Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 16
Thu 14th November 2024 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. An Isuzu FA Vase rundown
Cup football was the centre of the NWCFL this past weekend, with games from the Isuzu FA Vase and Edward Case Cup all being played across Saturday. Let’s start with the Vase, where six NWCFL sides remain in the competition after Round Two.
All of Atherton LR, Ashton Town, Abbey Hulton United, South Liverpool, West Didsbury and Chorlton AND Winsford United picked up the W at the weekend in the Vase, with some winning more dominantly than others. In the next round, Atherton LR and Ashton Town will face one another, which means there will be at least one NWCFL representative in Round Four, but let’s hope for more than just that, shall we?
2. An Edward Case Cup rundown
It was comeback city in the ECC this past Saturday, with three games being played on the day, and one going to a dreaded penalty shootout. Both Euxton Villa and Holker Old Boys mounted impressive fightback victories from losing positions against Droylsden and Daisy Hill respectively, while Stafford Town overcame Stockport Georgians away from home 9-8 on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes.
There were more games to discuss on Tuesday, with all the winning teams from the three matches scoring two goals in their games. Ashville and Cheadle heath Nomads both won 2-1 against Barnton and Sandbach United respectively, and Abbey Hulton United scored twice and kept a clean sheet against an opponent that you might not have expected them to have a chance again based on recent form – more on that a little later…
3. Colne claim three points at last
It has been a gruelling first few months of the season for Andy Harrison’s Colne, with the manager himself recently telling me that he knows his team “have a mountain to climb” if they’re going to keep their place in the NWCFL Premier Division.
Maybe, this past Saturday, they took the first step up that mountain on their travels to Stockport Town. Colne bagged their first league win of the season at Stockport Sports Village this past weekend to leapfrog Prestwich Heys (who lost this weekend) and lift themselves off the foot of the table for the first time since the opening fixtures of the campaign.
4. Winsford’s winning streak stopped
Winsford United have been a feel-good story this season in the First Division South. After being placed into the division last season via a voluntary relegation and only surviving thanks to a reprieve, the club have rocketed back up towards the right end of the table this season and had been on a 15-game unbeaten streak (14 wins) before Tuesday.
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and Dean Jones and Dom Johnson’s side’s incredible run of form was halted firmly by a resolute Abbey Hulton United in the Edward Case Cup (see, I told you it would come up later!). AHU pitched a shutout in Winsford’s own back yard, the Barton Stadium, and the hosts will now have to refocus ahead of travelling to Foley Meir on Saturday in league action. Speaking of Foley…
5. A new face in the Foley dugout
The announcement was made last Friday that the Staffordshire side had parted ways with their long-time managerial team of Sam Golden and Colin Donaldson. Sam was Meir manager during the club’s first ever stint in the NWCFL, which came in the 2022/23 campaign, and had led the club back into our league system last time out.
So it’s in with the new for the club, as Mark Lawton was appointed on Wednesday to take the reigns. Mark was at the helm of fellow Staffs County Senior League alumni AFC Alsager for many years, and he brings assistant coach Adrian Maddock and first team coach Mitch Pattison with him to the Trentham Foods Arena. With Foley in more relegation bother than they’d like, the work begins now for the new managerial team.
Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 16
Thu 14th November 2024 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. An Isuzu FA Vase rundown
Cup football was the centre of the NWCFL this past weekend, with games from the Isuzu FA Vase and Edward Case Cup all being played across Saturday. Let’s start with the Vase, where six NWCFL sides remain in the competition after Round Two.
All of Atherton LR, Ashton Town, Abbey Hulton United, South Liverpool, West Didsbury and Chorlton AND Winsford United picked up the W at the weekend in the Vase, with some winning more dominantly than others. In the next round, Atherton LR and Ashton Town will face one another, which means there will be at least one NWCFL representative in Round Four, but let’s hope for more than just that, shall we?
2. An Edward Case Cup rundown
It was comeback city in the ECC this past Saturday, with three games being played on the day, and one going to a dreaded penalty shootout. Both Euxton Villa and Holker Old Boys mounted impressive fightback victories from losing positions against Droylsden and Daisy Hill respectively, while Stafford Town overcame Stockport Georgians away from home 9-8 on penalties after a goalless 90 minutes.
There were more games to discuss on Tuesday, with all the winning teams from the three matches scoring two goals in their games. Ashville and Cheadle heath Nomads both won 2-1 against Barnton and Sandbach United respectively, and Abbey Hulton United scored twice and kept a clean sheet against an opponent that you might not have expected them to have a chance again based on recent form – more on that a little later…
3. Colne claim three points at last
It has been a gruelling first few months of the season for Andy Harrison’s Colne, with the manager himself recently telling me that he knows his team “have a mountain to climb” if they’re going to keep their place in the NWCFL Premier Division.
Maybe, this past Saturday, they took the first step up that mountain on their travels to Stockport Town. Colne bagged their first league win of the season at Stockport Sports Village this past weekend to leapfrog Prestwich Heys (who lost this weekend) and lift themselves off the foot of the table for the first time since the opening fixtures of the campaign.
4. Winsford’s winning streak stopped
Winsford United have been a feel-good story this season in the First Division South. After being placed into the division last season via a voluntary relegation and only surviving thanks to a reprieve, the club have rocketed back up towards the right end of the table this season and had been on a 15-game unbeaten streak (14 wins) before Tuesday.
Alas, all good things must come to an end, and Dean Jones and Dom Johnson’s side’s incredible run of form was halted firmly by a resolute Abbey Hulton United in the Edward Case Cup (see, I told you it would come up later!). AHU pitched a shutout in Winsford’s own back yard, the Barton Stadium, and the hosts will now have to refocus ahead of travelling to Foley Meir on Saturday in league action. Speaking of Foley…
5. A new face in the Foley dugout
The announcement was made last Friday that the Staffordshire side had parted ways with their long-time managerial team of Sam Golden and Colin Donaldson. Sam was Meir manager during the club’s first ever stint in the NWCFL, which came in the 2022/23 campaign, and had led the club back into our league system last time out.
So it’s in with the new for the club, as Mark Lawton was appointed on Wednesday to take the reigns. Mark was at the helm of fellow Staffs County Senior League alumni AFC Alsager for many years, and he brings assistant coach Adrian Maddock and first team coach Mitch Pattison with him to the Trentham Foods Arena. With Foley in more relegation bother than they’d like, the work begins now for the new managerial team.
