Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 34
Thu 20th March 2025 | Five Things | By Jay Cooper
1. We have our ECC finalists
One of the NWCFL's premier cup competitions will have its deciding match sometime next month, and it will be contested between two sides who also have promotion ot the Premier Division on their minds - Atherton LR, and Stafford Town.
Atherton, of the First Division North, overcame Holker Old Boys away from home. David Moore and Harvey Sample helped Rovers overturn a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1. Stafford, from the South, made more straightforward work of Ashville on home soil, sending them packing with a 3-0 win thanks to goals by Matthew Hearsey and a Patryk Mazurkiewicz brace.
2. Double duty for the Ravens
There were six points up for grabs for FC Isle of Man this weekend – literally, not figuratively. Firstly, on Saturday, Pilkington were the visitors from the mainland, and the two sides played out a stormer, with FC’s Sean Doyle scoring a brace in an eventual 3-3 draw.
Then, on Sunday, there was no rest for the weary, as relegation-threatened Prestwich Heys made the journey to the Bowl. It looked as though they were going to escape with a victory, too, going into added time 2-1 up, but the Ravens refused to fall, and equalised in the 96th to salvage two points from an available six this weekend.
3. Lower Breck make the 100-goal club
Table-topping Bury have been members of the 100 club for a few weeks now, but they finally have company, and its from arguably the biggest threats to their title push. I mentioned last week that Lower Breck’s recent run of form has seen them shoot to second in the table, but last Thursday’s dominant win over South Liverpool helped them achieve another impressive feat.
Breck battered South 6-0 on home soil, with Jesse Dowling scoring a brace in amongst the chaos, and this goal flurry was enough to take the home team from 94 goals for the league season to 100. They’ve since expanded on that, putting two past AFC Liverpool and three past Colne to bring their total to 105.
4. AFC Liverpool on the move?
AFC Liverpool, of the Premier Division, have long been ground-sharing with NPL outfit Marine at their Marine Travel Arena, but recent developments seem to indicate that this will no longer be the case as of 2025/26. Marine, on their official X account, have begun advertising for a new ground-share partner going into next season.
There has yet to be any official comment by AFC Liverpool on their own social media sites as of the time of writing. Marine have also announced plans to build a new stadium for themselves, which could well have had an impact on what will come next for AFC in the NWCFL.
5. One from the North
FC Isle of Man played more games this past weekend than there were coming from the entirety of the First Division North, which is rare! Daisy Hill and AFC Blackpool were the headline act from this division on Saturday, going toe to toe at the former’s Plumb Factory Stadium.
Finlay Stafford gave Daisy Hill an early lead inside 10 minutes, and they held it for just under an hour, before Luke Hepple equalised for visiting AFC Blackpool. In the end, the honours were shared, leaving the hosts in 13th, where they began the day, and allowing the visitors to leapfrog Ashton Town into 7th.
Five Things We Learned 2024/25 - Gameweek 34
Thu 20th March 2025 | Five Things
By Jay Cooper
1. We have our ECC finalists
One of the NWCFL's premier cup competitions will have its deciding match sometime next month, and it will be contested between two sides who also have promotion ot the Premier Division on their minds - Atherton LR, and Stafford Town.
Atherton, of the First Division North, overcame Holker Old Boys away from home. David Moore and Harvey Sample helped Rovers overturn a 1-0 deficit to win 2-1. Stafford, from the South, made more straightforward work of Ashville on home soil, sending them packing with a 3-0 win thanks to goals by Matthew Hearsey and a Patryk Mazurkiewicz brace.
2. Double duty for the Ravens
There were six points up for grabs for FC Isle of Man this weekend – literally, not figuratively. Firstly, on Saturday, Pilkington were the visitors from the mainland, and the two sides played out a stormer, with FC’s Sean Doyle scoring a brace in an eventual 3-3 draw.
Then, on Sunday, there was no rest for the weary, as relegation-threatened Prestwich Heys made the journey to the Bowl. It looked as though they were going to escape with a victory, too, going into added time 2-1 up, but the Ravens refused to fall, and equalised in the 96th to salvage two points from an available six this weekend.
3. Lower Breck make the 100-goal club
Table-topping Bury have been members of the 100 club for a few weeks now, but they finally have company, and its from arguably the biggest threats to their title push. I mentioned last week that Lower Breck’s recent run of form has seen them shoot to second in the table, but last Thursday’s dominant win over South Liverpool helped them achieve another impressive feat.
Breck battered South 6-0 on home soil, with Jesse Dowling scoring a brace in amongst the chaos, and this goal flurry was enough to take the home team from 94 goals for the league season to 100. They’ve since expanded on that, putting two past AFC Liverpool and three past Colne to bring their total to 105.
4. AFC Liverpool on the move?
AFC Liverpool, of the Premier Division, have long been ground-sharing with NPL outfit Marine at their Marine Travel Arena, but recent developments seem to indicate that this will no longer be the case as of 2025/26. Marine, on their official X account, have begun advertising for a new ground-share partner going into next season.
There has yet to be any official comment by AFC Liverpool on their own social media sites as of the time of writing. Marine have also announced plans to build a new stadium for themselves, which could well have had an impact on what will come next for AFC in the NWCFL.
5. One from the North
FC Isle of Man played more games this past weekend than there were coming from the entirety of the First Division North, which is rare! Daisy Hill and AFC Blackpool were the headline act from this division on Saturday, going toe to toe at the former’s Plumb Factory Stadium.
Finlay Stafford gave Daisy Hill an early lead inside 10 minutes, and they held it for just under an hour, before Luke Hepple equalised for visiting AFC Blackpool. In the end, the honours were shared, leaving the hosts in 13th, where they began the day, and allowing the visitors to leapfrog Ashton Town into 7th.
