Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 3
Thu 15th August 2024 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. Tuesday night >>> Boxing Day 1963
There have been few days in football that were as eventful and goal laden as Tuesday night in the NWCFL. With teams from all 3 divisions in action, a mind-numbing 89 goals scored. That's EIGHTY-NINE.
Your choice cuts include Bury smashing Abbey Hey 7-1; AFC Liverpool and Squires Gate playing out a 5-3 thriller; FC's St Helens and isle of Man contesting a 5-4 battle; and Longridge Town hammering Colne 8-0. In the First Divisions North and South, Darwen swept Ashton Athletic to one side, winning 5-1; Ashton Town and Maghull managing a 4-4 draw; Atherton LR and AFC Blackpool playing out another game that ended 5-4; and Sandbach United beating Cammell laird 1907 4-3. What a night.
2. With goals comes hat-tricks
Three, to be precise. Again, on Tuesday, all from the Premier Division, there were three different instances of players scoring three or more. The first came from the Abbey Stadium, with visiting Bury's Reuben Jerome managing a 10-minute hat-trick in the second half of their 7-1 victory.
Thomas McNamara, of FC Isle of Man, managed the inverse of that, scoring a first half treble against FC Isle of Man in their 5-4 win; and finally, in Longridge Town's rout win over Colne, Owen Watkinson notched 4 of his side's 8.
3. FC St Helens are beaten
Moving away from Tuesday night, for the first time this season, the pacesetters-apparent in the Premier Division were defeated. FC St Helens run went from spotless to stopped with the visit of Ramsbottom United. who came away from the SMS Pro Soccer Park with a 3-0 win.
With that result, FC St Helens dropped from 1st to 6th in the table, but returned to winning ways on Tuesday. Despite that, they remain 6th, with all of Longridge, AFC Liverpool, Ramsbottom United, Chadderton and Charnock Richard winning too.
4. Bacup are beaten
Staying on theme, Saturday also saw the first league goals conceded by Bacup Borough in the First Division North, as well as their first league defeat. Bacup had a spotless record from their first 4 games but fell to newly promoted Maghull on Saturday.
In a strange pattern, Bacup also played host to fellow newly promoted side Thornton Cleveleys on Wednesday and were beaten again 3-2 - the same result that they lost to Maghull by. Brent Peters will be hoping that this does nit become a pattern.
5. Wolverhampton SC are on the board
After five straight losses in their first five NWCFL games in their history, Wolverhampton Sporting Community have finally got off the ground in the First Division South. It's come at a good time, too, with Wolves set to square off with fellow early strugglers Runcorn Town this coming weekend.
On Tuesday, they welcomed Eccleshall to Pride Park and came away with not just their first victory, but also a clean sheet. Goals from Samuel Giles and Isaac Phillips were enough for the hosts to seal the win, despite the red card for James Quarry.
Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 3
Thu 15th August 2024 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. Tuesday night >>> Boxing Day 1963
There have been few days in football that were as eventful and goal laden as Tuesday night in the NWCFL. With teams from all 3 divisions in action, a mind-numbing 89 goals scored. That's EIGHTY-NINE.
Your choice cuts include Bury smashing Abbey Hey 7-1; AFC Liverpool and Squires Gate playing out a 5-3 thriller; FC's St Helens and isle of Man contesting a 5-4 battle; and Longridge Town hammering Colne 8-0. In the First Divisions North and South, Darwen swept Ashton Athletic to one side, winning 5-1; Ashton Town and Maghull managing a 4-4 draw; Atherton LR and AFC Blackpool playing out another game that ended 5-4; and Sandbach United beating Cammell laird 1907 4-3. What a night.
2. With goals comes hat-tricks
Three, to be precise. Again, on Tuesday, all from the Premier Division, there were three different instances of players scoring three or more. The first came from the Abbey Stadium, with visiting Bury's Reuben Jerome managing a 10-minute hat-trick in the second half of their 7-1 victory.
Thomas McNamara, of FC Isle of Man, managed the inverse of that, scoring a first half treble against FC Isle of Man in their 5-4 win; and finally, in Longridge Town's rout win over Colne, Owen Watkinson notched 4 of his side's 8.
3. FC St Helens are beaten
Moving away from Tuesday night, for the first time this season, the pacesetters-apparent in the Premier Division were defeated. FC St Helens run went from spotless to stopped with the visit of Ramsbottom United. who came away from the SMS Pro Soccer Park with a 3-0 win.
With that result, FC St Helens dropped from 1st to 6th in the table, but returned to winning ways on Tuesday. Despite that, they remain 6th, with all of Longridge, AFC Liverpool, Ramsbottom United, Chadderton and Charnock Richard winning too.
4. Bacup are beaten
Staying on theme, Saturday also saw the first league goals conceded by Bacup Borough in the First Division North, as well as their first league defeat. Bacup had a spotless record from their first 4 games but fell to newly promoted Maghull on Saturday.
In a strange pattern, Bacup also played host to fellow newly promoted side Thornton Cleveleys on Wednesday and were beaten again 3-2 - the same result that they lost to Maghull by. Brent Peters will be hoping that this does nit become a pattern.
5. Wolverhampton SC are on the board
After five straight losses in their first five NWCFL games in their history, Wolverhampton Sporting Community have finally got off the ground in the First Division South. It's come at a good time, too, with Wolves set to square off with fellow early strugglers Runcorn Town this coming weekend.
On Tuesday, they welcomed Eccleshall to Pride Park and came away with not just their first victory, but also a clean sheet. Goals from Samuel Giles and Isaac Phillips were enough for the hosts to seal the win, despite the red card for James Quarry.
