padiham 1-1 Golcar United
• Penistone Church 1-2 Charnock Richard
• Ramsbottom United 1-3 Stalybridge Celtic
• Stockport Town 1-2 1874 Northwich
• Whitchurch Alport 3-0 Irlam

First Division North:

• Atherton LR looked exactly like the side that came so close to promotion last season in their demolition of Garstang, The final 3 goals were all scored by players who’ve never scored for the club before as they came away as 5-1 winners.
• Euxton Villa got off the mark for the new campaign by putting new boys Maghull to the sword on home soil. Patrick Bibby grabbed two late goals as Villa won 4-0.
• Another team to score 4 and keep a clean sheet was Holker Old Boys. They played host to Droylsden on Saturday and did more than enough to secure a comfortable victory, with Tom Dawson scoring twice.
• Thornton Cleveleys showed signs of settling into the NWCFL in their game against Route One Rovers, whose season has yet to really start thus far. 17-year old Seb Greaves scored a brace as the newly-promotes won 4-1.

Other scores:

• AFC Blackpool 0-2 Nelson
• Bacup Borough 2-0 Daisy Hill
• Maine Road 2-0 Darwen FC
• Skelmersdale United 0-1 Ashton Athletic
• Steeton 1-1 Ashton Town

First Division South:

• Ashville and Foley Meir played out an absolute stormer of a match at the former’s Ray Parker Stadium. Both teams somehow scored in the same minute of the game (the 72^nd minute, for completionists), and two further goals from Foley Meir allowed them to take maximum points in a 4-3 thriller.
• Cammell Laird 1907 looked dead and buried against Winsford United with the game at 2-0 to the latter in the closing stages. But, a late own goal and an equaliser from James Eaton a minute from time saved a 2-2 draw from the jaws of defeat.
• Market Drayton Town had been on a 24-game losing streak before midweek, when they beat Wolverhampton SC. They then capitalised on that when they faced Runcorn Town at home this weekend, smashing their visitors 4-0 and making it 2 wins from 3 in the league thus far.
• New Mills were the team whose fans were probably the most fortunate this weekend. Newly promoted Shawbury United came to Church Lane this past weekend, but were sent back to north Shrewsbury having suffered an 8-0 battering. Three separate players all secured a brace in this match.
• Wolverhampton Sporting Community were again involved in a goal-fest but were again on the wrong side of proceedings when they welcomed Abbey Hulton United to their Pride Park ground. Kieran Brown bagged a hat-trick as the away side picked up a 5-2 win.

Other scores:

• Alsager Town 3-0 Allscott Heath
• Cheadle Heath Nomads 0-2 Barnton
• Sandbach United 1-0 Eccleshall
• Stafford Town 3-0 Stockport Georgians