Gameweek 10: Review

Tue 1st October 2024 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper

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

Emirates FA Cup:

• The Shakers strive on, and in some fashion! I was lucky enough to be a member of the record-breaking crowd at the Neuven Stadium that watched Bury fight back to overcome recent rivals Radcliffe, of the NPL Premier Division, in a staggering 3-2 victory. A 90^th minute penalty from Bryan Ly sealed the deal for the NWCFL, who will face Harborough Town away from home in the final step before the First Round Proper of the FA Cup!

Premier Division:

Friday:

• Chadderton have only lost one league game this season before the weekend, and that was against AFC Liverpool at home. On Friday, in the reverse fixture, Chaddy got sweet revenge. By half time, it was 4-0 to Greenidge and Taylor’s side, and by full time, both Ethan Sutcliffe and James Purfield had bagged braces in a 7-1 destruction.

Saturday:

• The theme of “a game of two halves” runs pretty consistently through this weeks’ results, and nowhere was this more prevalent than in Abbey Hey’s 4-1 win over Longridge Town. Jack Anderton’s goal gave Town a 1-0 lead at the break, but all of Daryll Grant, Jamal Crawford, Jordan Barnett and Rhys Clooney scored in a second-half comeback for Abbey Hey.
• It looked for all the world that the early kick off between Barnoldswick Town and FC Isle of Man was going to end honours even, but a late Ravens flurry, with goals from Stepehen Whitley and Thomas Creer both coming within the final 5 minutes of the match, helped FC Isle of Man to a 3-1 victory.
• Lower Breck were another side who got four goals in victory this past weekend, but their win over Glossop North End away from home was more straightforward. Lewis Buckley got goals number one and three in a 4-0 clean sheet smashing by Breck.
• Irlam’s very impressive 9-game unbeaten run came to a crashing end when they played host to relative strugglers Cheadle Town on Saturday. There was a goal within the first 10 minutes; one within 5 minutes of the restart, and one in the final 10 minutes for Town as they ran out 3-1 winners.
• West Didsbury and Chorlton were also victims of a game of two halves when they travelled to Padiham’s Ruby Civil Arena. Joshua Briggs and Jakob Hebda both bagged within 10 minutes of each other in the second half to secure a 2-2 draw.

Other scores:

• Burscough 1-2 South Liverpool
• Litherland REMYCA 2-1 Prestwich Heys
• Pilkington 1-0 Charnock Richard
• Ramsbottom United 2-0 Colne
• Squires Gate 2-0 Stockport Town

First Division North:

Friday:

• Atherton LR are top of the table on goal difference at the time of writing, and that is down to the fact that when they win, they win by margins such as 6-0. Under the Friday night lights on derby day, playing host to Daisy Hill, Harvey Sample scored twice as Atherton hit their opponents for six.

Saturday:

• In a battle of the two sides with at the top of the alphabetical table, hosts Ashton Athletic were victorious over AFC Blackpool on Saturday, thanks to both Joshua and Jamie Nicholson. Josh bagged two penalties, whilst Jamie managed a first half brace in a 4-2 victory for Jay Foulds’s side.
• Ashton Town seemed to have an answer for everything that visiting Nelson could throw at them on Saturday. An early Charlie Frost penalty was cancelled out by Gary Kenny, before a Max Cane goal for Nelson was equalled by Christopher Lomax for the hosts in a 2-2 draw.
• Holker Old Boys squeezed the maximum amount of tension out of their home match against Maine Road at the weekend, with the score at 2-2 right up until the 93^rd minute of the game. Luke Davey was on hand right at the death to hand the 3-2 win to Holker.
• Much like Ashton Town on home soil, Garstang refused to stay down on their travels to Maghull. Robert McDonald opened the scoring for the hosts, but Weslie Bajraliu equalised, then Darren Brannigan’s goal was almost immediately responded to by Garstang through Daniel Squires. The match finished 2-2.
• Route One Rovers were one of the teams to beat last season, but the 2024/25 season so far has not been as kind to the BD21 side. However, they managed to overcome fellow strugglers Darwen FC on Saturday, edging out a 3-2 win, thanks in part to an Anees Younes brace.

Other scores:

• Droylsden 0-0 Bacup Borough
• Euxton Villa 1-0 Steeton
• Thornton Cleveleys 1-0 Skelmersdale United.

First Division South:

• I’m not sure what was in the water in this division, but where better to start than with a nice, juicy 11-goal barnstormer? Ashville were the visitors to Allscott Heath in a match that looked over when the away side established a 6-1 lead by half time. But Allscott fought back to 6-4 before finally being out to bed by a Joseph Dulson goal to make it 7-4.
• Still mightily impressive was the 6-goal draw contested between Alsager Town and Cheadle Heath Nomads. This was another game that looked as good as finished when Alsager took a 3-0 lead into the break, but a spirited second-half fightback by Nomads rightfully earned a point, with an 86^th minute Haani Rahman penalty being the goal that sealed a 3-3 draw.
• Moving along to the Creative Hut Stadium, where visiting Runcorn Town went from 2-0 down to 4-2 up against Barnton by half time. In the second half, of course, the game proved to be very much still up for grabs, and an eventual 89^th minute winner from Joseph Levey bagged all three points for Barnton in a 5-4 thriller.
• League leaders Stafford Town further proved their superiority again on Saturday when they welcomed Cammell Laird 1907 to Evans Park. Cammell Laird may have wished that they’d not bothered by the final whistle, having been battered 5-0 by the dominant hosts, with Matthew Hearsey netting a brace.
• Wolves Sporting’s largely tough start to life in the NWCFL was exemplified in their weekend match at home against Stockport Georgians. Lucas Berry was the man of the hour for Georgians, bagging four in just over an hour to help his team to an eventual 6-1 victory.

Other scores:

• Abbey Hulton United 2-0 Market Drayton Town
• Foley Meir 0-1 Sandbach United
• New Mills 0-1 Eccleshall
• Shawbury United 0-1 Winsford United