Matchday 5: Review

Mon 19th August 2024 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper

Another weekend, another round of games coming from all 3 divisions of the NWCFL, and the FA Cup. Let's run through the best and worst of what the last couple of days have had to offer.

FA Cup:

• The NWCFL still have some flag-flyers left in England's oldest competition, and Bury FC are one of them. Dave McNabb's side travelled away to semi-recent league members Avro and came away with a 2-1 victory and a place in the next qualifying round.
• Also retaining their seat at this particular table were West Didsbury and Chorlton, who put the boots to Glossop North End and won 2-1 in an all-NWCFL clash at the Asgard Engineering Stadium.
• Barnoldswick Town were one of two NWCFL sides who forced a replay against non-NWCFL opposition, when they played out a 1-1 draw against Northwich Victoria at the Silentnight Stadium.
• The second of those teams to manage that was South Liverpool, who also shared the plaudits in a home clash with Witton Albion. The game finished 1-1, thanks to a very late Neil Weaver goal for South.

Other scores:

• Saturday:
• Longridge Town 1-3 1874 Northwich
• Whitchurch Alport 3-1 Pilkington
• Sunday:
• Hallam 2-0 Charnock Richard
• Campion 1-0 AFC Liverpool

Premier Division:

• Chadderton climbed to 2nd in the table with their 1-0 weekend win over Irlam in the league, with the goal coming in the 89th minute from Bruno Da Silva.
• FC Isle of Man were a team involved in one of the many heavy-scoring matches in midweek (which you can read a little more about here), but they had a quieter weekend on the mainland, beating Litherland REMYCA 2-1.
• The only team keeping Chaddy off top spot are currently Ramsbottom United, who also won and kept a clean sheet on Saturday, but their win looked much more convincing on paper, sweeping Burscough aside 4-0.
• Squires Gate's hunt for a win in the league this season will continue into next week, after they were beaten on home soil by Abbey Hey 3-1.

Other scores:

• Cheadle Town 1-0 Colne
• FC St Helens 1-1 Lower Breck
• Prestwich Heys 0-2 Stockport Town

First Division North:

• Another goal-fest, and another one involving Droylsden. Just a week after smashing Steeton 6-1, they've come off the better in a 5-3 barnburner against AFC Blackpool.
• Nelson's run as league leaders was short-lived, as they were leapfrogged by Holker Old Boys over the weekend, who beat them 4-1 in the process of bagging top spot for themselves for the time being.
• Like Droylsden, Maghull seem to be a team who cant escape the bigger scorelines. In a tight affair with Daisy Hill, a Jacob Till brace helped the new boys to a 3-2 win.
• Skelmersdale United have avoided defeat in their last two games at the time of writing, which is mighty impressive after losing two games in a row 5-0 immediately beforehand. At the weekend, they held Route One Rovers to a 2-2 draw at the Community Ground.

Other scores:

• Bacup Borough 0-1 Euxton Villa
• Darwen FC 1-2 Atherton LR
• Maine Road 1-2 Ashton Town
• Steeton 1-0 Garstang
• Thornton Cleveleys 1-2 Ashton Athletic

First Division South:

• Sandbach United had an away day to remember when visiting new boys Allscott Heath, going 3-0 up inside 35 minutes. A consolation for Allscott from Morris was cancelled out by Lynch for the visitors, and the game ended 4-1.
• Runcorn Town are the only team left in the NWCFL yet to register a point in the league this season, and that trend continued at the weekend as they fell 3-2 to Wolves Sporting on home soil.
• Stafford Town had arguably a better day than any other league team this weekend on Saturday, knocking off Shawbury United 7-2, with both Jayden Hunter and Matthew Hearsey bagging a brace each. They've risen to 2nd in the table.
• We finally have an answer to the question, who are going to be the first team to beat Alsager Town? Turns out the answer is previously winless Stockport Georgians, who overturned the pacesetters 3-1 at home on Saturday.
• Winsford United have ascended to 3rd in the league following a 5-goal victory of their own this weekend, also against a newly promoted side. They played host to Foley Meir and blew them away, winning 5-0, featuring braces by Oliver Pope and Elliott Coleman.

Other scores:

• Barnton 1-3 Abbey Hulton United
• Cammell laird 1907 1-1 Cheadle Heath Nomads
• Eccleshall 0-1 Ashville
• Market Drayton Town 1-1 New Mills