Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 14
Thu 31st October 2024 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. More local cup games to go through
There truly is no rest for the weary at this level. When there’s no FA Vase or Macron/Edward Case Cups, there’s always a game to be played, and for a handful of sides after this weekend, it was their local County Cup ties.
Skelmersdale United in particular may not have wanted to think about their match from Tuesday night, as they were hammered 10-1 by higher-level Warrington Rylands. Aside from that, there were more positive results for the likes of: Ashton Town, who upset Litherland REMYCA 2-1 with a late comeback; Runcorn Town, who also beat the odds by overcoming AFC Liverpool 2-1; and Longridge Town, who battered Clitheroe 4-1 away from home.
2. Charnock and Longridge light up the afternoon
There are normally goal-fests a-plenty in the NWCFL over a weekend, but that wasn’t the case across the board in the Premier Division last weekend. There was a 3-2 win for Barnoldswick Town, and a 4-0 win for league leaders Ramsbottom United, but those scorelines are not all that uncommon. An 8-goal thriller between Charnock Richard and Longridge Town, mind you, was quite the eye catcher.
The two teams with PR postcodes duked it out at 3pm on Saturday in a game that saw the hosts, Charnock, race into a 3-0 lead by half time. It would be a second half to forget for Ryan Donnellan’s side, though, as Lee Ashcroft’s Longridge roared back from 4-2 down to score twice in the final 10 and save a point. A rollercoaster encounter if there ever was one.
3. The fortress of Atherton
This past weekend, Atherton LR, who currently top the NWCFL First Division North, were away on their travels, and they beat Maghull 4-2 to return to Crilly Park with maximum points – woe betide ANYONE who dares to breach the walls of Crilly Park to take any points away from them.
Dave Jones’s side are 16 league matches into the 2024/25 season, and they’ve played more games on the road than at home this season. But home seems to not only be where the heart is for them, but it’s also where their biggest reassurance of a victory is, because, from the 7 home games that Rovers have played in the NWCFL this campaign, they are yet to drop a single point. Their next league game is at Crilly Park, and they host 2nd placed Holker Old Boys – watch this space!
4. I’d 8-2 be Allscott Heath
It’s everyone’s favourite football pun with regards to this particular scoreline, isn’t it? Over a weekend of mostly run of the mill scorelines, aside from the Charnock/Longridge thriller above, Market Drayton Town stole the show in the South.
They hosted Allscott Heath in something of a local derby, and wasted no time in grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck. With a goal in the first minute, they felt hard done by going into the break level at 2-2. The second half had no further worries for Town though, as they fired in six, including a Nicky Parker hat-trick, to secure a memorable 8-2 victory.
5. Ashville making themselves at home when they’re away
In a strangely similar vein to what I mentioned two entries ago, for teams in the First Division South to look at their calendar and see that Ashville are coming to visit the next weekend must feel like the doom clouds are approaching to hang overhead.
Like Atherton LR, Ashville are promotion hopefuls from Step 6 and have created a mightily impressive record for themselves of 7 wins, 0 draws and 0 defeats, but their successes have come away from the Ray Parker Stadium, as opposed to in their own back yard. Steven Scott’s side have a long break now from away games, with their next one scheduled to come against Barnton on December 7th. If I were Barnton, I might start drawing up plans now!
Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 14
Thu 31st October 2024 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. More local cup games to go through
There truly is no rest for the weary at this level. When there’s no FA Vase or Macron/Edward Case Cups, there’s always a game to be played, and for a handful of sides after this weekend, it was their local County Cup ties.
Skelmersdale United in particular may not have wanted to think about their match from Tuesday night, as they were hammered 10-1 by higher-level Warrington Rylands. Aside from that, there were more positive results for the likes of: Ashton Town, who upset Litherland REMYCA 2-1 with a late comeback; Runcorn Town, who also beat the odds by overcoming AFC Liverpool 2-1; and Longridge Town, who battered Clitheroe 4-1 away from home.
2. Charnock and Longridge light up the afternoon
There are normally goal-fests a-plenty in the NWCFL over a weekend, but that wasn’t the case across the board in the Premier Division last weekend. There was a 3-2 win for Barnoldswick Town, and a 4-0 win for league leaders Ramsbottom United, but those scorelines are not all that uncommon. An 8-goal thriller between Charnock Richard and Longridge Town, mind you, was quite the eye catcher.
The two teams with PR postcodes duked it out at 3pm on Saturday in a game that saw the hosts, Charnock, race into a 3-0 lead by half time. It would be a second half to forget for Ryan Donnellan’s side, though, as Lee Ashcroft’s Longridge roared back from 4-2 down to score twice in the final 10 and save a point. A rollercoaster encounter if there ever was one.
3. The fortress of Atherton
This past weekend, Atherton LR, who currently top the NWCFL First Division North, were away on their travels, and they beat Maghull 4-2 to return to Crilly Park with maximum points – woe betide ANYONE who dares to breach the walls of Crilly Park to take any points away from them.
Dave Jones’s side are 16 league matches into the 2024/25 season, and they’ve played more games on the road than at home this season. But home seems to not only be where the heart is for them, but it’s also where their biggest reassurance of a victory is, because, from the 7 home games that Rovers have played in the NWCFL this campaign, they are yet to drop a single point. Their next league game is at Crilly Park, and they host 2nd placed Holker Old Boys – watch this space!
4. I’d 8-2 be Allscott Heath
It’s everyone’s favourite football pun with regards to this particular scoreline, isn’t it? Over a weekend of mostly run of the mill scorelines, aside from the Charnock/Longridge thriller above, Market Drayton Town stole the show in the South.
They hosted Allscott Heath in something of a local derby, and wasted no time in grabbing the game by the scruff of the neck. With a goal in the first minute, they felt hard done by going into the break level at 2-2. The second half had no further worries for Town though, as they fired in six, including a Nicky Parker hat-trick, to secure a memorable 8-2 victory.
5. Ashville making themselves at home when they’re away
In a strangely similar vein to what I mentioned two entries ago, for teams in the First Division South to look at their calendar and see that Ashville are coming to visit the next weekend must feel like the doom clouds are approaching to hang overhead.
Like Atherton LR, Ashville are promotion hopefuls from Step 6 and have created a mightily impressive record for themselves of 7 wins, 0 draws and 0 defeats, but their successes have come away from the Ray Parker Stadium, as opposed to in their own back yard. Steven Scott’s side have a long break now from away games, with their next one scheduled to come against Barnton on December 7th. If I were Barnton, I might start drawing up plans now!
