Another weekend, another round of games from all 3 divisions of the NWCFL, and in the Macron Cup quarter-finals. Let's run through the best and worst of what the last week has had to offer.
Macron Cup
Friday:
What is it about a new manager bounce? Since the appointment of Lewis Wood and Craig Humphries at Barnton, they just keep hitting home runs, and this past Friday was no different. On the road to Premier Division promotion-chasers Lower Breck, Barnton’s George Edwards scored a 94th minute goal to seal a 3-2 victory, and a semi-final place in the process.
Saturday:
Five goals in one game on Friday night was a sign of things to come from the Macron Cup this past weekend. The most drama came from Chadderton and AFC Blackpool’s meeting at Avro’s Vestacare Stadium. AFC flew into a 4-1 lead with 15 minutes remaining, but Chaddy did the Lord’s work, clawing the game back to 4-4 and to a shootout. In the end, Blackpool’s nerve was greater, and they advanced 4-3 on penalties.
Elsewhere, Charnock Richard and Maghull played out a six-goal game at the former’s Mossie Park, and it’s definitely a game that the hosts will look back on with more smiles. After surviving an early scare, Charnock accelerated through the gears from going 2-1 up and eventually ran out 5-1 victors, with their ticket to the semi-finals secured.
Despite not being as goal-heavy, Ramsbottom United’s hosting of Stafford Town was not any less dramatic in Saturday’s early kick-off. Rammy took a 1-0 lead into the final 7 minutes of the game, but were undone towards the end, first by Jayden Hunter, and then Scott Wilding, whose 95th minute strike confirmed a 2-1 win, and confirmed Adam Wall’s side’s place in the final four of the tournament.
Premier Division
League leaders Bury kept up their push for top spot, doubly so when you consider that second-places Ramsbottom United were busy in the Macron Cup this weekend. Josh Gregory and Djavan Pedro fired the Shakers to a 2-1 home win over West Didsbury and Chorlton.
Another Greater Manchester side to secure a 2-1 league win on Saturday were Irlam. They hosted AFC Liverpool at Silver Street, and both Declan Daniels and Anton Smith were on hand to score, either side of a Matt Brown goal for AFC.
In match between two sides closer to the bottom than they’d like to be, Prestwich Heys looked like they were going to hold on for all three points when they welcomed Pilkington to the Adie Moran Park. Alas, a 92nd minute strike by Pyan Beigan for Pilks helped the away side save a 2-2 draw.
Abbey Hey were the big winners of the weekend, as they picked up maximum points on the road against South Liverpool. By the time Elliot Owen scored a consolation for the hosts, the damage was already significantly done, and Abbey Hey were 6-1 victors, despite the absence of their manager Simon Heaton.
Other scores:
Colne 0-2 Stockport Town
FC Isle of Man 1-1 Barnoldswick Town
FC St Helens 0-1 Cheadle Town
Litherland REMYCA 1-1 Glossop North End
Padiham 0-1 Longridge Town
Squires Gate 1-1 Burscough
First Division North
With both of the top two in league action on Saturday, table-topping Nelson did their part on their travels to Ashton Athletic. Charlie Frost was the man of the hour, scoring a hat-trick as Gerry Harrison’s men scored a 3-1 win.
Atherton LR, however, would not keep the pressure on Nelson in the way that they would’ve hoped to. A Dan Singleton brace for visiting Euxton Villa proved to pose too high of a mountain for Rovers to climb, and they eventually fell to a 2-1 home defeat.
Ashton Town will likely feel as though their weekend draw away at Bacup Borough was more of a win for them than their hosts. Bacup took a 2-0 lead in the first half hour, but they were pegged back to 2-2 by goals from George Lomax and Will Hamilton for Town.
Droylsden were spearheaded by Fuad Kasali as they made the round trip to Route One Rovers, and it’s a good thing they were, too. He bagged the first two of Droylsden’s three, with a Tawab Djankpata goal in the 97th minute putting the gloss on a 3-1 victory.
It’s happened again! For only the second time in the league this season, lowly Skelmersdale United have taken three points from a league game. Second-bottom Garstang were the visitors to Skem’s current home of Burscough’s Community Ground on Saturday, and both Ryan McNally and Sam Hadfield-Summerbee were on hand to help secure a 2-1 win for Tommy Lawson’s side.
There was late drama at Thornton Cleveleys Gamble Road, where visiting Darwen FC had to play right to the whistle to secure a victory. The game was level going into added time, but a Connor Hughes penalty in the 94th minute would eventually be the difference between these sides. Darwen won 2-1.
Other scores:
Holker Old Boys 2-0 Steeton
Maine Road 1-1 Daisy Hill
First Division South
It was a real tug of war at Ashville’s Ray Parker Stadium as they welcomed Allscott Heath on Saturday. Both Mark Madden for the home side and Ben Davies for the away side were on hand to score twice in a game that would eventually finish 4-2 to Ashville.
Bottom side Shawbury United need every point they can muster if they want to survive in the First Division South, and they looked like they were on their way to at least one when they took a 1-0 advantage into the break against Abbey Hulton United on Saturday. However, two second half goals by Lewis Holdham and Jack Gumbley would eventually secure a 2-1 win for AHU.
At the other end of the table, Winsford United fully capitalised on the fact that their closest challengers for the title, Stafford Town, were in Macron Cup action. They had Cammell Laird 1907 to contend with on home soil this past Saturday, and they took one step closer to the title with a dominant 4-1 win.
Other scores:
Cheadle Heath Nomads 0-2 Stockport Georgians
Eccleshall 2-0 New Mills
Runcorn Town 1-1 Market Drayton Town
Sandbach United 2-0 Foley Meir
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