There's a full Premier Division schedule this weekend and plenty to go at in both First Divisions too, along with a couple of county cup games during the week. Here's what's in store over the next seven days...
FRIDAY NIGHT
Chadderton host South Liverpool at Avro's Vestacare Stadium to kick start the week's action in the Premier Division. Chaddy have tumbled out of the play-off places after a torrid run featuring just two wins since mid-December. The Oldham-based outfit now sit in 7th place, four points adrift and with just six games to go they face an uphill battle to get themselves back into the promotion picture. They may take some comfort from the fact that tonight's opposition are the only club below them in the form table - the side from Jericho Lane picking up just one win in their last six, although that was in their last game as they won 1-0 at Squires Gate to lift themselves six points clear of the drop.
Lower Breck's 3-1 home win over West Didsbury & Chorlton on Thursday night catapulted them into second place, still nine points behind runaway leaders Bury but with two games in hand. It's a quick turnaround for Breck as they're back at home at 1pm on Saturday for the visit of FC St Helens. The 'Stripes' did the L6 club a favour last with with a stunning comeback win over Ramsbottom United and although the play-offs may be a bridge too far for them, they will want to finish their first season at Step 5 on a high and will be looking for another scalp this weekend.
The other 1pm kick off is at Mossie Park where Charnock Richard host Ramsbottom. The Rams have now lost three games on the bounce, all at home, and face a battle to regain the top spot that they have held for long periods of the season. Charnock have failed to hit the heights of last season and are marooned in mid-table, with safety guaranteed and the play-offs all but mathematically out of reach, however they are in the semi-finals of the Macron Cup with a very real chance of picking up some silverware this term.
The late kick-off is in Douglas, with basement club Squires Gate making the journey to the island this week. Gate are now four points adrift and need to pick up points urgently if they are to remain at Step 5, and they face an out-of-sorts FC Isle of Man who have picked up just one win in six to virtually end their play-off hopes. Paul Jones' Ravens finish the season with eight successive home games after mild winter weather kept postponements to a minimum and they certainly won't be taking their foot off the gas in front of the home faithful.
A big game affecting both ends of the table takes place at Silver Street where 6th-placed Irlam host 22nd-placed Colne, with both sides just outside of the play-off and relegation zones respectively. John Johnston has been pivotal in the Salford club's rise up the table, scoring no fewer than twelve times since mid-December, including four last weekend in a 6-0 demolition of Chadderton last Friday night, while a late Jak McKinlay goal secured all three points for Colne to lift them three points clear of the drop.
FIRST DIVISION NORTH
Garstang welcome Euxton Villa to The Riverside knowing that anything other than a win may risk their relegation being confirmed on Saturday. The 'Stang' need to better Steeton's result to extend their fight against the drop by at least another week, and in their way is an Euxton side that have won their last three matches and look destined for a play-off spot. Villa have had seven different goalscorers in that winning streak, goals coming from all over the pitch as they swept aside Atherton LR, Route One Rovers and Skelmersdale United in February.
Atherton LR make the journey up to play-off contenders Holker Old Boys with their destiny still in their own hands. The Crilly Park outfit are seven points off the pace but still with three games in hand, the clash against Holker being one of them as Nelson aren't in action until the 22nd March! This is the first of two match-ups between the pair as LR make the trip to the Handmark Engineering Stadium again next week for the Edward Case Cup semi-final, and grabbing the win in the league game may provide a boost to more than just the points tally.
Droylsden continued their superb home form this season with a thrilling 3-2 win over Darwen on Sunday afternoon and they are back at the Butchers' Arms this week, with Daisy Hill the latest opponents. The 'Cutters' fell to a narrow defeat in their derby against Atherton LR last Friday, losing 1-0 in front of a crowd of 857 at the Plumb Factory Stadium. Currently sitting in 13th position but with little to no danger of being sucked into a relegation battle, the remainder of this campaign will be about building for next term and a possible promotion push. As for the 'Bloods', this is the first of six massive games for them in the run-in, with sights still set on the title and automatic promotion and two of the top five still to play.
FIRST DIVISION SOUTH
The match of the day in the South division could well be at Evans Park where 2nd take on 6th, Alsager Town making the journey to Stafford. A couple of negative results have seen Town slip six points behind pace-setters Winsford, but with six games left it's all still to play for. Alsager sit just one point behind 5th-placed Cheadle Heath Nomads and they would overtake their Cheshire rivals with a win at Evans Park. Just three points separate 5th and 8th in the standings as the play-off race really begins to heat up with the final day of the season just five weeks away.
Runcorn Town put Stafford to the sword last weekend, running out 5-1 winners to continue their impressive form as they pull away from the relegation zone. Next up for Darren Moore's men is a home clash against 4th-placed Abbey Hulton United. Town won the reverse fixture 4-1 in November, helped by a brace from Tom Ruffer. Stoke-based Abbey Hulton have scored in each of their last eight games and have a nine-point cushion between them and 6th; although with a 14 point gap to the top of the table they may have to settle for the lottery of the play-offs.
Ashville are at the rear of the play-off chasing pack, in 8th position and three points off 5th, and they host mid-table Stockport Georgians at the Ray Parker Stadium. Georgians took a huge leap towards safety last weekend with a 3-1 win over Sandbach United as part of the Groundhop weekend and another three points this week could potentially lift them as high as 10th in the table. Ashville are in the curious position of having a significantly poorer home record than on their travels, losing 9 of their 15 league games back at base and picking up 16 points, compared to the 27 points they have won on the road. If Villa are to propel themselves into the top five then they may need to improve their home form, starting tomorrow.
THE WEEK AHEAD...
There's another handful of games during the week, a couple of big county cup ties alongside some league fixtures. Two NWCFL sides lock horns in the semi-final of the Lancashire Challenge Trophy on Wednesday night; Bacup Borough welcoming Padiham to the Brian Boys West View Stadium. The pair have met 23 times in all competitions since the formation of the league in 1982, but only twice since 2013, both of them being ties in the 1st Round of this competition. The last meeting was in September 2016, Padiham surviving a late scare to prevail 3-2 at home.
Stafford Town are still fighting on four fronts and they face Chasetown at home on Tuesday night in the quarter-finals of the Staffordshire Senior Cup. Chasetown, like their hosts, are having a good season and they sit 4th in the NPL Division One West, with a record of 17-7-9 from their 33 games thus far. This is the first meeting between the sides since December 2023, when Chasetown won comfortably by four goals to nil in the Walsall Senior Cup.
Back in the league and there's one fixture on each of Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday; Charnock Richard host Glossop North End to start off proceedings before AFC Blackpool and Ashton Athletic lock horns on Wednesday. Rounding out the week is a Liverpool derby on Thursday when South Liverpool make the short journey to Anfield Sports Community Centre to take on Lower Breck.
