Gameweek 22: Review

Tue 24th December 2024 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper

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

Unfortunatley, the only scheduled game from the First Division North last weekend, Garstang VS Steeton, was postponed.

Premier Division:

Friday:

• A four-goal haul for Djavan Pedro was maybe the best possible way for Bury to start their post-Neil Sears era. That and a Bryan Ly penalty in the dying embers of added time helped the Shakers seal a 5-2 victory away from home against title rivals Chadderton. A statement win.

Saturday:

• It would have made all the sense in the world for the home fans in the Abbey Stadium to assume that their Abbey Hey side were going to come away as the victors from their all-Manchester clash with Irlam last Saturday when they established a 4-0 lead after 40 minutes. However, it’s never over until it’s over in football, and Irlam roared back to steal a 4-4 draw from the jaws of certain defeat.
• Cheadle Town aped Bury with a statement win of their own when Pilkington came to play on Saturday. Harrison Bickerton scored half of his teams’ goals in their 4-0 defeat of Pilks, with Adam Davies and Kaleb Parkinson also getting goals.
• A second dominant win in a row in this recap, and this one, quite surprisingly, features five different goalscorers. FC St Helens could have fallen into the same trap as Abbey Hey when they raced into a 4-0 lead after half an hour, but there was no mercy shown to visiting Squires Gate, with Liam Houghton putting the gloss on a 5-0 scoreline after the break.
• This was a game could have easily been overlooked due to both teams current sittings, being smack-bang in the middle of the table. Glossop North End, sitting a small handful of places behind their visitors Barnoldswick Town before kick-off, showed their quality in a 3-0 win to close the gap between these two sides to just one place in the table.
• Lower Breck kept on pace in their pursuit of the play-off places, making the long travel to the mainland for FC Isle of Man a difficult one to go home to. Three different men scored in a convincing 3-0 home win at the Anfield Sports Community Centre.
• It has been a tumultuous winter thus far for bottom side Prestwich Heys, but Saturday brought a long-awaited relief moment. With Longridge Town visiting the Adie Moran Park, Heys turned the tables from being 1-0 down to win the match 2-1 in the 91^st minute through a Michael Burke goal.

Other scores:

• AFC Liverpool 1-0 Litherland REMYCA
• Charnock Richard P-P Colne
• Padiham P-P Burscough
• South Liverpool 0-2 West Didsbury and Chorlton
• Stockport Town 0-1 Ramsbottom United

First Division South:

Friday:

• Given how Saturday panned out with only two games in the First Division South, to have Friday’s game under the lights being a 1-goal affair almost seems disappointing. However, this game was another example of the intent behind league leaders Stafford Town, beating Market Drayton Town 1-0 away from home.

Saturday:

• Abbey Hulton United were riding high going into Christmas after advancing in the Vase last weekend, and they showed how much momentum can matter when they peeled away from visiting Alsager Town on Saturday to win 4-1. They may in fact be upset about losing the clean sheet in added time, but a still-emphatic win is a still-emphatic win.
• At half time in Cheadle Heath Nomads’ hosting of New Mills last weekend, whatever Adam Bond said to his players at half time clearly did the trick. From being 2-1 down on home soil with 45 minutes yet to play, Nomads came out for the second half like a team possessed and had battered New Mills 6-2 by full time.

Merry Christmas, to all those celebrating at this time of year, and Happy Holidays to everyone!