Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 4
Wed 21st August 2024 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. Table for three in the FA Cup
The weekend saw two NWCFL sides progress to the FA Cup First Qualifying Round at the first time of asking - Bury FC overcame NPL side Avro away from home with a 2-1 turnover; and West Didsbury and Chorlton outdid Glossop North End in an all-NWCFL clash.
With two further replays taking place last night, we've seen one more side advance. Barnoldswick Town, the reigning Macron Cup Champions, blew Northwich Victoria away in a 4-2 victory to see themselves into the hat and past the Preliminary Qualifying Rounds of England's oldest competition.
2. Milestone for Jay Foulds
Congratulations to Ashton Athletic's first team manager, Jay Foulds. On Tuesday night, in a game that he and his side might want to forget for what happened on the pitch, Foulds took charge of Ashton Athletic for the 500th time.
Despite a 5-1 defeat to Droylsden, this is an achievement that he and his staff can be very proud of. Foulds' first competitive game as Ashton gaffer came all the way back in 2013, and he will return to Brocstedes Park on Saturday for game number 501, against Stockport Georgians in the Isuzu FA Vase.
3. More Droylsden demolition
Droylsden have been riding a wave of momentum right to the top of the First Division North over the course of the last 10 days or so - and that wave appears to be made out of all of the goals in the world.
In their last 4 league matches, all of which have come in the last week and a half, Droylsden have notched 18 goals, and conceded 6. On Tuesday, as mentioned, they bagged 5 against Ashton Athletic, building on Saturday's 5-3 victory over AFC Blackpool. To keep them out looks to be a very difficult task right now.
4. A peculiar pattern at Maghull
Maghull have been pretty busy during their start to the season as a new arrival to the NWCFL. It seems that whenever I personally come to do these lists, I find that their game from the weekend, or even midweek, was one worth seeing, from a goals perspective.
From eight competitive matches that Joe Burns' side have played so far in 2024/25, all of which gave been in the NWCFL, not one game has seen less than 4 goals hit the back of the net. And, even more curiously, four of those games have ended 3-2, with Maghull winning 3 and losing 1 (their most recent, against Maine Road).
5. Staffs in Seventh Heaven
Who doesn't love a goal-fest? The NWCFL sure does - did you see what happened last week on Tuesday? Whilst the most recent weekend of football didn't come quite as close to the 100-goal margin, Stafford Town of the First Division South clearly didn't get that particular memo.
In their hosting of newly promoted Shawbury United, who have endured a rough start to life in the division, Town pulled no punches, and ran out 7-2 victors after being 4-0 up within the first half hour of the game.
Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 4
Wed 21st August 2024 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. Table for three in the FA Cup
The weekend saw two NWCFL sides progress to the FA Cup First Qualifying Round at the first time of asking - Bury FC overcame NPL side Avro away from home with a 2-1 turnover; and West Didsbury and Chorlton outdid Glossop North End in an all-NWCFL clash.
With two further replays taking place last night, we've seen one more side advance. Barnoldswick Town, the reigning Macron Cup Champions, blew Northwich Victoria away in a 4-2 victory to see themselves into the hat and past the Preliminary Qualifying Rounds of England's oldest competition.
2. Milestone for Jay Foulds
Congratulations to Ashton Athletic's first team manager, Jay Foulds. On Tuesday night, in a game that he and his side might want to forget for what happened on the pitch, Foulds took charge of Ashton Athletic for the 500th time.
Despite a 5-1 defeat to Droylsden, this is an achievement that he and his staff can be very proud of. Foulds' first competitive game as Ashton gaffer came all the way back in 2013, and he will return to Brocstedes Park on Saturday for game number 501, against Stockport Georgians in the Isuzu FA Vase.
3. More Droylsden demolition
Droylsden have been riding a wave of momentum right to the top of the First Division North over the course of the last 10 days or so - and that wave appears to be made out of all of the goals in the world.
In their last 4 league matches, all of which have come in the last week and a half, Droylsden have notched 18 goals, and conceded 6. On Tuesday, as mentioned, they bagged 5 against Ashton Athletic, building on Saturday's 5-3 victory over AFC Blackpool. To keep them out looks to be a very difficult task right now.
4. A peculiar pattern at Maghull
Maghull have been pretty busy during their start to the season as a new arrival to the NWCFL. It seems that whenever I personally come to do these lists, I find that their game from the weekend, or even midweek, was one worth seeing, from a goals perspective.
From eight competitive matches that Joe Burns' side have played so far in 2024/25, all of which gave been in the NWCFL, not one game has seen less than 4 goals hit the back of the net. And, even more curiously, four of those games have ended 3-2, with Maghull winning 3 and losing 1 (their most recent, against Maine Road).
5. Staffs in Seventh Heaven
Who doesn't love a goal-fest? The NWCFL sure does - did you see what happened last week on Tuesday? Whilst the most recent weekend of football didn't come quite as close to the 100-goal margin, Stafford Town of the First Division South clearly didn't get that particular memo.
In their hosting of newly promoted Shawbury United, who have endured a rough start to life in the division, Town pulled no punches, and ran out 7-2 victors after being 4-0 up within the first half hour of the game.
