Gameweek 24: Review

Tue 7th January 2025 | Match Reviews | By Jay Cooper

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

Premier Division:

• In a six-pointer in the race for the Prem play-offs, Michael Morrison’s Padiham were the better side on the night. They travelled to the Marine Travel Arena to square off with AFC Liverpool and came away with maximum points after a 3-1 win.
• Elsewhere in play-off territory, FC St Helens were left cursing the name of one man above all others following a defeat to Litherland REMYCA – James Hammill. He bagged 75% of his teams’ goals en route to a 4-1 scoreline in favour of REMY in this game.
• Plikington made their weekend draw with Burscough on home soil really feel like a win. Just over five minutes into the second half, Jack Edwards’ men were 2-0 down to their visitors but came back to steal a 2-2 draw and a point with an 89^th minute equaliser.
• The day could not have started, nor ended any better for bottom side Prestwich Heys. Facing Squires Gate at home, a win was pivotal for Ryan Hutchinson and his team, and they scored in the 1^st and 92^nd of this one (as well as the 75^th) to win 3-0.
• Struggling South Liverpool – clear of Heys, but not so much of Gate – took full advantage of the previous result in their hosting of mid-table Barnoldswick Town. Charlie Glennon scored twice to give his side an advantage in an eventual 3-1 victory.
• Stockport Town needed a second half performance for the ages after having a spark of hope in a drowsy first half snuffed out by Longridge Town, who led 3-1 at the break of this particular game. In the end, that second half performance came, as Harley Monaghan scored very late on to save a 3-3 draw.
• In perhaps the shock of the day, West Didsbury and Chorlton had the herculean task of hosting Bury in their bid to stay in the play-off place, with Bury knowing a win would keep them top. West decided that it was time for a change and pummelled the Shakers 4-0 on home soil to keep afloat of the chasing pack for promotion.

Other scores:

• Abbey Hey 0-0 Ramsbottom United
• Charnock Town 1-0 Cheadle Town
• Colne P-P Lower Breck
• FC Isle of Man 0-2 Glossop North End

First Division North:

• A game of football lasts 90 minutes, but AFC Blackpool may well have felt their work was done after just 45 in their hosting of Route One Rovers. 4-0 up and cruising at half time, AFC added some gloss to proceedings in the second half, and eventually won 5-0.
• By contrast, at half time of the meeting between Atherton LR and Maine Road, it was still very much up in the air who would win. Road had the lead, but Atherton were the favourites on paper, and proved why after the break, turning the game on its head to win 3-2 via a late Harvey Brookes winner.
• Similarly, a late winner would be the talking point of the match between Euxton Villa and Holker Old Boys. A play-off six pointer, Villa’s 2-0 lead was wiped out by Holker after the break, but the hosts would re-establish their front right at the death through Jacob Hancock to win 3-2.
• Table-topping Nelson decided to take a page from the AFC Blackpool book on the ri travels to Maghull, not letting their opponents breathe. Five different players were on hand to score in a convincing 5-0 shutout.
• Steeton began the day closer to the dotted line at the wrong half of the table than they’d have liked to be but were given a welcome boost during their encounter with bottom side Skelmersdale United. The Chevrons stormed into a 3-0 lead before the 70^th minute but might feel gutted they couldn’t hold onto the clean sheet, winning 3-1.

Other scores:

• Ashton Athletic P-P Garstang
• Bacup Borough P-P Droylsden
• Daisy Hill P-P Darwen FC
• Thronton Cleveleys 0-1 Ashton Town

First Division South:

• Market Drayton Town had a torrid time in their final match of 2024, losing 9-0, but bounced back to take all three points from a lightning rod of a game against Wolves Sporting. MDT were pegged back to 2-2 after going 2-0 up, and again back to 3-3 after re-taking the lead, but won the game 4-3 in the 88^th minute with a Jack Finney penalty.
• Like REMY’s James Hammill in the Prem, there was a man of the hour on hand for Sandbach United in the South. Ben Greenop made mince meat of Barnton, scoring a hat-trick after 64 minutes in an eventual 4-0 clean sheet victory for United.
• Few would have expected mid-table New Mills to cause an upset on their travels to table-topping Stafford Town, who’d only lost once at home all season. But cause an upset they certainly did, racing into a 3-0 lead after just over hake an hour. Stafford fought their way back to the point of scoring a consolation but had no answer for the other two goals that Mills had scored, and James Baguley’s side won 3-1.

Other scores:

• Allscott Heath P-P Foley Meir
• Ashville P-P Stockport Georgians
• Cheadle Heath Nomads P-P Cammell Laird 1907
• Eccleshall 2-0 Alsager Town