Boxing Day Results: Review

Fri 27th December 2024 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper

Everyone at the NWCFL sincerely hopes that those who celebrate Christmas and Hanukkah had a very merry time, and that those who might not celebrate were still able to enjoy the holiday season in their own way!

The NWCFL was back with some Boxing Day action, so let's unpack what happened on Thursday.

Premier Division:

• Rhys Clooney was the man of the hour in Abbey Hey’s redemption from their crumble from a winning position this past weekend. With their game against title-chasing Chadderton being poised at 1-1 going into the second half, Clooney bagged his second with 12 remaining to ensure Abbey Hey won the match 2-1.
• Colne have begun to pull away from bottom side Prestwich Heys over the last two months, and Boxing Day saw them take another step in the right direction. Despite going 2-0 down away to Barnoldswick Town, they turned the game on its head late into the first and throughout the second half to win 3-2.
• In a title-chasing six-pointer, Bury hosted Ramsbottom United at Gigg Lane. Rammy took the lead twice in enemy territory, but Bury’s four-goal hero from last weekend, Djavan Pedro; and star striker Bryan Ly, both scored equalisers throughout the match to see to a 2-2 draw.
• Play-off chasing FC St Helens played hosts to relegation-threatened Pilkington in a game that either side would have benefited greatly from by winning. FC took a 2-0 lead into the final 10 minutes of the match, and, despite a late Pilks penalty, held on to a 2-1 advantage to seal the win.
• In Blackpool, a clash between Squires Gate and visiting Charnock Richard looked nearly perfectly balanced, especially given that Jack Coop for Gate and Nathan Nickeas for Charnock had both scored braces, but an earlier Kuda Chingwaro goal ensured that Charnock came away with maximum points from a 3-2 win.

Other scores:

• Burscough 1-0 AFC Liverpool
• Glossop North End 0-1 Stockport
• Irlam 1-0 Prestwich Heys
• Longridge Town P-P Padiham
• Lower Breck A-A South Liverpool (score was LBFC 1-0 SLFC)
• West Didsbury and Chorlton 1-0 Cheadle Town

First Division North:

• Atherton LR’s hosting of Ashton Athletic may as well have been over before it started, given just how quickly the home side got off the mark. Within seven minutes of kick-off, Rovers were 2-0 up, and they went on to win the game 3-1.
• Step right up, Connor Hughes, of Darwen FC! A better late Christmas present you could not have hoped to have given your team and their fans! Hughes was on hand to bag three of Darwen’s four in their 4-1 defeat of Euxton Villa at home.
• Step right up, Jacob Till, of Maghull! A better late Christmas present you could not have hoped to have given your team and their fans! Going one better than Darwen’s Hughes, Till scored FOUR of his team’s SEVEN goals in a 7-1 drubbing of bottom side Skelmersdale United.
• Perhaps unbelievably, there was no hat-trick (or more) to speak of from Nelson’s hosting of Garstang. Why is that unbelievable? Because Nelson amplified their already-existing good tidings with a 6-0 hammering of their visitors on Boxing Day.
• An away day for Holker Old Boys on Boxing Day? A herculean task if there ever was one for the most-northernly team ion the mainland in the entire NWCFL. Yet they made the most of it, beating Thornton Cleveleys 3-1 to take maximum points all the way back home with them.

Other scores:

• Ashton Town 1-2 Daisy Hill
• Bacup Borough P-P AFC Blackpool
• Droylsden 2-1 Maine Road
• Route One Rovers 0-2 Steeton

First Division South:

• A 90^th minute penalty is always a nervy experience, but in the match between Sandbach United and Winsford United on Boxing Day, it meant very little. Joe Bevan scored for Sandbach, but Winsford were already home and dry by that point, winning the match 3-1.
• In a relegation six-pointer, few would have expected fireworks from bottom side Shawbury United hosting second-bottom Wolves Sporting. But fireworks we got! There were eight goals to pick from in this game, four in each half, and the points were shared by the end, with the two sides hoping to retain their still-new places in the NWCFL playing out a 4-4 draw.

Other scores:

• Allscott Heath 0-1 Eccleshall
• Ashville 0-1 Cammell Laird 1907
• Foley Meir P-P Stockport Georgians
• Runcorn Town P-P Barnton